my little pond

[jason fisher]

Well my pond is now 2 years old.

i've been sitting by the side enjoying a bit of sun between bouts of slavery for the wife.
I counted 19 small frogs from last years hatch all about half to 3/4 of full size.
the first dragon fly of the year, one blue damsel and 2 red damsels/small dragonflies not sure which.
3 brown gold fish from a spawning in the first year and a couple from last year.
the gold fish are sunbathing and looking like they're about to spawn yet again.
later i'll be sitting by the side in the sun and enjoying a nice glass of wine while watching the bats as it falls dark..
just thought i'd share that with you there's some days that life is wonderful.

 

[Baz]

Jason,
I cleaned a pond out today for a customer.
the koy carp that were in there were put into a storage tank while I got on with vacumeing the bottom silt out. I came across about 30 to 40 young fish which had been trapped in a large piece of mesh. Split the lily pads up and marginal plants. Then started to refill again. The whole thing only took about 4 hours but it's well worth it when you can sit out and watch the fish and insect life that it attracts. One of the best evenings I had last year around my own pond was when I was sat out one warm evening listening to the frogs croaking, it was magical, especially with a nice low tinkling sound of water comeing in from a waterfall.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

"there's some days that life is wonderful." but never quite as good as tomorrow!


Enjoy each and every moment of each and every day and always look forward to the next breakfast.

 

[Baz]

In all the gardens,
all over the land,
where ever I may roam.
There's just one thing,
I can't abide,
a plastic bloody gnome.

 

[The Monk]

I have four ponds in my garden, and I`ve removed three gnomes (the girlfirend keeps buying them, and I keep slinging them), I hate the bloody things.

Its amazing how wildlife appears once you create the habitat, this year I have newts, frogs and carp all breeding, the place is alive with everything, pipestrelle bats, Tawney owls and fox by night, a variety of garden birds with the occassional kingfisher sat on the back fence, Brown and green hawker dragon flies, 4 varieties of damsels. Its great to get home from work and just sit on one of my benches and observe the wildlife. In fact a recent ecological survey pointed out the significant growth in wildlife and wildlife corridors created by water gardens, particularly with the significant decrease in open country habit through modern farming methodologies.

So sod the wife, if you dont already have a pond in the garden, then get out there and dig the lawn up
(you know it makes sense)

 

[Baz]

Monk,
I like the bit about slinging the gnomes, hahahaha. There was an area near where I live a couple of years ago where someone was kidnapping this blokes gnomes and sending ransom notes.
There is a good book by Prof.Chris Baynes on wild life gardening. He concentrates on the smallest of gardens in making a wildlife reserve. It's easy any one can do it, and as you say is very rewarding, it is your very own piece of countryside in the middle of suberbia. He has also done a lot of work for the New Town areas in creating wild life habitats.

 

[Baz]

Well manicured lawns are green deserts according to C.Baynes, I couldn't agree more. And don't forget to have a log pile somewhere in the garden, you can have a well cared for woodland edge in the tiniest of gardens. Your grassed area (not lawned) is your meadow. A little thought and imagination is all that is required.

 

[The Monk]

a good mate of mine, George Pilkington wrote a book on wildlife gardening a few years ago, hes due to release a second book this year, Chris did his forward by the way)both George and I did our Masters degrees at Manchester, worth picking up Georges books if you come across them

Gardening for Wildlife forward by Chris Baines, by George Pilkington, ISBN 1 873727 12 7 (1999) Alfresco Books, Warrington.

In fact I`m out with George next friday, I`ll see if he has any copies left?

 

[The Monk]

I got one of her bloody gnomes, tarred and feathered the bugger, put a noose around its neck and hung it from the corner of the garden shed

(said the kids had done it)

I think she got the message

I now have a gnome free garden

 

[jason fisher]

there's an underground french society dedicated to the liberation of gnomes.

they liberate them and return them to the wild.
aparently a load were found standing round in a clearing in a french wood.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

Nothing wrong with gnomes, they deserve a life too you know!!!

I worked with a woman once and she absolutely hated them. Her and her husband had a small chicken farm on the main road with clean grass lawns to the front. I always promised to buy one and stick right against her front path for devilment.

The woman next door doesn't have any gnomes, just plastic and pot squirrels all over her garden. I can't understand it because we have loads or real live squirrels running around anyway, but they haven't worked out how to mate with the plastic ones yet. "Ouch, oh come on love, open up a bit." I hear them say.

 

[Baz]

Thank's to Jason for starting this thread.
He is right what a brilliant day it is for enjoying the garden pond and surroundings. I have just come in for a brew, it is scorching hot now at 11.a.m. later this afternoon I will sit in the shaded part of my garden next to the silver birch tree I planted twenty years ago, which affords some nice dappled shade, and take further stock of my surroundings.
There is one seriouse pest in my garden at the moment (Wifeus Destructus ) It has the habit of wanting to remove hare bells and snakes head frittiliaries, and replace them with pansies and petunias. One method for getting rid of this pest is to turn the hosepipe on it.
Gnomes aren't too bad, they can be abducted. As pointed out before it is the Hop Goblins you have to watch out for.
Ah well, brew time over, back to my Paradise Garden,more from cranks Farm later.

 

[The Monk]

Dont think I`m being racist here, I love Boggarts and other little guys that roam about in the night, I just prefer not to have gnomes in the garden (NIMBY) or not in my back garden as the case may be!

and they may sound aweful and uncaring to all you gnomes lovers out there, but basically all a gnome is, is a usless lump of coloured plastic, I mean it doest even do anything, apart from look really ridiculous sat around a pond with a fishing rod in its hand (and they don`t buy rod licences) take note EA

 

[The Monk]

same goes for anything similar, plastic and stone herons, hedgehogs, rabbits, cant stand them, all manmade and unnatural

 

[Baz]

Sunday
16th /May/20004
13.18 hrs.
Cranks Farm.

Gentlemen,
Further to my posting this morning, it is my great displeasure to inform you of events that took place while I was absent from my Paradise Garden.
I was exchangeing pleasantries with you my dear friends and at the same time having a cup of char.
On my return to my beloved semi wild haven, I discovered that (Wifeus Desructus) had dug up a full patch of native grown Marsh Marrigolds, to be replaced with pansies.
Gentlemen, A War Has Started!!

 

[The Monk]

divorce her mate, dont stand no messy

 

[Baz]

This is a war of attrition Monk. If wifeus Destructus thinks that any of her plants will flourish,.................then she doesn't know me at all. Death to all foreign invaders. (plants)

 

[Baz]

I must have things completely wrong concerning the garden, or have I?
According to psychologists I am Neanderthal man in the garden, who likes nothing more than to roll the pebble drive or mow the lawn, the lawn mower is said to be an extension of the garden shed, where I can go and skulk, and we can only be let loose with a hoe under the strictest supervision. Anything that doesn’t take too much thought is assessed to be within my capabilities.
And now gentlemen we come to the ladies part in the garden. According to the psychologists, the ladies are the inventors, the designers, the aristocrats of flowerbed construction.
As to the ladies, I say go forth and multiply yourself.
Women like to cut the heads off flowers or buy plants from Timbuktu and say look what I have grown. Does the average female know anything about soil structures ? No! Do they know what the nitrogen cycle is ? No! Then what do they know about anything you may well ask?
Long and hard has the battle been fought between Mars and Venus in the garden, but in my domain there will only ever be one winner. I am the Alpha male, I am the hunter-gatherer, and I will have the last word.

 

[Budgie Burgess]

Must be the odd one out here as my garden is a jungle of weeds, overgrown fruit trees,part restored Porches,knackered sheds,"un put out late at night for the bin man" bin bags and Kents finnest and biggest collection of dog turds!

 

[Baz]

If you have a jungle of weeds Budgie, that means your soil is in perfect condition with no shortage of food traces. I am not kidding when I say a bed of weeds can be attractive, (in the right place).
I have even tried to get daisies to grow on my lawn by transplanting them, to make it look more natural.
I don't care much for the latin names of plants, I can't pronounce them anyway. And don't know of many people that can properly.
Talking of our own natural wild flowers such as -: Jack by the Hedge, the marbled leaves of Lords and Ladies, Devils Bit Scabiouse, Corn Cockle, and Herb Robert, that red and green leaved plant with a little pink flower that grows on the poorest of soils, and my own favourite Foxglove, the bees love them.
As for these foreign imports that wifeus destructus keeps on putting in, All I will say is that I have been doing a bit of hoeing tonight, and the only thing that springs to mind is -: Petunias?? I see no Petunias.
More tea Vicar?