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The best bit of gardening
Hello All
I've mentioned in here before my Grand Plan, one huge pond and lots of little ones, circular seating area, nice hill planted up. Spent weeks working on it over the winter, dug out the ponds, cut a 20' circle into a bank, a hell of a lot of hardscaping and planting. Nowhere near finished, but enough so I can see what's left to do. Now, on a hot summers morning I've got my first real taste of why. Just spent a very happy two hours staring at my pond. Pond skaters everywhere, fighting, mating, pouncing on midges. 9 goldfish patrolling in regular patterns, grazing here and there, ever hopeful of feed arriving from the sky. Water boatmen shyly disappearing to the depths whenever my shadow looms above them. Whirlygig beetles rushing everywhere in their mad shopping sprees. Norris, the newt who arrived a month ago from gawd knows where is slowly working his way around the pond hoping that a female smooth newt has turned up. Most stunning are the mayflies. Electric blue, glowing red - a full spectrum. Mating (in a racist manner, always pairing with the same colour), flying around joined together like some aerial Pushmepullyou and laying eggs for next year's one-day wonders. Occasionally a dragonfly or two does a low-level flyby, but not stopping long enough to be fully admired. Another mystery is the monster tadpole. About 1.5" long, alone, after no sign of any spawn. I think it arrived with one of the lilies I planted today. Those are just getting used to their new home, ever-so slowly opening their pads. Can it get any better than this? Sitting in my own garden, the sounds of water running down the stream. No noisy neighbours or screaming kids, no mad rush to do anything other than get another cold beer from the fridge... -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK - feeling really rather smug. |
The best bit of gardening
Simon Avery wrote in message ... Hello All I've mentioned in here before my Grand Plan, one huge pond and lots of little ones, circular seating area, nice hill planted up. Spent weeks working on it over the winter, dug out the ponds, cut a 20' circle into a bank, a hell of a lot of hardscaping and planting. Nowhere near finished, but enough so I can see what's left to do. Now, on a hot summers morning I've got my first real taste of why. snip of wonderful imagery I know exactly what you mean. Today, whilst I was bunging in supports for my sunflowers, repotting the rat-tail radishes, donated variegated privet (I think), strawberries, new (and only!) rose bush and sowing yet more radishes, lettuce and sprouts (and celebrating the fact that the hollyhocks are finally showing signs of life!), my husband was finishing off our new chicken enclosure. Once done, we 'transplanted' the chickens (a traumatic episode - neither they, nor we, are used to chicken-moving!), and then sat down to watch (the chicken enclosure is also a 'strawberries-in-hanging-plant-bags' support). Chickens had to be moved because of my plans for a gravel garden where they used to live. It was great to just sit there, surrounded by pots of growing things, watching the chooks get used to their new (and much bigger than before) home. Charlie the cockerel has already dug a little dirt bath for his 3 'angels'. The enclosure will soon be surrounded by Coronet apple trees - it's great to see the garden coming together - seeing our plans become reality. Hopefully the next week will see the neighbour coming in with his JCB to flatten the 'lawn' where the gravel is to go - and I should have somewhere to plant my pot-grown plants soon afterwards! This gardening lark is certainly addictive - a friend commented last night that the place is beginning to look like a garden centre! The thing that worries me is what I'm going to do after the gravel garden is complete - we have half an acre of weeds (brambles, nettles and thistles, mainly) to deal with next - this could be a life-long job! Jo |
The best bit of gardening
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The best bit of gardening
Simon, this is lovely. A little piece of Heaven.
You are perfectly entitled to feel smug (I too live near Dartmoor)- beautiful. |
The best bit of gardening
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The best bit of gardening
Can it get any better than this?
The top third of my garden is a tropical one. Lots of bananas, cannas, tree ferns, palms, phormiums, cycads etc. At this time of the year, they are all growing strongly. In the middle is my small pond. I've put a wooden log alongside as a seat. Early every morning, I make myself a large cup of latte and go sit quietly besides my pond. The 'rocket' fish come up to say 'morning' and I give them breakfast. The frogs stick their heads up under the water lily leaves, looking like they are wearing huge hats. The red and blue dragonflies fly laps around the pond and the local friendly wasps come in for a drink. Best of all though in my opinion, are my newts. They come up to see what's happening, and then 'play' near the surface. They are absolutely brilliant. A great way to start the day... - h |
The best bit of gardening
"H" wrote:
Hello H Can it get any better than this? H The top third of my garden is a tropical one. Lots of H bananas, cannas, tree ferns, palms, phormiums, cycads etc. Wow. Not much chance of that on an east-facing Dartmoor hill though... H At this time of the year, they are all growing strongly. In H the middle is my small pond. I've put a wooden log alongside H as a seat. Early every morning, I make myself a large cup of H latte and go sit quietly besides my pond. The 'rocket' fish H come up to say 'morning' and I give them breakfast. The H frogs stick their heads up under the water lily leaves, H looking like they are wearing huge hats. The red and blue H dragonflies fly laps around the pond and the local friendly H wasps come in for a drink. Best of all though in my opinion, H are my newts. They come up to see what's happening, and then H 'play' near the surface. They are absolutely brilliant. H A great way to start the day... Sounds great. My newt, Norris, is either moving around a lot or there's a second one in now (pond's too big to tell for sure). I hope it's not Morris because while I'm not homophobic, I want little newts. One of the houses I grew up in had hundreds of newts and I spent many a little-boy hour watching them. Not a frog or toad in sight though, guess I missed them this year. Even the one I rescued out of a drain cover at work has hopped it. Nice surprise this afternoon when I came home - the goldfish have been doing naughty things and I've just spotted my first ever baby fishes! I'm so proud! I'm a grandad! -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/ |
The best bit of gardening
"Simon Avery" wrote in message
... Hello All I've mentioned in here before my Grand Plan, one huge pond and lots of little ones, circular seating area, nice hill planted up. Spent weeks working on it over the winter, dug out the ponds, cut a 20' circle into a bank, a hell of a lot of hardscaping and planting. Nowhere near finished, but enough so I can see what's left to do. Now, on a hot summers morning I've got my first real taste of why. Just spent a very happy two hours staring at my pond. Pond skaters everywhere, fighting, mating, pouncing on midges. 9 goldfish patrolling in regular patterns, grazing here and there, ever hopeful of feed arriving from the sky. Water boatmen shyly disappearing to the depths whenever my shadow looms above them. Whirlygig beetles rushing everywhere in their mad shopping sprees. Norris, the newt who arrived a month ago from gawd knows where is slowly working his way around the pond hoping that a female smooth newt has turned up. Most stunning are the mayflies. Electric blue, glowing red - a full spectrum. Mating (in a racist manner, always pairing with the same colour), flying around joined together like some aerial Pushmepullyou and laying eggs for next year's one-day wonders. Occasionally a dragonfly or two does a low-level flyby, but not stopping long enough to be fully admired. Another mystery is the monster tadpole. About 1.5" long, alone, after no sign of any spawn. I think it arrived with one of the lilies I planted today. Those are just getting used to their new home, ever-so slowly opening their pads. Can it get any better than this? Sitting in my own garden, the sounds of water running down the stream. No noisy neighbours or screaming kids, no mad rush to do anything other than get another cold beer from the fridge... -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK - feeling really rather smug. Definately jealous, but you're a gardener, how can you sit and watch, surely there's a weed somewhere, or a pot that needs watering or some seeds that just haven't gone in yet, or the greenhouse needs ventilating, or or or, oh yea sorry, I know it's addictive, and I am trying to teach myself the art of "sit back and watch", it's just not coming easily to me as yet. We did have damselflies laying eggs last week, that was great, right up until the male sunk the female well below the water level and then dragged himself back up and flew off. Well she didn't come up by herself so we stepped in, don't know for sure if it was the right thing to do, but did it anyway. We also had to introduce tadpoles this year since no-one came to spawn in our pond, however we did have one large frog sitting in the pond in the blazing heat of the weekend, that was great to see. Duncan |
The best bit of gardening
"Druss" wrote:
Hello Druss D Definately jealous, but you're a gardener, how can you sit D and watch, surely there's a weed somewhere, or a pot that D needs watering or some seeds that just haven't gone in yet, D or the greenhouse needs ventilating, or or or, oh yea sorry, D I know it's addictive, and I am trying to teach myself the D art of "sit back and watch", it's just not coming easily to D me as yet. Ah, I have a secret weapon for that side of things. The wife. I do the hardscaping and mow the lawn, she does the plants. Works really well. BTW, finally got around to putting some photos up; http://digdilem.org/garden "What I did over the winter" Sascha might like to see a not-quite clone of her sitting area. D We did have damselflies laying eggs last week, that was D great, right up until the male sunk the female well below D the water level and then dragged himself back up and flew D off. Well she didn't come up by herself so we stepped in, D don't know for sure if it was the right thing to do, but did D it anyway. We also had to introduce tadpoles this year since D no-one came to spawn in our pond, however we did have one D large frog sitting in the pond in the blazing heat of the D weekend, that was great to see. I love ponds, there's so much happening in them it's a great place to waste time. Same with moving water, great fun to play around with a stream - moving stones around to see if it makes the flow better or more attractive. -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/ |
The best bit of gardening
"Simon Avery" wrote in message
... Hello All I've mentioned in here before my Grand Plan, one huge pond and lots of little ones, circular seating area, nice hill planted up. Spent weeks working on it over the winter, dug out the ponds, cut a 20' circle into a bank, a hell of a lot of hardscaping and planting. Nowhere near finished, but enough so I can see what's left to do. Now, on a hot summers morning I've got my first real taste of why. Just spent a very happy two hours staring at my pond. Pond skaters everywhere, fighting, mating, pouncing on midges. 9 goldfish patrolling in regular patterns, grazing here and there, ever hopeful of feed arriving from the sky. Water boatmen shyly disappearing to the depths whenever my shadow looms above them. Whirlygig beetles rushing everywhere in their mad shopping sprees. Norris, the newt who arrived a month ago from gawd knows where is slowly working his way around the pond hoping that a female smooth newt has turned up. Most stunning are the mayflies. Electric blue, glowing red - a full spectrum. Mating (in a racist manner, always pairing with the same colour), flying around joined together like some aerial Pushmepullyou and laying eggs for next year's one-day wonders. Occasionally a dragonfly or two does a low-level flyby, but not stopping long enough to be fully admired. Another mystery is the monster tadpole. About 1.5" long, alone, after no sign of any spawn. I think it arrived with one of the lilies I planted today. Those are just getting used to their new home, ever-so slowly opening their pads. Can it get any better than this? Sitting in my own garden, the sounds of water running down the stream. No noisy neighbours or screaming kids, no mad rush to do anything other than get another cold beer from the fridge... -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK - feeling really rather smug. Definately jealous, but you're a gardener, how can you sit and watch, surely there's a weed somewhere, or a pot that needs watering or some seeds that just haven't gone in yet, or the greenhouse needs ventilating, or or or, oh yea sorry, I know it's addictive, and I am trying to teach myself the art of "sit back and watch", it's just not coming easily to me as yet. We did have damselflies laying eggs last week, that was great, right up until the male sunk the female well below the water level and then dragged himself back up and flew off. Well she didn't come up by herself so we stepped in, don't know for sure if it was the right thing to do, but did it anyway. We also had to introduce tadpoles this year since no-one came to spawn in our pond, however we did have one large frog sitting in the pond in the blazing heat of the weekend, that was great to see. Duncan |
The best bit of gardening
"Druss" wrote:
Hello Druss D Definately jealous, but you're a gardener, how can you sit D and watch, surely there's a weed somewhere, or a pot that D needs watering or some seeds that just haven't gone in yet, D or the greenhouse needs ventilating, or or or, oh yea sorry, D I know it's addictive, and I am trying to teach myself the D art of "sit back and watch", it's just not coming easily to D me as yet. Ah, I have a secret weapon for that side of things. The wife. I do the hardscaping and mow the lawn, she does the plants. Works really well. BTW, finally got around to putting some photos up; http://digdilem.org/garden "What I did over the winter" Sascha might like to see a not-quite clone of her sitting area. D We did have damselflies laying eggs last week, that was D great, right up until the male sunk the female well below D the water level and then dragged himself back up and flew D off. Well she didn't come up by herself so we stepped in, D don't know for sure if it was the right thing to do, but did D it anyway. We also had to introduce tadpoles this year since D no-one came to spawn in our pond, however we did have one D large frog sitting in the pond in the blazing heat of the D weekend, that was great to see. I love ponds, there's so much happening in them it's a great place to waste time. Same with moving water, great fun to play around with a stream - moving stones around to see if it makes the flow better or more attractive. -- Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/ |
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