I’ve started planting the pond borders. Before we built the pond, it was a wild little forest filled with self seeded trees, 29 tyres, so much rubble, wood, metal - a dumping ground. It was also rife with so many vigorous nettles, dock leaves & wildflowers - all wonderful, but didn’t allow room for anything else. We used no dig cardboard method to try and slow down some of these. I then cut through the cardboard & planted 50 grasses & batches of flowers. The wildflowers already here were peppermint, feverfew, yellow flag iris, green alkanet, forget me nots, buttercups, dead nettle, willowherb and so many others. I’ve been gently curating, leaving some peppered around the edges, but trying to not let one kind completely take over, and also give room for the new things I’ve planted. 

The grasses are still miniature, but hopefully one day will tower above the fence and sway in the wind. Here is a glimpse into my vision. There are delicately formed flowers of trollius, toadflax, candelabra, white campion & veronicastrum to come. There are colours of orange, yellow, pale pink, lilac and white, which all glow in the light and gently weave their way through a tapestry of feathery grasses and wildflowers. The overall effect feels naturalistic and ties in with the surrounding countryside. I’ve also planted several water lilies of the same colours, soft and shimmering.

There is lots of cover for all the froglets which are currently adventuring out the pond. There’s also lots of tall stems for the so many dragonflies and damselflies to perch on.