At the same time I have been completing the planting of the naturalistic pond with iris, water lily, and lots of different kinds of evergreen grasses. A boggy area beside the steps now boasts a few yellow Ligularia, L. przewalskii and some large native bulrushes, ‘borrowed’ from the large pond in the river valley: I thought it better to keep them in an enclosed area as they can readily take over a restricted area of water. In truth, the newly planted pond looks terribly meagre just now … like a manicured town garden with so much paving exposed. Altogether I have planted Carnation Grass (Carex Panicea); Variegated Reed ( Phragmites Australis Variegatus); Greater Pond Sedge (Carex Riparia); Flowering Sedge (Carex acuta) ; Variegated Pond Sedge (Carex Riparia Variegata); Miniature Bulrush (Typha gracilis); Variegated Yellow Flag Iris ( I. pseudocorus Variegatus); Water Forget-me-not (Myosotis Palustris) and three types of white water-lily so far! Everything needs to spread, so I have taken all the water plants (apart from the lilies) out of their pots to encourage rampant growth and a naturalistic effect.
I have piled up local stones to create a little beach at one end of the pond, rather than using smooth river stones as eventually I hope they will look more in keeping with the surroundings. Between the paving are two new Sun Roses, Cistus x corbariensis and a few pink Angel’s Fishing Rod, Dierama pulcherrimum having lost my previous ones to the freezing weather last Winter. Now the stone steps down to the pond are completed, it is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the sun and the antics of the goldfish and the many types of dragonfly which buzz above the surface with their luminescent wings, hovering like tiny helicopters.