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During last year's end of April holiday, we hired a mini digger to build a pond and dug a rough hole.
We weren't expecting the next step to take over a year to get around to! Having decided that our rough hole in the ground wouldn't really cut it, we bit the bullet and hired 2 men who knew what they were doing with a digger, and who turned the rough hole into this:
They added a shelf along one side and a shallow area at one end which will become a bog garden. We covered the excavation with a layer of sand:
We created a wall to separate the pond from the bog garden:
My parents came over for a pond-lining party:
During the course of last Sunday we got the underlay and liner in place and began to fill the pond.
The bog garden got a filling with water to flatten the liner. This will be pumped out when we create the bog:
The other half and I still have to conclude our argument about where to build up a rockery for a waterfall that will go around/down the middle of/next to the bog garden and I think we need to increase the height of the wall and shore up a low point in the banking, but it's already been idyllic to sit on the edge of the pond in the sunshine, dangling our feet in the water and watching the sky reflected in the water's ripples, and the water reflected on the branches of the willows at the edge of the pond.
It's now payday and my fingers are itching to get out my bank card and splurge on plants! I can't wait to see it planted up and see what moves in!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Terrific, Maisie! I bet the birds are watching you and approving! Hope you get a windfall on the lottery, or something, to help with the next stage!
Next best thing: big general DIY etc bank loan! The starlings and blackbirds are already having a field day bathing on the exposed liner and I can't wait to give them a proper posh place to have their baths. I've already seen my first grey wagtail at the side of the pond so it seems to already be drawing in new wildlife. Sadly because of the hedge you can't see the pond from the house, so we'll definitely be putting somewhere to sit and bird watch out there - maybe even a nice pagodaish thing, but for now I'd settle for a 2-seater bench by the wall with a bit of table in the middle for the cuppa/glass of wine :)
Thanks to everyone for the positive comments so far. I hope the photos and story will be an inspiration to someone to show what you can do with some hard work, imagination and a LOT of rocks!
Rubbish photo from my phone from the weekend. Needless to say there has been no pond progress as even distinguishing the pond from the surrounding area was nearly impossible!
Oh dear I hope all this rain doesn't do too much damage to all your hard work
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
I was going to say stunning on what you have achieved, but boy was that not what I expected to see. Really hope that all is well when you next get to see your creation.
'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks' John Muir.
Excuse wobbily dyslexic spelling!
It's all survived! Just VERY soggy underfoot. I spent lunchtime barrowing clay through the mud to shore up the area at the edge under the willows to get a flat surface for my nice edging paddle stones that arrive tomorrow. I'll be using some more clay to make a nice 'mouth' for the beach area over the next couple of days.
It is coming on brilliantly Maisie, hope the weather plays nicely for the next bit.
Caroline in Jersey
Cin J
Sorry to see all that heavy rainfall Maisie and hope once things dry up the only thing that will be flooded is the pond itself, good luck with the rest of your project, looking forward to more photos as the work progresses :)
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Regards, Hazel
OMG Maisie. If it freezes you can turn it into a skating rink and sell tickets to help with the cost!
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
Lol Linda!!
On the plus side, at least the bog garden has proof of concept proved!
Still quite a bit of topsoil to go in there to fill it up.