11 March 2012

And They're Off

No we're not talking about clothes - you lot never change! Nor are we talking about horse racing! We're actually referring to the covers around our pond!


This bout of warm weather we're experiencing has certainly kicked start the "let's get outside" feeling in a big way. Even the little one (who's not so little anymore) has been nagging to be out playing in his garden. So come Saturday morning we were out and about early in the garden and planning, over a cup of coffee of course, this seasons "jobs to do" list. Hey, who said anything about being out in the garden simply relaxing!

The first thing on the agenda is to complete the pond build, or at least finish off the titivating. This includes finishing off the external pond walls and also the pond wall tops, or coping stones. Again we have an idea in mind and so the planning of how best to execute our plans was main consideration .... time for another coffee i think!

That did the trick. Strategy formed and a clear plan of action etched in to our brains - remove the covers so that we can see the wood for the trees, or in our case the blockwork for the future work to be completed.

The fish looked to have survived the cold of the water well. No sooner were the covers removed the fish were up in the corner where they're normally fed, mouths agape. They soon looked content after a little bit of wheatgerm. We soon washed out the header pond and began the process of filling, ready for switching on the skimmer again. We'd been running the skimmer periodically over the winter but sending it straight to waste. We also added some clay as a bit of a conditioner, plus there was signs of a little algae growth and we've found that the clay helps remove this. The UV was also switched on.

It was great to sit back afterwards watching the fish swim past the window again and do circuits around the pond. It was also simply great to be able to sit outside without the need for cold weather gear or waterproofs and begin to enjoy the fresh air and being outside again. To a certain degree, a sense of freedom from one element of our home, the brick walls of the inside, to another aspect which we thoroughly enjoy and spend a lot of time in .... the garden and especially the pond. The dogs also seem to share this philosophy.


Taking the covers off may be a little premature as i'm sure this glorious weather won't be maintained, after all it is the UK. However access to the pond and area is once again unrestricted which will allow us to get on and do what we want, when we want. And we're looking forward to it!

More to come ....

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