Almost the last item on M's scheme of work last growing season was a session entitled 'Creating a wildlife pond'. We have our own pond on one plot lined with black plastic (M has a suspicion that this has a small tear and is now leaking, but once again, that is another story). We were also given a small oval plastic pond - somewhat similar to a baby bath - by a customer.
M and I spent a crazy morning last summer digging a hole for this under our rose trellis, planting irises around it and filling it with water. We added the 'frog log', a piece of semi-submerged plank to enable frogs to enter and exit, and waited for the wildlife. My husband came along later and 'rebalanced' our efforts. Unfortunately the pond produced midge larvae and the occasional drowned snail, but nothing more. M was disappointed.
So today I decided to donate the pond to M. She was delighted and immediately set about emptying the green, midge-infested water onto the adjacent strawberry bed (they will survive) and then cleaned her recently acquired water feature.
The pond is going to her new site where in the process of clearing stuff which was once useful to the previous plotholder, M has fallen down several small holes. I suggested she 'enlarge' one of these and turn an annoying feature into an intentional one.
We carried M's pond, filled with some plant pots I had also donated, up the hill through the cemetery, balanced on my gardening trolley. It could have easily been mistaken for something else.
M is not a person to hang about. I imagine M plus pond will soon be on the bus which runs down our avenue en route to her plot. That will give the pensioners something to think about.
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