Pond

Poppy likes fishing so the net has to be a permanent feature unless there’s time to watch what she’s up to, the fish are always hungry and thrash around when they see you or feel the vibration of your footsteps. The black fish gradually turn orange with age and the older orange fish become paler and their tails seem to lengthen. The water lillies have done well this year and the oxygenating weed is flourishing so there’s lots of shade and places for the fish to hide. The blanket weed is disappearing as the temperature starts to drop but the filter and pump should be cleaned before the water gets too cold. A cloudy sunny day with no rain, picked runner beans, carrots and cucumbers.

Water lillies

Already established, these pop up each spring, they live alongside irises , elodea, tadpoles and the ever increasing numbers of fish, which need feeding several times a day. They change from brown to orange as they mature. Opened the gate from the square paddock into the lower paddock to let the sheep wander in for richer grazing, all was well until one of them became detached from the group. The bleating was LOUD, all calm once they were reunited. Sheep are now back in the square paddock overnight, don’t want to be woken up…! The noise made the donkeys a bit agitated, they wanted to see what was going on. Hot day today, veg doing ok, planted spinach, coriander and rocket in the raised bed with the courgette plants which are supposed to trail over the edge of the bed as they grow – I think some training may be required.