Somebody has been in MY pond

Lovely job for me tomorrow. I went past the pond on the patio and I thought a planting basket looked at an odd angle...and why was a brick that I use as a stepping stone for the frogs and newts sticking up out of the water? Then I realised three planting baskets have disappeared - one of a nice dwarf water lily, a big basket of iris and a marsh marigold. A bit of delving with the brush handle and I found them at the bottom of the pond - its nearly 3 feet down.
Seems like something has fallen in off the raised edge and been going around the rim trying to climb out and has pulled the baskets down. I think I will have to put some bricks down on the shelf that do not have a planting basket on top. So tomorrow I have to roll up my sleeves and haul out the baskets - in this temperature!!!
When is the best time to clean out the pond? - there must be a fair amount of mud and dead leaves etc at the bottom. I do have a breeding population of frogs and newts. Will they all be out by now? I don't have any fish - I find frogs and newts far more interesting.
Don't know what it was that fell in. It wasn't the dog. Cats don't usually come in the garden. They are terrified of our German shepherd.

 

From the human point of view, Geoff, there's never a good time to clean out the pond! But bearing in mind your amphibians, I'd say now was as good as any - you certainly won't be disturbing recently lain spawn!

We've generally done it when forced to, and looking at the RHS advice pages, they say

"Smaller ponds may need cleaning out every four to five years, larger ponds after 10 years.

Cleaning removes decaying debris at the bottom of the pond and provides a chance for repairs, propagation and planting.

The time to do this is in late spring, a good time to split plants. For wildlife ponds pond cleaning can be damaging, but less so in autumn or late winter."

Which fits fairly well into what we've been doing, thank goodness! :D

 

So I have no excuse then ...not only retrieving the plants but cleaning the pond as well. I am not looking forward to this. I would rather pot something up or sow some seeds......
I hope I don't find a drowned cat at the bottom or something

 

If you wait a few days, it'll float to the top..... :rolleyes:

 

Some frogs and newts do stay in the water throughout the winter. I have several frogs that stay in the pond virtually all year round. A wild life pond would be best cleaned out now and give it time to settle down as hopefully there will be a lot of activity next spring when disturbance would not be appreciated.

 

You are not giving me a way out are you?
Oh well rather than stick my arm into the bottom of a cold gunky pond I have fiddled with the fountain and found it has an outlet on the side. Have attached a hosepipe and the lawn is now flooding - I think it will take some time.

 

Geoff I did this job last week my wildlife pond had to be re-sited due to the arrival of a new greenhouse there was foot of mud on the bottom and loads of frogs in it knowing the weather was to remain mild I wasn't too concerned they had time to find somewhere else what took the longest was fishing out this years newt tadpoles and ramshorn snails I stored them in a cleaned out wheelie bin until I installed my "new" pond there is no ideal time to do it just bite the bullet role your sleeves up and get stuck in good luck

 

Oh no you mean my newt tadpoles are going to be in there!!! I was hoping they had changed and were out hibernating under rocks and things - I usually find them in the cold frame and greenhouse.
Well its half done so I am set to finish off tomorrow. Whatever knocked every thing over must have had a lucky escape. It must have got out using the plants in the corner but it was only the fountain cable that stopped that lot falling in. No sign of a dead cat as yet!

 

Well I have emptied it. That has to be one of the most unpleasant gardening jobs I have ever done. Cold hands, cold feet, up to my armpits in slime - green smelly slime....and while I was knee deep in it I discovered that my right welly has a leak in it. So the rest of the job was done standing on one leg. The dog thought it was very interesting and supervised by hanging over the edge. Not surprising really. I disocovered no less than 4 of her tennis balls and no less than 6 assorted dog toys, some of which cost �£s to buy.
So I have planting baskets with plants in bowls of water on the lawn, a huge pile of smelly debris at the bottom of the garden, a bucket of rescued tadpoles and a bottom lawn that is like a paddy field.....and a muddy dog.
Filling it will be the easy part.

 

I thought you would enyoy it. :D

 

Poppy obviously did! She must have thought you were having great fun, Geoff! All those toys - it's a wonder she didn't knock them back in for you! :D

 

Well the toys and balls are somewhere in the big pile of smelly debris at the bottom of the garden. I just hope she does not retrieve them. Or that she does not go charging along the boundary. If she sees a dog across the stream she normally runs along it and throws her paws up just where I have dumped the waste. Now if she doesn't look !!!! :eek:

 

:D

 

I trust you are enjoying a chilled beer or something stronger after all that. I don't envy you that job one little bit - but satifying when finished :D

 

No blinkin chance! I found the cupboard bare. My son is moving out after Christmas...not before time. He pinches my beer and the younger one has taken all my Pink Floyd albums to university - vinyl is now in fashion!! :(
Oh well tomorrow I have to split up the plants and put them back - I like planting things. I am going to have loads of the white iris spare. I think they are going on the Country Markets stall next summer. I recovered the white marsh marigold from 3 feet down. I have been told that it does not like being in water, so that is going down with the primulas and I have a double marsh marigold to replace it.
Would you believe it but years ago in an old pond I had down the garden somebody pinched a double marsh marigold, planting basket and all? A fence panel had fallen down but they leaped over a stream and hauled out a big heavy basket in full flower. Somebody also stole 12 dianthus plants I had raised from cuttings off the front. Obviously a keen gardener with itchy fingers.
When the wife got home she made me put the coat I was wearing in the greenhouse - she smelt its aroma when she walked in the front door. I think I might have to hose it down, its a good gardening coat.