I saved the clearing of the pond until last. Partly because I knew it would be a major job but also because I am a little scared of… poisonous snakes… and my neighbour keeps warning me about them (despite the farmer’s wife in the nearby village laughing at such a ridiculous idea). It is fair to say that I’m not taking any chances!

When I first arrived at the house the site contained a concrete ornamental pond with a make-shift wire fence around it to keep dogs out. There was one large Laurel in the corner by a side gate, a few Yukka plants and a Hazelnut tree. Over the years, English Ivy, Virginia Creeper and brambles had overtaken virtually everything and you would be hard pushed to know what was down there! The pond itself was mostly full of decaying leaves, seven goldfish (how they are still alive I will never know) and a bunch of bullfrogs. But that was then…

Over the past three days, I have cut, cleared and dragged off what seems like hundreds of barrow loads of greenery. The site is slowly opening up to reveal a charming pond and shady area that I hope to plant up with white Calla Lilies come the spring. The gate is now accessible although I’m yet to locate the key! I will post more pictures of the finished pond once its done. SCH