In my last post I explained how a leaking pond became the trigger for a whole new garden ethos. I did not want to alter the entire look but just give it a new emphasis on wildlife and a more natural feel. Once the idea of turning the pond area into a bog garden grounded itself (pun intended) in my mind I became over-excited and that triggered the release of my alter-ego, Doc Barbara. This formidable lady unites with me sometimes - for better or for worse - but she is an admirable soul who upholds the ultimate values in life: honesty, integrity, compassion, the correct use of the semi-colon and thick tights.
Despite being 87, with limited mobility and sweltering in the first heat wave of 2026, I decided (or Doc Barbara propelled me) to undertake the whole project unaided. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Reality then reasserted itself and I knew that, if I had to paddle through nutritious mud (food for the plants I mean - even Doc Barbara is not that eccentric), I would need special clothing. Imagine my joy when I unearthed (not literally - even I am not that eccentric) my old wellies and saw that they were perfectly colour co-ordinated with the marsh flowers I had in mind. Having rehoused the spiders that were creating their webs inside, I washed them out (the wellies not the spiders) and put them to dry - ready for the next thrilling episode.
P.S. I am not sure what the little elephant is doing there. He is not part of the scheme but at least he's not pink).
