Oh how nice.......

[alison]

.....to see the flowers starting to bloom in the pond. While winter has had us in it's throws we have looked forward to the time when the plants start to fill up a very empty span of water making us feel that the pond is coming back to life. I was worried about my yellow flag iris as when I had cut it all back last year as I put a couple of clumps in they fell off the shelf and into the depths. I thought that would be it for them but they have grown and are stretching their spear like leaves up out of the water by quite a good few inches now. Last week the wind also made it's presence felt by moving the Iris that had fallen out of it's pot further into the middle of the pond and on it's side. I managed to pull it back by reaching out onto the water and really trying to take hold of just the tip of the leaves. I managed to do this and pulled it back making it come between the other Iris and the edge. Hopefully it will keep it's place there now.
The marsh marigold has really sprouted in the small pond and the japanese monster marsh marigold is just flowering in the big pond. It is lovely after the cold wet winter to see such beauty.

[Ponddipperdave]

Hi Alison.

Yes, My Marsh Marigold is flowering along with a water Hawthorn I bought at Easter. Things are starting to look nice and fresh here.

I have some ironwork rods with butterflies and dragonflies on which held the heron nets above the pond. I've taken the nets away now and decorated the rods around the pond with lovely blue solar powered fairy lights only £4.99 for 50 at £stretcher. Plus some Solar powered Toadstools which look like Fly Agaric. It looks lovely outside my window.

[alison]

After the week of sunshine everything has doubled in size and the flowers are looking so bright. The small pond has a small clump of yellowflag Iris and the marsh marigold has really taken off with lots of yellow flowers. In the large pond which is slightly smaller than yours at 12 ft wide by 17 and a 1/2 feet long the stripy grass is spiking right up. The bogbean is starting to spread and the Iris is now taller. The japanese monster has lovely large marsh marigold flowers that they really brighten up the shallows. All the taddies are trying their best to stay within the leaves and roots of the plant so the fish can't get them.

[alison]

Reading through the posts last year it seems like nature is repeating itself slightly earlier this year. All the plants are doing so well but I had noticed the Bog Bean really going crazy until I realised that it was the watercress that had erupted and covered the whole of the bogbean altogether. As I started to thin it out I could see the Bog Bean trying it's hardest to get out of the darkness.
It is wonderful to see the whole garden doing so well there is colour everywhere.