added pics

[AJC]

of the little pond for alison and some garden pics for kaz

[url] http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalp ... /my_photos

[Anyanka]

I like your geranium! Is the colour accurate (doh, that's a stupid question. You don't know what colour it is on my screen...)? It looks quite purple from here, actually very much like the malva I had this summer.
What's it called? (I want one)

[alison]

Hi Anyanka, I think if it is like mine it is called blue rise geranium or Sam calls his 'Johnsons blue' if I remember rightly . Have you looked at his japanese garden website? It's really lovely. He also has his traditional garden and the border has some lovely purple geraniums which are the johnsons blue.
Mine flower beautifully in the summer and are always covered with honey bees. I cut them back to the ground after they have flowered and they form another beautiful clump which stays green right through autumn. Eventually it dies off and I cut it back to the ground again for the winter. I am sure there are some pics of the front border here somewhere or on the website. If the ones I have got are some you would like I can send you some cuttings. They really spread.
Lovely pics Alan I have realised that the reason you looked different on the photo's were that on one where you are looking into the pond you have longer hair than the one with the jungle. It's amazing how different we look with different hair styles.
I think at one time I asked you how deep the pond was but I can see from the pics that it is quite deep. Mine is only 2ft deep but the fish seem to overwinter fine. I will see with this winter though as I have doubled the fish so I hope they will all be fine.

[Anyanka]

Thanks for the information and the offer, Alison! I have one blue geranium, but as with most of my plants can't remember what it's called. It's a really blue blue though, not purple, and not as veiny as the one in the photo. If yours is more like that, I'd love a bit of it! I'll have to think of something I can offer in return...

I did take a long trip around the Japanese garden website yesterday at work (very not busy!) - it's beautiful. Wish I could sit in there properly!
We originally wanted to create a Japanese style feel around the pond, but it just didn't work out that way... it got a bit jungly instead.

[kaz]

Well Alan, I admire your guts to paint the bridge that colour. It actually looks really great

So you don't get snails then... hostas look intact (where's a green with envy emoticon when ya need one).

The planting in and around wildlife pond is appealing

Have you finished the koi pond yet? (not sure if photos are old or whether you're just slacking )

[AJC]

Anyanker, it is Johnson's Blue

Alison, Yes my hair was a bit shorter and the pic wiht the banana was taken by my sons new camera, and it makes everyones hair look grey lol, mine aint that grey! well it is a bit but not that grey lol

kaz, I like that blue, makes the bridge stand out i think and yes i have slugs and snails, but they are low in numbers, I have loads of frogs in the garden to help keep numbers low, and i surround the plants with crushed egg shells for the first month of new growth, it helps keep them off!

[kaz]

Hmmm.... I thought that was the wife looking into the pond

[AJC]

I aint go a wife!

[kaz]

Oh!!! Well she looked cute anyway

Did you finish your pond Alan? I think that way back you sent me a few pics and said it was work in progress.

[kaz]

Sorry

[AJC]

Its still work in progress, i added a few bits, anohter pump, some pipe work and a another water feature, but thats all i have done this year.

[kaz]

You've done all the hard structural work... have you just lost motivation?

[AJC]

LOL no, got the motivation just my back dont care how motivted i get it wont let up

[kaz]

What's left to do?

Looking at photo 19... has the wall been finished off yet? What about the covers for the filters... those pics you sent me, I think you said at the time you was sorting out the covers (my memory is dreadful).

[kaz]

A touchy subject then