WATERING HOLE

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For some time I have been looking for a suitable container to make a watering hole for the tortoises. It needed to be shallow enough to be safe but wide enough to enable Josie (the largest) to get right in!

Over the weekend my daughter drove me around to various nurseries and garden centres trying to find the perfect thing. When I spotted this ‘dish’ it was a bit bigger than I planned, and looked even bigger when it was delivered into my back garden!

I dug up some of the lawn and levelled out the flower bed in front of the sundial. It was hard work, but even harder trying to move the large piece of concrete across to the hole. I used a garden fork and gradually and very slowly managed to lever it into place. It took a long time, but little by little, it was nearly there.

With a final push, it tripped into the hole – and stuck! Another half-hour of jiggling and it was finally in place.

Once I was satisfied it was fairly level (!) I put bricks round to match the rest of the lawn edging. This edging makes mowing much easier.

Then, in went a couple of buckets of water. Phew, no leaks!!

As the water hole was a bit deeper than I had planned, I also bought some slate chips to make a more gradual incline down into the water. It was filthy and although I rinsed it through a number of times, it still made the water very cloudy.

After one more change of water, it began to clear and, a few hours later, was beginning to look much better. I added a few little plants to the bed at the back, a little geum and a heuchara and also transplanted some bugle from across the garden.

So far the tortoises have looked at it but haven’t ventured in! It’s possible that they won’t but I’m sure some of the bird-life has an eye on it!

And I’ve a good view from my kitchen window whenever anyone takes the plunge!

No, Josie just walked straight passed muttering something about really wanting a hot tub :)

• 4 May, 2009
• 8 likes

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