A surprise from Sam

Oh how lovely Fran, aren't our Goy friends just wonderful ?

They're the best, Pam!

Fran, fancy forgetting you had such attractive little planters! Your garden will be looking fabulous next year.
You are right, people are so kind.

Well done Fran.

Excellent, Fran ... well done on the planting

.. and well done Sam on sending such lovely plants.

What a kind gesture, things are really going to look great next year. GoY members are known for their generosity :)

Lovely! What a lovely gift :))

thanks Stera and Alan and TT and Waddy and Karen

They wree chucked behind a shed, dirty inside and out, muddied and a snail-haven. There's obviously supposed to be six "pie pieces" to complete the wheel, but I've only found five, so they might do spread out a bit, but then I scrubbed them and put them aside and forgot about them till the light bulb clicked on over my head and I had an "Aha!" moment.

I really need to organise and start working on a planting plan, then I can take plants out of pots and find them permanent homes - once they're big enough. still working on clearning the dead shrubs and other assorted unknown plants from the borders, though. but still, not been here a year yet, so I shouldn't beat myself up too much. just a little bit!

I am SO glad that I found GoY!!!

:) :)

We are glad you found us too Fran! :))

*blushes* aw, shucks!

If you can bear not to uproot things until you've seen what they do in the summer you might have nice surprises in store. How's the pond?

I've been trying not to uproot anything except obvious weeds, and I give unknowns the benefit of the doubt every time.

The 100+ bulbs I planted in Marchcame up piecemeal, but next year they should look spectacular, coming up at the right time with a year's-worth of energy stored in them.

The pond looked a bit greeny, so I chucked in a Milton tablet to see if that would make any difference. might take a while to work, if it does at all. if not, I'll have to think again.

Its supposed to be a fine balance between oxygenating plants and surface cover re sunlight.....
not easy especially in hot sunny weather
it should be better in the winter!
we struggle because of the fish, milton is a type of bleach and could upset the life in the pond, not sure ? ? ? ?

I don't have any plants in, Pam, or fish - |'d never have used a chemical in the water otherwise.

I thought it'd be too small for both (though I yearn to try a miniature water-lily).

I planned to get one of those self-contained floating small water features; hoped that would provide enough water circulation - not been able to find one yet: Amazon has a few, but none that has uniform high reviews.

What a lovely gift ! Its great being on here , isn't it Fran !
I love your herb pots.

thanks Rose. I've got 5/6s of a set, maybe once I sort out my craft table I can cast a new unit, and hten maybe another whole set

Next year Fran get a bit of oxygenating weed, it will help to keep it clean, and maybe a floating water soldier......they bob about on the top......water lilies like still water, if you find a miniature one at a reasonable price I'd go for it, if it gets too big you could always split it but I think it will be fine,
the plants you put in will encourage wildlife, I wouldn't have fish , I think you could have a lovely little wildlife pond with water skaters and if youare really lucky frogs.........

would I need to put soil in the bottom for plants? or would it be enough to put it in a pot? not heard of a water soldier, but no doubt Google will be able to educate me!

If I can get mini water lilies, the fountain (if i get one) will be reloated, do'nt want it splashing the flowers and giing then suburn.

I don't want to invest in "life" in the pond unless I'm sure it'll be a good enironment for it; flowers and pond plants is one thing, fish quite another. and wildlife can come and go if it do'nt like what's on offer!

ps Google led me to Amazon - their water soldiers are out of stock, but they've got plenty of alternatives on offer. That's the prob with being a total newbie, a whole new field (or pond) to sexplore and discover!

pps need to look for "pond plants for beginners"!

Best 5o start next spring with plants, in a sharp winter they would die in a small pond

thanks Pam. It'll probably take me that long to stoop umming and erring anyway

Where did that 5 come from!!

Spring gives you lots of browsing time :0)

we have 3 ponds, the smallest just has a couple of mini waterlilies a reed and the soldiers, the middle one has Koi so no plants....they eat them and the big onehas goldfish and is a wildlife pond with dragon flies etc......fascinating to watch, even get ducks occasionally
mind the duck took to bathing in the small pond and made a heck of a mess!
they are a pair of mallards who drop in to see us occasionally

lol your 5 came from the same place as the extra "o" in my "stop"!

oh, it sounds good! do you hae pics, please??