Pond life

A few weeks ago, having cleared our mini-ponds quite some time ago, we decided much more recently that it was time to restock them. Lilies Water Gardens of reference 2 seemed to be the place, as it proved to be.

One of the three plants we cleared was a marigold, which remained under control, but the other two, one a some kind of rush and the other some kind of water lily, took their ponds over. They clearly needed much more space than they had been given. This time, we were going to go for something a bit smaller, something which did not need a pruning saw - or even a bush saw - from time to time. 

Working from the top of the snap above down:

Caltha palustris, aka a hybrid marsh marigold. With curly rather than flat edged leaves. We like marigolds. See reference 3.

Orontium aquaticum, aka golden club. New to us, picked from the online catalogue. See reference 4. There are at least two newts in this pond, so some of them survived the spring clean.

Aponogeton distachyos, aka water hawthorn. We think a relative of the rather striking plant we came across in a pond near Newbridge over the Dart, on the road between Ashburton and Two Bridges. Quite near Holne, where we stay from time to time. Noticed, for example, at reference 5. See also reference 6. The chap in the shop said that they would die down until the autumn, but as it turns out we have some flowers.

The people in the well stocked shop, that is to say the people at reference 2, were very helpful and we came away with a complete starter pack. We also managed a Wellingtonia on the way, previously noticed at reference 1.

Once home, I was management, we both did the stones and BH volunteered to do the planting up and lowering of pots onto the stones. Which was a bit tricky as the water was still quite murky from the refill at this point. Plus she collected a few bug bites. Of which bugs, there now seem to be plenty buzzing over the surface of the three ponds, and I dare say that some of them are mosquitos. Quite possibly visible if you click to enlarge.

Having sorted all this out, and the recent cold having subsided, I thought I would take a late afternoon spin around the Ewell Village anti-clockwise, a route I usually walk and probably less than half the distance of the Jubilee Way cycle route.

The back garden of the house noticed at the end of reference 7 has now become a full-on building site, complete with medium sized digger, and the foundations of a new house are starting to emerge from the welter and waste. Presumably someone has successfully beaten down the neighbours, the heritage people and so forth. Perhaps it helped that the planners have dismantled some of their defences on instructions from the fat leader at Westminster. BH thinks that this is at least the third go at it - and now the last. 

Always something of a surprise the way that builders can extract rectilinearity and order from what looks like a sea of mud and rubbish in no time at all. Bring on the Dumpy levels! Something else which is not quite the same as it was in my building days - but at least it still exists.

Speaking for myself, I don't think it right to oppose such things: leafy estates in the suburbs with lots of large gardens are certainly nice to have - but they are also something of an anachronism given the chronic shortage of decent housing.

Dress code in Epsom interesting, that is to say summery, at least for the ladies. Lots of tattoos to be seen. Arms, legs, faces, everywhere.

Tables out front at the Green Man in Ewell Village were busy. While the Foody Fest people opposite were offering wine to the more discerning drinkers.

Still quite warm, but I was pleased I could still manage the short climb to the top of the bridge over the railway at Ewell West. A climb which starts gentle but which gets steeper at the end, a combination I find difficult, liking to get the steep bit over with while I am still fresh.

To find two camps set up on the grass down Longmead Road. One with two caravans, the odd pick-up, some chickens, dogs, milk churns and so forth. One with one caravan and one motor home, plus similar accessories. Maybe a hundred yards apart. Perhaps they are keen on their privacy. We shall see how long they stay for.

Just a few people on the tables out front at TB.

Home to a solid victory at Scrabble. No fancy scores, but I did pick up the better letters.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/05/wellingtonia-76.html.

Reference 2: https://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltha_palustris.

Reference 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orontium_aquaticum.

Reference 5: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/05/last-day.html.

Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aponogeton_distachyos.

Reference 7: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/03/back-to-abbey.html.