Around our Pond.

I have struggled to find a photograph of the bottom patio and pond area, For the last few years it has been a total mish,mash and basically a mess.

Its a difficult area of the garden as it gets the full sun most of the day, but in the winter it is the coldest part of the garden, hence the lack of a tropical look.

During this COVID19 lockdown, I have been gaily getting on with all the usual jobs, painting sheds, furniture, jet washing. Sowing seeds, pricking out etc. Tiding all around the greenhouse and generally keeping busy.
Slowly but surely I ran out of jobs. So I decided I had put off doing something down here for so long I had no excuse not to anymore.
Firstly I had to find something tropical that would withstand the winter cold here and also inspire me as to what I needed to do. So off I trotted (online) to the only place I buy my palms from Hardy Palms and joy of joy I found exactly what I was looking for a Chamaerops humilis cerifera. 'The hardiest Chamaerops, can withstand severe cold for prolonged periods'.
So I bought one and whilst waiting for delivery I began preparing the bed closest to the lawn. This involved much digging and I found out why nothing has grown well here for the last few years, a weed membrane about 10 inches down I had forgotten was there. Out it came covered in roots of the poor plants that had been in here.
I also had to sort out the pond liner that was exposed from when there used to be a waterfall here.

I inserted a piece of sleeper I had left over, I then submerged some large rocks then covered them with big pebbles. A pebble waterfall.

Which I think looks quite smart. I'm pleased, as are the tadpoles, after only a day they are using the holes between the pebbels as hiding places from all the fish.

The Chamaerops arrived at an ungodly hour, with the delivery driver phoning me and getting me out of bed, with me stood on the doorstep in my PJ's!! But boy what a beauty.

So in it went along with some other plants I moved round the garden, so its begining to look a bit better. Not quite there yet though!

In the corner of the greenhouse I overwinter 2 Washingtonia Filifera, totally and utterley unhardy, but provided I can fit them in the greenhouse I will hang on to them.

The weather has been so good they have being 'aired' outside for the last week. I usually have these up on the top patio because they are so pretty.

Hubby suggested that maybe I keep them down on the bottom patio, so we began shifting them around to see how they looked. After much jiggery pokery......

Tadaaaaaaa!

How cool is this looking now. We are thrilled, its actually looking a bit tropical now.

I still have to plant up the trough, along the neighbours fence, but I'm pleased

What do you think?