Water and Wildlife

  The rain continues to fall heavily today after a nice warm sunny day yesterday.The rain is like an ever present part of 2012.It has effected events,farming,flooding,and gardening.The pond has been topped up nicely by mother nature.It has battered the wildflowers around it so they bend down over the edges of the pond.It is a haven for wildlife and a safe refuge for insects,amphibians,and small spiny mammals!
 The Water Lily tantalisingly opened with the hint of sunshine.As the day goes on it closes again.It is only open in good conditions.It must be a survival strategy to open when the conditions are favourable and when pollinators are flying around.Our small pond has a small water lily but it has still grown ten lily pads,and two massive flower buds.Much bigger than last year.

 The resident Frogs seem happy with the mixture of marginal plants,pollinators,and a few pond weeds that have dropped in.The Newts were also swimming around the pond last night when i shined the torch into the water.

 The Astilbe has flowered again for the second year.It has fine feathery flowers over delicate leaves.I would like more of these around the edge of the pond.I have a mixture of plants that were available when we planted around it.

 This was the long view when it was not raining.the Flag Iris is in the top right hand of the photo.It has not flowered at all this year.I plan to split the pot and plant some into the garden.These are growing in soil at the hospital so it does not have to be immersed in water.The pond is lovely to sit next to and to look in the water to see the bugs and mini beasts swimming around.Frogs and Newts seem to love it,so the healthy water balance must be right.

Another visitor I have been seeing around the garden is this Hedgehog.I found her asleep under the Strawberry bed netting.Then the other morning I saw her snuffling around the garden in daylight.She looked healthy,with all four limbs okay.Eventually she went to sleep by the greenhouse under a green seed tray.The websites say Hedgehogs are nocturnal and only come out in the day if they are injured or poorly.Our Mrs Tiggy Winkle went to sleep then was gone when I checked later.I wander if she got disturbed in her nest?
  The pond is a constant source of pleasure.I just need to control my wildflowers so you can actually see the waters edge.The birds,insects,and wildlife always keep me going outdoors to look for them.