Pond Renovation Part 2

Today was a brilliant day on the plot. At lunchtime, I was joined by the Lea family. It has been a couple of years since I last saw the children and it was lovely to spend time with them all on the allotment. The children all love the outdoors and were very keen to help out on the plot. Knowing they were coming, I had bought a new pond liner and stocked up the cupboards with food.

When I got to the plot, laiden with food stores and equipment to cook it, I opened up the shed and put up the sail. The forecast was for rain most of the afternoon and with the sail up, there would be a dry space where we could shelter if needed. I hauled out the stove which hasn’t seen much use this summer thanks to the last six weeks being wet. It took a while for the fire to start but eventually, it got going!

I walked up to the gate and let everyone in. I couldn’t believe how much taller they all were! As the stove was on, we decided that it would be a good idea to have lunch before getting started on the pond. Two rounds of sausage baps with lashings of ketchup were quickly devoured. Despite the overcast weather, it was great to be cooking outdoors again. With everyone full, I dug out the new liner.

Dexter, Jasmine and Poppy got busy taking out the gravel at the bottom of the pond, scooping it up and putting it into the weed bucket. Once all the stones were cleared, Poppy and Dexter removed the old liner, revealing the underlay. There was a serious discussion about whether we should use the thinner underlay which came with the new liner. General consensus was that we should use it, and with help from Jasmine who sat in the middle of the pond whilst we sorted the edges of the liner. We tucked the excess underlay around the edge of the pond, using the logs to hold it in place.

The next stage was to put in the new liner. Poppy helped me unfold it and we tried to work out how to fit it to the pond. We opened it out all the way and decided it was too big. But when folded in half, it was too narrow. In the end we compromised with keeping one section folded with the rest open. All hands were needed to get it into place and more hands to hold the liner still whilst I went around, cutting away the excess liner. I left a good margin which meant we could tuck it away by the side of the pond and hold it in place with the logs. The fold in the middle of the pond would make a good hiding place for small aquatic animals like snails or newts. I’m still holding out for frogs spawn in the spring!

With the liner now in, we decided to take a break and go for a walk around site. Dexter was full of questions and has a keen eye for foraging opportunities. We harvested raspberries and Jasmine helped me pick the rhubarb. Geoff had said we could pick some of his runner beans so we collected some before heading back to the shed. Beth headed off to do some jobs so the children and I decided to take a well deserved hot chocolate break. The stove had gone out but it was only a matter of a couple of minutes to get it going again. Four steaming mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows tastes absolutely incredible when enjoyed outside. It didn’t take long for us all to finish our drinks and it seemed like a good idea to have pudding. Each of the children prepared their banana, slicing it down the middle and adding squares of chocolate before wrapping it up in silver foil. The bananas can’t be put directly on the stove, so I used a grill over the top to make sure they didn’t burn. As delicious as the pudding would be, I knew from experience it would take a while for it to be ready.

So back to the pond! I armed all three of the children with watering cans and set them to work filling the pond. As you would expect, there was much hilarity and everyone got rather sodden, mainly from Jasmine waving her watering can around, taking great enjoyment in splashing us all in turn. With the pond now full to the brim, it was time for pudding.

The bananas were ready but we soon discovered that I had forgotten to pack some spoons to eat the pudding. Oops! Luckily, Dexter had brought with him a stick that he had whittled which was a very effective spoon. I dug around the shed and found two teaspoons which allowed Jasmine and Poppy to enjoy their pudding. I confess, I resorted to using my fingers – messy but I wasn’t going to miss out! The heavens opened when Beth returned so up went the hoods and we sheltered under the sail while we waited for the worst of it to pass.

As soon as the rain showed signs of slowing, Dexter and Poppy began to dig up the potatoes in the bed by the Stumpery. Even with the rain, they kept going, turning over the soil with a trowel, spade and hands, filling a bag with Charlotte potatoes. Jasmine decided that she would supervise their work from the bench by the shed and I sat with her to keep her company. Several minutes later, I realised she had fallen asleep. Clearly, all the fresh air had worn her out! The heavens opened while Jasmine was asleep so the others came back to the shed to hide from the worst of the rain. The torrent continued impressively for quite a long time. The water was pouring off the edge of the sail like a waterfall!

As soon as the rain slowed, the children packed up their things and walked back to the car. They took their harvest (the bits that hadn’t already been eaten) and I promised Dexter that they would come back soon to help me set up the Worm Farm. I walked back to the shed, collected up the saucepan and frying pan, took down the sodden sail and shut up the shed. I ambled home, squelching as I went. I really must remember to take a coat to the allotment on days like today!

The water in the pond needs to settle over the next couple of days before I put the plants back in. Dexter did ask about fish, but I think I will stick to my plastic fish as they are easier to care for!