When removing the blanket weed I saw one of the Mirror Carp. This is the first sighting since I added them late in October. The frog tadpoles are quite large now and I am looking for their back legs to develop. The top pond is finished, except for the surround. I had intended the top pond to be a reservoir for the waterfall, but it grew into an 8ft by 11ft pond. I am working on the waterfall, and that is nearly finished now. I have added a couple of planting areas to what has now become the main pond. I have added a number of new plants which are growing well.

20th June, 2001

A great deal has happened over the last month.  It's been a busy time in the garden and other things have left me with little time to update this.

The temporary pond was a disaster.  Within two weeks it was stagnant and smelt revolting.  I emptied it out.

The tadpoles are at different stages of development and many have now shed their tails and are living an amphibious life.  The newts are still spawning and I have seen a few of their offspring.

The Mirror Carp make occasional appearances, but only one at a time, maybe there's only one living, but it is 4-5 times the size it was last October.

One of the water-lilies did not make an appearance this spring so I have chucked it out and replaced it with a Nymphaea Gladstoniana which is white and quite large.  I have also added an Aponogeton Distachyum which has always been a favourite of mine.

Rams-horn snails have made an appearance and the surface is covered with water-boatmen and whirligig beetles.

The fastest part of the waterfall is now black with the larvae of something.  They are like black blood-worms, but hold on to the stones with a very powerful grip. I don't know what the adults will be.

The pond is very quiet now.  The tadpoles have all  metamorphosed into Frogs  and the baby newts are at different stages of growth, but spend most of their time hiding.

The new water lily is doing well and has two flowers on it.  The lily I planted last year has about 8 leaves, but no flowers yet so I don't know if it is the yellow or the pink one.  The aponogeton was doing well, but now the leaves are turning red and not looking well.  Hopefully it's the time of the year that has caused it.  The Brass Buttons are looking past their sell by date now, and they are spreading seeds all across the pond.

I tried to buy some Rudd last week, but none of the shops had them.  It will be good to get them though as they will add some movement in the pond.

The pond is preparing itself for winter now.  Many of the plants are dying down ready to explode onto the scene again next spring, I hope.  The biggest surprise to me is the rate at which some of the plants have grown.  The Mirror Carp are about 9 inches long and beautiful.  I saw them most days during the summer, but they ate my aponogeton and golden club.  I put both plants into the top pond but the golden club has died.  The brass buttons have spread all across the planting area, I'm expecting a good show from them next year.  The water is clearing now and shows the contours of the pond also the pump and hose.  There is very little wildlife in the pond, the creatures are either hiding in the small amount of blanket weed surrounding the pond or the carp have eaten them.  I didn't manage to find any more fish to accompany the carp.

I have not finished the top pond, the liner at the edges will have to be exposed to the ravages of inter, let's hope there isn't too much frost.  The plants have done really well this year and next summer I expect to be thinning some of them out.  I want to put some small fish into this pond, maybe minnows, sticklebacks and gudgeon.

Looks like the frogs think we are going to have an early spring this year.  They are spawning a month earlier than last year.

After last year's failure in my search for rudd I have today taken a trip to a local gravel pit with my fishing rod and caught nine.  They are settling down well and have already made friends with the carp.

The plants are making good progress again, the ponds are full of tadpoles and newts.  The blanket weed is not so much of a problem this year.  All 9 rudd are doing well.

It's the middle of August now and the the grass around the pond is alive with small frogs.  The big news is that I'm a Daddy.  Today I noticed some fry attacking a pond pellet.  The carp have spent the day swimming at incredible speed around the pond, probably feeding on the fry which are over an inch long.  They are probably rudd, but I saw no spawning action.