Does anyone know anything about gardening?

Does anyone have any pond tips or pictures?
I’ve dug mine up at the weekend and finally got it level. We found it hidden in the undergrowth a couple of years ago. Here it is recently although wonky so the water would trickle out one end ...

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Having it a bit wonky isn't so bad - it means you always know which end will be damp after it rains and you can have a bit of a bog garden if you want.

Iirc Charlie Dimmock is good with ponds. So it might be worth looking for some of her books in charity shops or adding it to your search terms.

A good late Autumn session on the garden yesterday tidying up various areas including collecting loads of leaves.

Managed to top up my home made leaf composter but still had enough to fill my brown bin

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My pond is exactly the opposite to yours in that it is a very formal koi pond with no soft edges, no greenery and a massive filter with a UV light added.

My main task is managing the water quality by regular cleaning and maintenance of the filter.

Top tips for yours would be to plant some marginal (water loving) plants including Marsh marigolds which has loads of bright yellow flowers and gunnera manicata if you like large leaved spiky plants

Dad is after some leather gardening gloves. Would like to get him something primo - any suggestions?

These are fantastic:
https://tinkerandfix.co.uk/collections/watson-gloves/products/watson-gloves-flextime-leather-workshop-glove

I use these & like them

https://heinnie.com/barebones-classic-work-glove/

Thanks for the pond planting tips.
Homemade leaf store/composters are the way to go 👍🏼
Also, provided another water feature for the residents of the garden/visitors

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That looks great.

Can't see one in the photo, so just thought I'd mention it, but is there an escape ramp for any wildlife that gets stuck?

Yes , two in fact :)
One is some rocks leading up to the wood in the mid section and also at the far end.
I'll be adding some more "features" to it over the coming days but also thought of burying the trough in the ground to make it more accessible to newts and other slimy amphibians

Last week I pruned, again, a veteran Newton Wonder apple tree, of this year's straight growth.
The Newton Wonder apple is a match for the Bramley, as a cooker, but the flesh does not discolour on exposure to air. The NW is also a tasty dessert apple, that keeps well.

I retained some the 2ft+ long shoots with intention of attempting to graft them onto suitable rootstock.

Does anyone else, nearish to Wests, want to try some grafting?

Emptied (and buried the contents in the borders) the Hotbin for the 7th time since I've had it in 20 months.
Still one of the best things I've ever purchased.
The general health of the Garden has certainly improved.
Some Alliums, Crocus, Daffodils and a Hyacinth making a break for it in this unseasonably warm weather too.
(Sticks to keep Mr Fox from making off with the compost)

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I've had my pond for about 20 years but recently its been looking very tatty. Firstly the wooden framed & nylon netted pond cover has been repaired so many times it was looking like Trigger's broom and two years ago the original pond liner started leaking and when i replaced it I never got around to replacing the final course of bricks.

So when I had my drive re-done I also got them to price up the brickwork which they finished nicely. They also referred me to a guy who makes metal frames including gates, railings, fences and it turns out pond covers. This was fitted the week before Christmas and I'm really pleased with it.

Pics below include one of the original ratty pond cover and four of how it looks now.

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The pond is about 2,000 gallons with a separate 500 gallon filter including 30w UV light under the wooden boards. The filter is bottom fed via a 6" bottom drain at the lowest point of the pond which feeds water into one end of the filter, through the various media and then pumped back into the pond via the UV tube and a venturi outlet to aerate the water.

me removing the bottom filter of the leaking liner and then my buddy helping me refit it on the new liner

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The stars aligned* and I cleared up the back area to make space for the Play House. Still need to work out a plan for the water butts and a lot of the mess has been relocated rather than removed, but it's clear.

Especially pleased as my folks are over on new years day, so we'll have someone to help with the kids so we can move the Play House.

I know the before doesn't look that bad at first glance, but there's a lot of stuff under it all.

*No rain. Not ill. Child no2 napping. Child no1 willing to go outside and help/play nicely. OH not roping me into another task.

In exciting news looked in the pond last night with torchlight and we have 2 newts back - hoping for a load of them this summer!

Just incase anyone hasn't seen the forecast it's meant to freeze

does anyone have solar lights (and that they’d recommend) ?

Anyone have any experience growing wisteria against a less sunny wall? Moved in recently and want (amongst a million other things) to train one round the wall to above the back door

Garden is directly south and wall east - it’s a great sun trap on the patio so hoping that may work in my favour

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That wall will catch the full sun all morning, Wisteria will do fine. Note: Wisteria can take up to 10 years to flower, go with Clematis or Passiflora if you're impatient.

And so... new life begins (David Attenborough voice)

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I prefer dogwood in the winter

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Or use some of the wall to grow a fig? Our garden has a real lack of wall and tempted to build a section.