February : pond life

I have had a lot to do with ponds in the past 12 months.

Natural ones, fancy ones, clever ones and smart ones. I wouldn't say it has been a dreamy love affair but probably more like your average project; great enthusiasm followed by the reality of it all. The hard work is, well, hard work. Moments of exhilaration are matched by bewilderment and a touch of pure hatred at times.

All this is worth it of course when it comes good. There is tremendous satisfaction when the waterfall falls where it should, when the fish re-appear and the wildlife begin to find a new home. So if you haven't guessed by now - making ponds is not for the feint hearted!

If you were thinking of embarking on a water project this year there are a few things to bear in mind:

• The rewards from having even a small amount of water is that a host of wildlife will usually appear including dragon-flies, frogs, newts, bird life coming for a drink and even hedgehogs having a sip or two.
• It doesn't matter how big or small the pond is - unless you have sloped sides running into the water the little critters can't get in or out. You may even drown a hedgehog.
• The soil you use to create 'bog' or 'marsh' areas should be very low in nutrients because nitrogen (that is typically found in fertilizer) will feed the algae and weeds. 
• Any static water in the natural world will incline towards become marsh and ultimately scrub woodland. To cut across that evolution you need to intervene in some way. This might mean having a pump to circulate the water but will certainly mean clearing out leaves and debris every now and again to prevent silt accumulating.
• Avoid situating a pond in shade or near heavy leaf fall.
• Even a tiny pond will attract wildlife but the bigger the pond, the more stable the core temperature will be and so it will be less likely to warm up to conditions that encourage algae.

If I haven't completely put you off then do consider a pond project but please bear in mind safety considerations especially with toddlers and baby hedgehogs!

As far as garden maintenance goes for this month there are some not-too demanding tasks to be done at this time of year. This is just as well as I defy anyone to be enthusiastic about gardening on a rainy February afternoon. Undertaking the following will however bring benefits later in the year:

- Spread mulch around the base of trees and shrubs. This will help them retain moisture, keep out the weeds and retain nutrients. Avoid using freshly chipped bark as this can actually suck out the moisture and nutrients. Anything well-rotted is good!

- Flooding can be a problem at this time of year. If you need to walk on your lawn or borders then planks can be helpful. Spiking the lawn with a fork will help reduce the surface water. If it is really bad you can create tiny channels with a spade but make sure these channels lead somewhere that isn't going to create further problems. These channels will quickly close up in spring.

- If the weather and your enthusiasm picks up there are many ways to create a spring flowering container. Primula, anenome blanda, violas, winter pansies and hellebores will all provide colour, texture and cheer.

If you are really fed up then go to a park or find in your garden to smell one of the sarcoccocca family, a daphne bholua, a witch hazel or a winter flowering viburnum. 

Boy - does a nose full of one of these make a difference to a day!

                                              Witch hazel ( Hamamelis )