Clearing out the Hill Garden pond

A rather grey day last week saw the full complement of gardeners in thigh high waders gathered around the Hill Garden pond to attack the sedge and the water mint. As with so much else during the pandemic, both had taken advantage of the reduced gardening input to go forth and multiply – to the point where the bullrushes and water lilies had been all but obliterated.

Back in the summer we had been removing the algae blooms, especially lush on this pond as it is very shallow which allows the water to heat up and the algae to have a field day. On that occasion the algae were raked out of the water and dumped on the edge so that we could sort through them and rescue any of the pond’s inhabitants (newts, water beetles, snails, the occasional tiny fish) and throw them back in.  And that was, in theory, my job on this occasion – to sort through the debris for living creatures. However maybe because of the time of year – or maybe because the plodding waders and swishing cutters had sent them all off to the bottom to creep under a stone, I didn’t find a single one.

Here are the gardeners, cutting, slicing and heaving out the matted roots of the sedge.

And matted roots they certainly were. How could anything have competed with these?

With no creatures to rescue, I took on loading up the barrows and transporting the debris to the truck – a thoroughly soggy and unpleasant job – although I think I got off quite lightly as I only managed to fill one truck and I gather that it took another four loads to clear the area.

In any case, tea, when the moment arrived, was very welcome to all – as you can see from the virtual stampede to the tea and biscuit box!Tea done with Ash returned to the pond while the others went to dispose of the waste. And already you can see the rediscovered waterlilies and bulrushes on the right.

We knocked off at 12.30 as usual but the gardeners kept on at it and when I arrived for a session a few days ago, you would not have recognised the pond.

There is more sedge at the far end which still has to be rooted out – and of course it will grow again but with regular attention hopefully it can be kept under control. Meanwhile, we look forward to glorious lily blooms now finally freed and able to see the sun.