All Clean and Sparkly Again.

Rectifying the leaking water from our pond took allot of our energy. For a start there were many more tears in the liner than we had first thought. The thick clay soil we dug through to make the pond must have been the reason more water hadn't leaked out. I suspect the wretched heron is the culprit.

Anyway fish, water and mud removed the liner got jet washed and after much deliberation on how to proceed with curing the leaks, we ...... well 'Himself' really, found the unused liner from the shed and sourced some 'fish' safe silicone sealer and set to work patching all the tears and splits. If this didn't solve the problems then a much bigger task of replacing the liner was the only answer!
While the pond edges were accessible we decided to remove all the plants from the edges. The tiny leafed 'Mind your own Business' plants we planted to cover the edges had been over taken by a plant we bought years ago that is now banned for being such a 'rampant thug' When we bought it we didn't know it's awful spreading properties. I've sent ages on my knees ripping it out to try to control it to no effect. I know we still haven't got all the invasive roots but hopefully it will be easier to tackle now.

The fish, bless 'em, have been quite happy in their temporary homes, along with water beetles, rams horn snails and various other aquatic bugs we carefully saved from the mud off the pond bottom. So many fish thought. I thought only rabbits breed like that!

Water, fish, bugs and snails are all back in a pristine pond. Touch wood the water seems to be staying put. The only problem so far has been the wretched heron. This lunch time he had landed and was in the process of wading into the pond once more for his lunch before he was spotted and shooed off.

Now the pond has a random network of fine fishing line criss crossing the edges and the water. I hope he is suitably deterred otherwise I'll have to think up a more devious deterrent......