How green does my garden...and pond grow?

 The pond water after all this time is still very green. It's been filled with rain water but it is too rich in nutrients so the algae are flourishing. I had hoped that the plants in the water would help to oxygenate it but with little effect. The other day I saved a frog and put it into the pond but I have no way of knowing if it is still there.

 I heard that barley straw is good to get rid of algae so I've tried a DIY bag made from an orange bag and some straw left over from the strawberries. After a few days I got impatient and resorted to more serious methods:

a solar powered pump oxygenator. I was very cynical about whether it would work.










I need to weigh down the air stones so the tubes are hidden but they are definitely aerating the water. The only drawback is if the clouds come out or you stand in front of the solar panel then it will stop. Fingers crossed that there will be some improvement in the water.








Meanwhile, thanks to all this rain, colour is returning to the garden. It's hard to believe that there is a drought and hose pipe ban on.








These are one of my daughter's sweet peas that survived the warm winter.

I was given these Anenomes by a friend as they share my name.

The neighbours' fence was a great spot for this opportunistic climber. It appeared last year for the first time through all the tarram, whackered down type 2 stone and then gravel so I thought it deserved a sporting chance. I think it may be a clematis, but I will have to wait and see.

Things are improved in the front garden as the horse manure is finally all on the flowerbeds and the wood chips is down around the veggies, so there are no huge bulk bags taking up the front garden.

 Thankfully, the hardy Geraniums Johnson's Blue have survived the winter and are looking great.

But also their larger cousins, the Buxton's Blue are spreading too. I hope that between them they can cover the whole flower bed and hide the straggly leaves of the Alliums and the nearly rotted tulips.

I'll keep dreaming but meanwhile, the weeds wait for no man, or woman. Eek! The ground elder is back!