Lily pond get's a makeover

This is a pond! It is, honest. But it's not much of a pond because you can't see it as this alder tree, amongst other things have covered it with it's big branches. It also doesn't look very much like a pond because it is empty! If we go weeks without rain, the spring dries up and stops flowing, when that stops flowing the pond dries up.

The pond is to the right as you come down the drive, you wouldn't know it was there really because of the trees. There are a few natives such as a kauri, rimu, manukas (tea tree) cabbage trees and another I'm not sure of. It has the potential to be a really nice spot but has been very neglected.

The lily has all but taken over too. One is a yellow lily and very invasive, the other a pink which is lovely

Because it is so dry down there Joe took the opportunity today to cut off some of the lower branches of the alder, trim and cut out some of the manuka  not doing so well.

 Out came the chainsaw.

These branches had to go, they were pretty big.

It didn't take long to see a difference.

Just outside of the pond and in what now is a paddock (it was once part of the garden but we added a fence to make the garden less work) were some dead fruit trees, the animals had ring barked them and unfortunately they died, but we have new trees now which will be planted elsewhere.

No doubt Miss Amber played a part in their demise!

 Trimming and taking out the dead and dying manuka. We have some more seedlings growing by the front entrance so we'll use those and replant.

The pond is behind the rail fence. Old fruit trees down.

Plenty to mulch in this pile.

It's amazing what Joe can achieve in just a couple of hours.

Heave ho Joe!

 The path that goes around the pond is starting to re-emerge

Walking around the pathway

 Clearing the branches

Modom Amber! 

A pile to add to the woodshed

 Just a damp boggy patch in the centre and Max looking on

 

After a rest for a few hours whilst it was at it's hottest Joe was back at it with the mulcher.

A small pile of mulch so far and Amber enjoying the leaves

At the end of the day as the sun was going down, this is how it looked.

 These are the invasive yellow water lilies that need to be dug out, we'll probably have to get a digger in for that. There is no sign of the lovely pink lily. It will come back I hope with the rain.

I wasn't just taking photos today I was up in the top veggie garden clearing the paths of weeds, there's no photos of that, too boring, just trust me that there are less weeds than there were this morning.

As I was watering the veggies I picked this little lot.

 I might have to make some tomato soup!

Tomorrow I'll be in the barn with Dawn grouting my torso!!

See you tomorrow ♥♥