"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." This month's discussion in the potting shed.

[MyNightWithMaud]

Grateful thanks to the magnificent Margaret Atwood (via A Mighty Girl) for the quote.

I have just come indoors after a delightful couple of hours' pottering in the garden. It's far warmer than yesterday and everything feels optimistic and vernal again, after yesterday's Arctic blast.

High point: Realising that most of last year's cuttings have taken. Given that I am useless with seeds this, I think, is my propagating future.

Low point: Realising that my newest fairy lights have already failed.

Your pond looks great Bertha and I am really interested in Ppeatfruit's paper lined pond so I may go and Google that. We plan to put a pond in the area that is our old vegetable plot and so I am watching the pond project on GW. Today we have dug, weeded and levelled the old vegetable plot and then seeded it with grass seed following this with some watering. It is fair to say we are a bit weary now although I may go outside in a moment to admire our hard work.

Unfortunately it's not all clay. We've sand on one side of the house and clay on the other so the two meet in waves. Pond will need very thick underlay to protect from all the flint. Just dug for another hour with niece & nephew. They are earning their keep this weekend! Now taking everyone out for curry as we're exhausted.

I too am hoping for gunnera Funny. The area we're digging in is quite damp so I think they'll do quite well. DH is going to need convincing though.

v impressive bertha - hope you won't feel the digging too much

Rodgersia and astilbe are my other favourites for pondside planting; I thought both would be happy in my sticky clay, but clearly it's not quite damp enough.

That pond is going to be great. Plenty big enough for ducks, by the way; I happened to be googling duck keeping this afternoon after watching the adorable Indian runner ducks on a previous episode of GW that I had recorded. Apparently they only need a bucket full, although that does seem a little mean.

We can't have a pond, as one of our cats has a thing for playing tiddly winks with frogs, and I can't cope with the blood curdling screams in the hallway in the dead of night.

Fortunately they seldom catch birds - the total haul for two cats over nine years has been two blackbirds, two pigeons and a jackdaw (it must have been an exceptionally stupid jackdaw). As a result we have a wealth of birds visiting our bird feeder, although the pesky squirrels are a problem.

I saw a poster for the Le Notre film this afternoon. I would very much like to see it!

Ooh yes to Astilbes and Rodgersia. I tried and failed to get them to grow in London too. I don't think I've got a damp enough area here either, although one day I may make a bog garden with a pond liner and just keep watering it to keep it wet.

Adding both those to the possible pond planting list. If anyone has other planting suggestions please add them. I haven't even started thinking about plants yet.

DH wanted the pond big enough to have a duck house in the middle as a haven from foxes. In this pond they'd just wade across! We may get the odd passing duck though and there's a huge heron population locally too. There will however be no fish in our pond so the herons will be sorely disappointed.

Pond liner shopping didn't go well. So much cheaper online. So shall be ordering shortly. Then stones are the next consideration. Then plants. Then we'll be relocating some frog spawn/tadpoles to get the frog numbers up.

There are some iris that like Ewing damp too aren't there? I am impressed by how pond like your pond looks Bertha.

The Le Nôtre film is released on 17 April according to Time Out.

We looked at a house once, most of the 'garden' of which was a natural pond/stream source. It was on chalk and the water looked milky - not very attractive sadly. It was a lovely house, and I sensed the people selling had thought they'd be able to get the water to look clear or dark at least but it just looked scummy, and they were giving up.

Fantastic pond bertha would ferns work ? I have a deciduous kind growing in a boggy part of my garden. I've also got some Gunnera seeds I could send you, I've put off growing them myself as I still can't figure where to put the one small plant I have.

The inlaws garden is looking fab, as is their new Small Palram greenhouse I'll try and sneak a picture of it, but I did immediately think it would be perfect for funny it has the added bonus of improving ones ability to sing!

Oh yes what a good idea I could put it up and sing without disturbing the neigbours as I happily sow and divide and plant cuttings and stuff!

Ok a greenhouse that helps you sing? Will have to google as I can't carry a tune in a bucket!

I have divided my snowdrops! This has been on my list of things to do for three years,

There seems to be a lots of illness going around DD and DH last weekend and me now so hope everyone else is recovering

My tenents have moved out so am now going to spend my time off and gardening budget on that house instead of mine but DD is finally starting to enjoy the garden so have more time now if only in short spurts.

Will try to catch up on GW soon for inspiration and motivation!

That is going to be a lovely pond Bertha.

Enjoyed GW yesterday , the jungle garden was amazing. I had a bit of a potter yesterday and was delighted to see Rhubarb comi g up. It's not in the best place but I want it to keep going as it is a piece of a plant from old allotment which was a piece of plant from original allotment.

My greenhouse needs a good tidy and reorganisation. I'm nearly finished distributing the clay pebbles from the Aquaponic system growled around the greenhouse. I was going to use them as a base then put membrane and gravel over the top but actually I think the terracotta colour sets off the silver of the greenhouse frame and the green planter and cold frame outside quite well. So might have to buy more to complete the job.

Today I want to get Cerinthe seeds in and finish off topping up the raised bed.

the cucamelons have sprouted!

(that wasn't espionage-style code. they really have)

Chopper. I am going to use this with DH for code about the DC's - probably for DD is really stressing me out, help !

The cucamelons have sprouted - love it!

Oh I wasn't expecting that to load, it's really well made, has tables that fold out of the way and some sort of solar watering system via the water butt.

The cucamelons have sprouted is on a par with the Oranges in Spain are ripe which is DH's spy code phrase.

Is it my imagination or are the magnolias and camellias especially good this year? We went to Nymans today and they were both glorious.

I split my white agapanthus today too. I had to break the pot to get it out, and had to get half a yard brick to help me get a huge knife into the root ball.

Thats a lovely looking octagonal greenhouse/shed thing. I would like one of those!

I was 20 something and living in Bloomsbury when I first read Vita Sackville West on the subject of leaf mould.

Today we took the wooden bars off the bottom off the compost heap and , to my profound astonishment, dug out rich dark oak-leaf mould!
This was promptly mixed with rotted horse poo and liberally dumped on the clematis and the roses! (I wore gloves).
The feeling was similar to sitting in a Hobbit pub staring at an open fire or walking in Hardy country.

Fantastic mix of myth and reality.

Anyway I also sowed some nicotiniana sylvestris, nicotiniana lime green and soaked some more sweet peas.

The cucamelons have sprouted...

We have hit a slight problem with the pond construction as we underestimated the slope. We have been building up the bottom edge with clay but we have still decided that a small excavator is required. DH wanted one to start with but I resisted. But after two days digging we still have a long way to go. We are now also the house of sick. Both DDs have succumbed and I have a feeling that I'm next. Yuk.

Did get some tomatillo, melon, sesame & climbing spinach seeds sown earlier today though.

Callmegeoff - having read that germinating gunnera seeds can be tricky & take a while, I will probably opt for buying a plant. . But thank you for the offer.

My DM has loads of iris that have never really taken in my garden so I shall liberate some more from her for the pond. I also have an Arum lily that's never been happy. Hopefully the pond edge will suit that too. Ferns will be useful for the shady side too I think. I have the start of a planting plan

Bearleigh I was hoping to get to Nymans this Easter but I don't think I'll be able to squeeze it in now. It's always so beautiful in magnolia season.

I think the spring flowers generally are amazing this year. I felt finally back to normal today so I went outside for the first time in a week, and was blown away by how the garden has exploded while I've been languishing in my sick bed. The primroses, daffs, muscari, forget-me-nots are all a riot of colour. I wonder if it's because spring is late, wet and cold.

The lawn was shockingly high so I've mowed it, and cut back the old wild Lonicera hedge on the north side of the house before the birds start nesting in it. Then I got the kids to sow some Nigella, Baby Blue Eyes and Poached Egg Plants in their flower bed.

Bertha I hope you are all better soon. It wiped me out for a week, although I have lost weight so silver linings and all that.

I do like that greenhouse. Persuaded DS to help me outside today filling the raised bed with a pile of topsoil annoyingly placed behind the compost heaps. In the end we emptied one of them and moved it so we could get to the soil more easily. Sowed some Nigella and Rudbeckia in it when finished.

Sowed some Cerinthe in the greenhouse, moved the Winter something or other to a new bed along with some forget me nots, a tulip and daffodil. Put in some of the foxglove seedlings and a knautia seedling from the seeds Bertha it kindly was sent me. Split the Geranium Rozanne and something else and was pleased to see that my Golden Shower rose has taken in its new home.

DH cooking dinner and all is well in the world (I am ignoring the fact he looks a bit harassed !)

sorry to hear about the unpleasant bugs. they do seem particularly nasty when spring appears, like they've had all winter to refine themselves

previous owners planted a whitecurrant in a dank, soggy, corner that receives no sun and it's doing its very best but really looks miserable. i am going to prune it tomorrow (forgot to do it last month ) and need to think where to move it. it might have to go into a pot as we are very limited for bed space. i could train it as a fan maybe? (i don't know how old it is but it has put on v little growth) but that would need to be in a pot... do any of you have any advice?