Lovely picture, Big Kid!

Thanks, Maurice in Scotland!

Couldn't believe how close she let me get up to her as I followed her around the garden - literally a couple of inches! I have a Sony compact camera, so nothing really special, but I'm pleased with some of the pics I get.

Welcome to the UKponds site. It's been a quiet year on here, probably due to the appalling weather, so it's great to see someone new.
Big Kid

That's an impressive visitor, and hats off to you for the pictures. Can't explain the behaviour though. Maybe, no matter how impressive, they don't have an awful lot of little grey cells between the.... eyes.... or she was just testing different places....

I used to have an amazing pond, but then when we sold the house, (naturally!) the pond stayed put.... sold the Koi separately though. Had our wonderful share of frogs, a couple of toads, and some newts.

I intend to dig over part of my garden to create a boggy patch, as our Landlord is being very liberal and generous with permission to basically do what I'd like....

Gardener's World gave good advice on how to do this, so am looking forward to planting some bog marginals....

So nice to have you on board. In the old days of the original UKGardenweb, the site was visited by some really great, amusing and knowledgeable people who've slowly drifted away. I must admit I stopped checking in frequently after that.

I built my pond as a wildlife one, but was given goldfish a number of years ago by friends who were selling up and the new owners wanted to fill in the pond because of young children. I used to have a number of frogs till a heron discovered my pond. Luckily it didn't get the fish and I keep it netted when I'm not there. I haven't had frogspawn for three years and this year I only saw one frog. It's such a shame. I counted seven smooth newts recently, which is brilliant. I absolutely love my pond!

I hope your new pond works out well and gives you tons of pleasure. Where would we be without pondaholics like us?!

Big Kid

(Hi.... :o) )

I've actually posted a suggestion to Admin that they expand the UK forum to include rather more sub-forums that just 'garden' and 'pond'. I mean, I know we're a 'small Island' surrounded by water, but I think we can safely say that there's more to our skills, enthusiasm and dedication than earth and water....'Sides, we wuz gardening a long time afore dem 'Murrikens'.... *Heh heh...*

Here's hoping....

Bit of Personal History: I completed a 6-week course Run by RHS Wisley, in 1985. The course was advertised for enthusiastic and keen amateur gardeners, in order to hone skills such as pruning, grafting, planting, different plant requirements, and of course, general garden plant knowledge. 35 of us began the course, 9 of us were still in at the end. 3 of us were offered part-time permanent positions (in the liberal days when zero-hour and rolling contracts did not exist!) I was one of the three.

Couldn't take it up as I had young children and my H then found a job which often took him away from home.

Four years ago, I worked for a year at a Garden Centre, but was made redundant after it changed hands and they 'downsized' the staff....

Other than that, I am as much of a greenhorn as anyone else. Would never put myself forward as an expert or spokesperson, and as far as I am concerned, I still consider myself a total rank amateur, but a willing and keen one.... But if I can help, I will try to offer what suggestions or assistance I can.