After the longest, hardest winter for many years, Spring has finally arrived here at Southwaite Green.  You may not know it, if you spend your time in the city and have already seen the blossom on the trees, but here every form of life is on the move.  Trees are coming suddenly into leaf, and some are beginning to flower.  The hares are often seen in the fields, and even on the drive, much larger than you expect, zig zagging as they try to get out of your way.  The buzzards are circling overhead in the back fields, when hanging out the washing, looking for food that is hard to come by at the moment.  A couple of birds of prey escaped from a nearby refuge, and were seen on the pond.  Perhaps they were the cause of the frogs disappearing from the pond edge.  No matter, their tadpoles are already in evidence in great numbers in the clear water near the pond banks.

Water lilies and bull rushes have been planted on the shallow side of the pond this Spring.  The tiny strands of oxygenating pond weed that we planted a couple of years ago are not huge clumps dominating the pond.  The idea is that the water lilies are also robust and will fight it out with the other plantings.  The black flowering reeds have multiplied greatly at the inlet to the pond, and already are showing their dark flowers.  And the water mint is growing both in the pond and on the banks.  The mint is supposed to clean the water, and now I am thinking of testing the water to see how clean it is for swimming. 

I have ordered a book on natural swimming ponds from the internet.  Apparently there should be at least half the area planted with 'cleaning plants' and the other deeper half for swimming.  As that is more or less the position with the pond at the moment, it is worth a look.  However the animals still have access, and the deer and badgers are clearly around.  Probably other creatures as well.  The water looking clear may be deceptive, and we can't encourage the public to swim if the water is not clean. So wait and see.  Very interesting though.

The other idea that is germinating is agroforestry - farming the land with permanent planting of trees and shrubs that are productive for food and other things.  There are already nut trees, fruit trees and bushes, but now the possibility of more exotic vegetation, and a more jungly approach is appealing.  Watch this space!