Done!

The recent heavy rainfall has almost filled the pond. We tidied up the liner and have edged it with some bricks and spare tiles.

Tomorrow I'll take some oxygenating weed down and put it in. I'll see if I can find any water snails in our pond at home too and take a couple down.

We've netted the pond for the time being as there are still some leaves to come off the trees from the neighbouring hazel patch and some of the large trees behind our plot.

We've left space for the frogs and newts to get under the tiles though if they want to.

I think this is going to look great once we get some plants going around the margins.

The next job is now to get the third bed edged with wood planking. It'll be the last big job of the winter, to get it ready for planting in the spring.

What a great cycle! It's not until you start growing things seriously that you become aware of how you are always planning ahead to the next job to do in preparation for the next and the next...

I am also coveting my neighbour's half plot. They don't seem to have been to it since August, so have flagged up with the allotment secretary that if they give in their notice at the end of the year that I would be interested in taking it on. If I had the additional space, it would give me sufficient room to put in a permanent fruit patch as well as extra space for veggies.