Mr. P questions my sanity. Somehow or another, despite me planning to tackle the pond in a few years time, I have begun tackling the pond... now. No idea how that happened! 

I am being more sensible than the first winter we lived here, when I hand dug and cleared nettles from several large chunks of land, and knackered my back repeatedly. This time, I've had some help. Tom valiantly removed rushes from the pond and dug out the remains of the diseased bamboo. Jan, too, helped removed the ground elder, while I've tackled the bind weed. But it's a big project, nonetheless, especially without using contractors or chemicals. So I'm tackling it bit by bit.

How then?
Step 1: Clear overhanging shrubs and trees and mow nettles and acanthus so that we can actually access the pond! Getting there.

Step 2: Carry out repeated "weed removal" exercises, over the growing season. One round down, but since these are all repulsive perennial weeds, I'll be at it again later this summer, and autumn, and next year...

Step 3: Clear pond of built-up muck and decayed rushes. Done for this year.

Step 4: Replant banks. Work in progress!

Step 5: Monitor, weed, replant, and weed... repeating often, over the next few years. 

Nothing like a challenge!