Moving Forward (if we must)

Water
My garden is nothing if not informal and the pond occupies a fairly large slice of it but I make no apologies for that. I’m very fond of the fish, odd though that may appear to those less “fishy” than I. But, I was surprised to find myself at one with none other than Ken Livingstone (late Mayor of…London was it?) in that his pond takes up much of his London garden (BBC Chelsea coverage). Although his pond was constructed for wildlife and mine was not specifically, both ponds occupy a significant (some might say over-large) area of a comparatively small space, though I have to say his space appears somewhat larger than mine – if I was a politician could I claim for that do you think? .
Wildlife
To limit the fishy nibbling I rescued a diminishing clump of frogspawn back in February and the resultant tadpoles are still alive! No legs yet though. It is comforting to know that one of our resident frogs is fond of a convenient fold in the liner of the new pond, and retreats there whenever the need arises – wish I could get in there – should I rent it out to politicians I wonder. Regarding the fish – they have taken umbrage at their new apartments and appear determinedly predisposed to setting their feet upon the land. This isn’t working too well for them since they have no feet but they fling themselves out of the water nevertheless. I’ve taken to netting it when I’m not around in the hope that they will eventually be persuaded that the “landing” is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Clay
Clay is by its nature, like an old washing machine, ugly and difficult. A surfeit of rain and a clay garden are not happy bedfellows and given the recent heavy rain and the possibility of more to come, my ideas and decisions regarding the “finishing touches” required around the new pond are in a state of flux. Since there are large bald patches due to the earthworks, some kind of pathway has to come into being but I am determined not to make things too permanent because I know, at some point, I will want to change them so anymore hard landscaping is not to be considered. However I’ve come close to breaking my neck on the muddy patches on the way to the greenhouse. Under current consideration is a patchwork of reclaimed bricks and surviving grass – needs a leap of faith maybe, a bit like politics? (I’ve finished now).
but on a lighter note……….. took some friends to the Abbey House Garden at the weekend. We are fortunate…it’s just a few minutes drive away, but I wouldn’t want to ‘crow’. We’re regular visitors but they hadn’t seen it, and were impressed to say the very least. Abbey House appeals on so many levels both to gardener and non-gardener; tranquillity pervades even on a hot Saturday. The planting gives me ideas far beyond my station and ability and sets me dreaming. As I write, the Rose collection, which is vast, is on the cusp (so is mine but on a more minute scale) and I’ll sneak back in a couple of weeks for another ‘fix’.