Pondzi Scheme Set Up

News from the home garden.  

Last year we were enthused by the pond in a barrel idea.  We bought the largest plastic tub available and after letting it half fill with rainwater (not too difficult in a Scottish summer), we bought 5 plants from the online aquatic plant nursery.  Being unsure about water plants we couldn't agree on where the "pond" should be located, so it sat up in a corner of the garden - and duly filled to the brim with rainwater.
Roll onto spring (May) and 4 of the 5 plants have survived and started to grow on again. This encouraged us to find a permanent location for the pond suitably sunken so as to allow access for wildlife. And here it is:

I say 4 out of 5  survived because our free floating oxygenating "weed" seemed to have disappeared, but while decanting the water before relocation there it was still growing but enveloped in green blankets at the bottom. I removed the slimey blanket and returned the plants to the water.
The water is pretty murky as a result of the water decanting and refilling but it will settle down, and we have a supply of barley straw extract to treat it with if the slime starts to develop.

Getting a bit carried away with enthusiasm I've also bought a water lily plant which is sitting on the bottom - the rest of the plans are sitting on a shelf aside from the free floating oxygenator.  Now if  that likes the set up enough to grow on and even flower you will be the first to know!  Hope springs eternal, even allowing for the fact that a pond is not a spring!