The pond was first installed by Mr and Mrs Thackray in the late 1980’s.
It was redesigned in 2007, replanting all the existing beds and extending and adding new borders. Large drifts of late summer perennials extend the season of interest in the garden from September and on into October and November.
A boardwalk runs either side of the pond, leading to the Pavilion. Vigorous marginals are left on the inside of the boardwalk, separating them from the perennials on the outside. Drifts of Pennisetum ‘Squaw’ mingle with the marginals to create an impression of dense reed beds.
A variety of ornamental grasses provide structure and movement in the summer and winter interest with dried stems and seedheads. Tall clumps of Eupatoriums and Miscanthus punctuate the planting. Echinacea ‘Rubinstern’, much loved by butterflies, is planted in abundance, together with Sanguisorba, Persicaria, Crocosmia, Monarda, Helenium and Rudbeckia and others.
The classical pavilion forms the focal point for the main axis of the garden, looking particularly effective when reflected in the pond. The columns, architrave and paving are made from reconstituted stone supplied by Cranborne Stone of Dorset.
This is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the late evening sun.
In 2017, the pond was drained and excess sludge removed. A Bentomat clay liner was installed along with the jetty, decks and cobble bank with gabion wall. The Biomatrix floating island was added to provide nesting habitat for moor hens and ducks and an Otterbine floating fountain aerates the pond.
