The other day my son gave me a present. I could begin by asking you to guess what it was, but I suspect that unless you have a very weird imagination you are not likely to come up with the answer.
Here’s a clue. It was so long it had to be coiled up and transported on a trailer.
Yes, it was a length of four-inch diameter perforated hose. It may not be what one would consider an exciting gift; original yes, but exciting? Perhaps not.
I suppose you are wondering why I was given this hose. The answer is quite simple. A frequently flooded garden.
Some people spend hours planning and then creating a garden pond. I didn’t need to.
Throughout much of the winter and well through spring I have ponds galore and enough mud in which to hold a bog snorkelling competition.
A few years back I planted some willows because everyone knows that they love wet conditions. However, even the willows could not absorb all the water that accumulated in my garden.
When I was having one of my regular rants about my swamp, my son pointed out that he had a length of perforated hose that should help solve the problem.
As is frequently the case with solutions to problems, they arrive with inbuilt problems of their own. You see, for this hose to be effective it has to be buried. A suitable trench needs to be dug.
On the face of it that sounds simple. A few hours with a sharp spade and Bob’s your uncle.
Well, he would be if it was simply a case of digging into nice topsoil. This was not something the builders of my house felt all that necessary at the time.
They must have had truck loads of rubble to dispose of and I’m sure you’ve guessed where they dumped it.
A few hours with a sharp spade has become days of hefting a seven pound pick followed by even more days of a protesting back.
But one day, in the not too distant future, I hope the trench will be complete. Then I will require some gravel and the hose will be buried ready for next winter.
Next spring when I will be able to visit my local garden centre, I will be able to transform my former bog into terraced flower beds with colourful blooming borders.
Is this not a true vision of loveliness?