Hello,
I’m a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and Higher Education Course Leader and lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Warwickshire College University Centre (WCUC). I live and work in leafy Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. I’m also a wife, mother and grandmother, sailor, writer, and fairly keen gardener.
In July 2022 I decided that I’d had enough of buying plants to make my north-west facing garden look great, fighting the moss in the lawn, and endlessly weeding. So I gave back part of the lawn to wildlife, embraced the no-mow months and created a tiny pond.
The first tiny pond, in the shade of a great beech tree, showed me some of the pitfalls of enthusiasm without detailed planning. So, in 2023, I created a slightly larger tiny pond, the Lily Pond, from which I learned the pitfalls of too much sun and the power of pigeons and cats to knock plants off narrow shelves. And in 2024, I created a third pond, Lion Pond (see blog 57), which is shallow and handily visible from inside the house. This pond taught me the pitfalls of creating a pond on a steep slope.
Despite the mistakes, this has turned out to be a great, inexpensive hobby and a perfect antidote to the occasional stresses of my day jobs. The joy of watching a wildlife haven develop is unbeatable in my view. It really is a case of build it and they will come. And, at the risk of doing myself out of a professional career, I can say that having a pond (or three) in the garden has been better for my mental health than anything else, and I’d recommend it. Watching the pond is very calming and using my camera to explore life in close-up gives me a different perspective on what matters. But if ponds are not for you and you would like to try counselling or psychotherapy, you can find me at The CBTherapist.
I hope you enjoy Frog Blog.
Best wishes,
Gaynor.
Last updated June 7th 2025.
FROG BLOG 