Southern Spirit Hunters
Gardening => Ponds => Topic started by: barleychown on Jul 02, 2007, 09:34:44 PM
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I finally got my pond started!
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi28.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc222%2Fbarleychown_z%2Fmain%2520street%2520blooms%2FIMG_7828.jpg&hash=d624b813a2e1f66e774aa2c79ff64c9e7d24df20)
I have a LOT of work ahead of me to get this pond to where I want it to be. The biggest challenge is working around my ducks. They are mess makers! :rolleyes1: However, I am committed to keeping them, as I want the eggs for baking. Plus, they are a hoot to watch. :laughmao:
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The beginning of my bog garden...
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi28.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc222%2Fbarleychown_z%2Fmain%2520street%2520blooms%2FIMG_8154.jpg&hash=99a77a07ca8a7d41749718337351c7bc0e0c9892)
From the back...
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi28.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc222%2Fbarleychown_z%2Fmain%2520street%2520blooms%2FIMG_8155.jpg&hash=e9f516ca3678e3ee19bf63a612f897e8bc124e3b)
And, the crowning glory...My swamp magnolia!
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi28.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc222%2Fbarleychown_z%2Fmain%2520street%2520blooms%2FIMG_8157.jpg&hash=429ac5d32e4046084de62e5dd40ea5792c3dc8fc)
Please excuse the hoses and buckets. :rolleyes1:
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:Wow:, Sarah! You have really got it "going on" with your pond. :clap: I love it! That pond looks like a small lake compared to mine... :D
I can well imagine that the ducks love having a special place to swim. Will they bother your plants in the bog garden? What, besides the swamp magnolia, other kinds of plants do you have out there? :ScratchHead:
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Thanks Dianna. :grinnnn:
So far the ducks have been horrid on the pond plants, which I sort of expected, and I am finding ways to work around them (notice the chicken wire rings? They are working!).
I had a small pond, around 200 gallons, in my last yard, and in the first year it was so full of plants and baby fish that I decided I wanted to go MUCH bigger this time. The liner for this one is 20' x 25' and in it's deepest part it's 3 1/2' deep. :ThumbUp:
As for the ducks and the bog, so far they are being good. They spend a lot of time hanging out under the gunnera (dinosaur food plant), which was the plant that inspired me to build a bog in the first place. I have also planted a few types of hibiscus (the red plants) that are suppose to love bogs, a few other marginals, some canna's, and a few daylilies that are suppose to like this. We will see how everything does!
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I am so wanting to plant some gunnera here on our land. We have plenty of room for the monsters and it would afford us some privacy. Our front yard (at least four acres) stays so boggy when it rains. I could even plant it along the drainage ditch (creek that is always full). Do they like full sun? Will they work with some shade (along the creek).
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Mine is sitting in almost full sun, and he's been okay for the last month or so...I'll be watching him pretty close this week during the hot spell to see how he does. They do just fine in partial shade, in fact seem to do better when protected from harsh sun.
What zone are you in Dianna?
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WOW!
That looks fabulous! I am so jealous,lol.
I bet the ducks are alot of fun to watch. If I ever get my "piece of land" you can bet I'll have a big pond and ducks too. I really think the ducks are "way too cool!"
What kind of plants do you have for your bog garden?
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We are in zone 8, Sarah. We don't tend to get too much of the white stuff here and I can't say that I really miss it. I don't like to be sweltering hot, but I don't like having to bundle up so much that you can't move, either... ;D
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I agree, Dianna. I moved from a zone 5 to a zone 8 when I married and moved to the "valley". It was a HUGE culture shock for me...I can have all kinds of cool stuff growing here! :Wow:
I plan on adding a flame willow to the bog today, and whatever else jumps out at me while I'm out shopping today. :grinnnn:
G-mom, this is my first bog so it's pretty much trial and error right now...I plan on incorporating many tropicals, cannas and such all the way around the pond ang bog.
As for the ducks, they are fun to watch, but not nearly as lovey-dovey as my chickens...the ducks would rather not be touched. :unsure: I still enjoy them though...and I'm counting the days until they start laying eggs. They are suppose to be just awesome for baking.
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Sarah,
it s a lot of work but superb, don t you fret bout hose n bucket.
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hi g-mom,how ya doing,
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Looks great Sarah....and everything is so colorful..
Nice ducks too!!
Are those an added bonus :laughpound:
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WOW Sarah, that is so beautiful. What area of the yard is that in looking form the house out to the creek?
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wow! thats huge! n nice! thats alot of work ya did, n well worth it, i would love to have a little lake like that, pretty ducks, do they stay there all year?
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They are domestic ducks that have been bred to lay eggs. They are too heavy to fly, so they are permenent decor. :grinnnn:
Triss, that view is the back yard, from the house back.
I really need to update the photos here...maybe I will remember tomorrow. :ThumbUp:
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:clap: yeaaa update pics commin! cool your ducks are permenent decor, im in zone 5 gotta wait till warm weather to see any of the wild ones in the creeks around here.
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So the pond takes up most of the back then. I know you also have a greenhouse out there right?
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Triss, my back yard measures 180' by 65'. I have a HUGE backyard, which is the only reason I was willing to move.
The pond measures something like 12' by 10', and the bog is 10' by 6'.
After having the pond up and running for a few months now, I think I may want to make both it and the bog bigger. :Blush:
Here are some more recent pics...
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2Fgardens%25202007%2FIMG_9072.jpg&hash=cdc7cd9a6fffadb9fb54ecd00787ac1513f01f0d)
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2Fgardens%25202007%2FIMG_9072.jpg&hash=cdc7cd9a6fffadb9fb54ecd00787ac1513f01f0d)
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2Fgardens%25202007%2FIMG_9074.jpg&hash=6e4e24810ced7d2da80af0b5c1ed1ba32a269ee1)
Please excuse the green water...the ducks are messy, and I'm still working on finding a balance with them.
All in all, I am very please with how it's coming along. mike and I are talking about making the pond a bit bigger before we finish the rockwork around it, just so we do not have to do that part twice.
The bog have done beautifully all summer, now I am anxious to see how it does in the rainy season.
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Sure is pretty Sarah. Do you have a filter system and all for the pond? I do not see it but that may be just cuz it is hidden.
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Nope, no filter system yet. I was trying to have a bog upstream of the pond to filter it with cattails and such, but the ducks are rather hard on plants in "their" water...so I'm not too sure how that is going to work out. :tickedoff:
I would love to have the plant filter system so I could use the grey water from the house to fill the pond, then be able to water the gardens out of the pond. I guess we will see how it goes when I get the time/energy to built the upstream parts. :grinnnn:
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That is one heck of a project. Would you pump the grey water out of the house into a stream or something?
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The idea is to have the grey water drain into a swamp/boggy area that contains plants known to filter water very effectivly, like cattails. Then, as it trickles through, it will become clean enough for the pond,where the fish and ducks will add their own types of "fertlilzer" that will feed the plants I use the pond water on.
I have it all planned out, and have done all the research. It's just such a big project that I don't want to tackle it alone, and I have yet to have the energy to explain it all to Mike. :laughmao: He can be pretty anti new ideas at first.
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Is the pond lower than the bog right now? Does one feed to the other yet?
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The pond feeds into the bog. I have a place set aside for the upper bog, I would just need to dig it out and line it, then fill it with good soil and the plant starts...then plumb the grey water lines.
For now, I would just want my washer and my personal bathtub to drain into there...no showers or anything from the girls' bathroom...too many chemicals, and I'm sure I would have a battle on my hands if I ask them to switch products.
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Oh I bet you would. Now do things like bubble bath or soap hurt the plants at all? I always wonder about recycling my tub water for at least the bathroom plants but am afraid of the bubble bath though I am sure most of them would enjoy the epsom salts.
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In everything I have read, as long as it's in little bits, and it's an eco-friendly soap, it should be just fine.
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Hmmmm I guess I need to find some eco-friendly bath bubbles then. I could at least use it to water the plants once a month.
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Wow Sarah, that looks amazing, i would love to see some progress pics if you do make it bigger, and i like the idea of the Bog too, very cool!
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My fish are awake after their long winter nap! :banana02: I am so happy to see them...I though maybe the ducks had eaten them. Guess not! They have even had babies. :dancingbunny:
Please excuse the disaster that which is my pond...the ducks are hard on it. :Blush:
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I wish my pond were that big, Sarah! :grinnnn: My fish are moving around, too...
I will be posting pics of the shape my puddle is in tomorrow. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.... :laugh1:
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Looks great Sarah, please post more ok.
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My gunnera is waking up! :Glee:
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(pssst...hey Patty! I didn't have a nickel, so I threw a duck in for size! :laughmao: )
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Sarah! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FBigHaHa.gif&hash=7ec415222aaac5c05b301b14149f0bc75a79673b)
But how big is the duck? :ScratchHead: Does he have any money?(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FSmileyTooFunny.gif&hash=b7078bc1858348e13176dd64e4ff1886e2433743)
(Nice gunnera... it sure isn't wasting any time! :yesssss: How come the duck isn't eating it?)
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My gunnera is waking up!
Geesh, Sarah, when I read this, and the picture started opening, I thought you had another critter named "Gunnera". :rofl1: :laughpound: Geesh, if I had seen this duck a week ago, it might have helped to explain the ducks in my dream. ;) Actually, I've never even heard of gunnera, so I'm anxious to see what it looks like. :Watching:
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Great picture Sarah!
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Mike and I emptied the pond out yesterday, because I just couldn't get ahead of the duck mess.
Here is the pond empty:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2FIMG_9951.jpg&hash=93d6a4b1b841d2182deb8835c83158fa539be304)
And, all the fish from it:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2FIMG_9953.jpg&hash=37fd4e322a58edd64962c8482f1bccfa47e398fb)
I'll be putting it all back together today.
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:Wow: Looks like you both have been working your patooties off. I am sure that you will be able to get ahead of the duck mess now! :wink5:
Beautiful fish! :grinnnn: Are they named? I see babies! :Watching: I am beginning to think that Samson and Delilah may be Samson and Scotty or Delilah and Deloris! :laugh1:
Bet your fish will think they have moved to new digs when you put them back in! :giggle:
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WOW Sarah, that is some big job you have going there. The fish look great though, were you surprised at how many there were? Also looks like quite a few fat ones in there... expecting babies?
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I am suprised at how many lived through the ducks. They all seem fat and happy, though. They went back into the pond the day after I filled it and treated it with declorinator, and today I saw them playing at the surface.
Mike and I have talked all week about plans and goals for the pond, and I think we have come up with some great ideas. :grinnnn: We will be working on them as time permits.
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Wow, what a job Sarah, but it'll look great once its all back together again!
Make sure to post some pics again ok?
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Nice fishies you have there Sarah.
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That pond is awsome, and the gunnera are just way cool and potentially huge. I have always wanted to grow some of them but haven't figured out how to create a bog situation yet. But I am learning alot. Used to think they might not grow here (tropical) but on another forum ppl in Canada had huge one they were standing under. I commend you for your efforts. And the ducks are cool. We had geese years ago when on a country place with a stock pond and every day at sunup they would line up and march to the pond till sunset when they formed another straight line and marched back home. But you are right, they don't like to be too social with humans. Ours were pure white geese. Have a nice day.
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Thanks, Andy! You live not far at all from my father, and he goes gunnera, so I'm sure you could, as well. The main things to know for growing it here is keep it moist, and screen it from wind...it dries it out way too fast. Give one a try!
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That looks great. I'd never heard of a plant filtration system but again what a wonderful idea.
I was thinking of a pond/stream underneath my tree canopy by the house with a bog. Something to help keep the picnic area cooler than the other parts of the yard where I can go to relax during the heat of the day. I don't think I would aspire to anything as pretty as yours though. That really looks like a bunch of work. will you be able to grow any lotus in your pond? They are so pretty.
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I might try the gunnera sometime Barleychown but not this year, need to arrange a bog but I'm not as young as you and probably have bout.........25% of your energy lol. Oh I almost remember when I was young ROFL. But they are interesting plants. Another one that is nice is the dark purple elephant ear I have seen in mags but I have never seen one of those actually in someone's yard. They are real eyecatchers. I wasn't ignoring ya, was just resting some between posts lol. I'm enjoying the pics of you and your husband's projects. It's nice to see plans come together for gardening ppl. Have a nice day.
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I got an updated shot of my bog:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv177%2Fbarleychown%2FIMG_0443.jpg&hash=d1375496d6ad5601855d9d22117a7065f7f4a04c)
I'm really enjouying it this year. Things are filling in nicely. I will need to divide some of the plants this fall, and top the whole thing with more compost.
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Simply Beautiful Sarah!! I so want to come steal your yard.....or maybe kidnap you and have you come fix mine :giggle:
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Thanks, Tonya!
No need to steal me. :BigGrin: You have made HUGE progress since moving into your home. You just have more room to work with than me. :laughmao:
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(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi12.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa201%2FPattySpencer%2FSmileyawesome.gif&hash=dfb6056d3a0ad81c73d706ae735e0f1d818f0e9d) That really has taken off! :Yahoo: Last time I was there, there was a place to walk, between the pond & the plants... I don't even see any dirt there now & it looks like you've done more work with the rocks, around the pond. :ThumbUp:
I just love that variegated willow. Your Gunerra is looking pretty happy too. Keep up the good work! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FYouGoGirl.gif&hash=b7b76df0d05ce2f05384705bdc19997b0bcde11a)
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Looks awesome Sarah! I just love how full and lush it looks there, a peaceful spot to relax and enjoy.
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Here is a shot of how the bog is looking this spring:
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We are not even going to talk about the pond. To simply say the ducks are messy is a gross understatement. It's time to drain it and refill it again. Just as soon as I find my superwoman cape. :laughmao:
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Everything is filling in so nicely Sarah. It is beautiful.
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did you find your cape Sarah?
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I did, twice so far this year. I probably need to do it one more time, but I'm not sure I will. I have recently discovered some of my fish are proud parents, and there a TON of tiny baby fish n there now, all under an nch long. I'm afraid if I drain it, they will get sucked up the hose. :shock:
I need to divide the plants in the bog, but I may wait for spring.
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That is a lovely pond/bog area. One day...
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Nice job Sarah.