Backyard water garden build begins!

[GBBUDD]

I just fired up my new bog two weeks ago now and even though i had a small established bog running it looks like i'm getting a little green water like it was a first year pond time will tell if she cycles quickly

 

[Rabungalow]

Started to plant some of the bog today. I went with all native plant as that was always my original plan for the backyard. The only plant I didn’t have a sticker for was the horsetail. Still have a lot more room in the bog to add plants, but want to give it time to establish.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'd remove the hourse tail. Mine is coming out the minute the new bog shows it has a grasp on the pond .

 

[Rabungalow]

I'd remove the hourse tail. Mine is coming out the minute the new bog shows it has a grasp on the pond .

Yeah, after doing some more research on it I’m not sure I’m ok with something that can spread that aggressively in the bog. Thankfully it was pretty cheap so I’ll pull it after a week or so When I go back to grab some more plants. The designer at the nursery convinced me and he was a nice guy, but at the time of purchase I didn’t realize how aggressive it is.

 

[GBBUDD]

Not sure where you are but in ct I have seen it long outlive a pond store from the 60s and it's is out of the bog and growing everywhere. I have had no problem with it growing like mad

 

[Rabungalow]

I live in Northern Virginia, I also picked up a dwarf Japanese garden juniper and a blue rug juniper. They aren’t native, but they are going to be really cool pieces to soften the edges when they spread a bit. I just didn’t want anything that could grow tall and block my view of the pond from any angle. Those will probably be some of the only non native plants I use in the backyard.

 

[GBBUDD]

Great ground cover, keep them from the liner i saw an aquascapes re build from shrub roots poking through. i had them both around my first home

 

[addy1]

If you want to keep the horse tail, stick it in a pot, unless it seeds. It will stay in that pot.

My pickerel is in two pots since it too will spread aggressively, still in the pots. I have them along the edge of the pond. I bought it from a fish hatchery he warned me it took over their ponds until they got it all removed. Huge mud ponds full of fish.

 

[Rabungalow]

If you want to keep the horse tail, stick it in a pot, unless it seeds. It will stay in that pot.

My pickerel is in two pots since it too will spread aggressively, still in the pots. I have them along the edge of the pond. I bought it from a fish hatchery he warned me it took over their ponds until they got it all removed. Huge mud ponds full of fish.

Thanks for the advice Addy. I like the idea of throwing the horsetail into a pot. Good to know about pickerel being aggressive as well. I am ok with the pickerel taking over the bog a bit as I find it to be a pleasant looking plant. I'm hoping I have time this weekend to add a few more plants to the bog and the pond as well.

 

[Jhn]

For some reason horsetail struggles in my pond, so I gave up on it. Pickerel Rush grows like crazy, have a massive stand like 10’x 4-5’ stand of it in a planting bed in the pond. Nice thing about pickerel rush is, it pulls out easily.

 

[GBBUDD]

I just pulled a mass of horse tail it grew into the non woven fabric made to a good work out. All I did was drop an existing bunch of it into the static bog and it multiplied x 10 easily in a year

 

[bagsmom]

I live in Northern Virginia, I also picked up a dwarf Japanese garden juniper and a blue rug juniper. They aren’t native, but they are going to be really cool pieces to soften the edges when they spread a bit. I just didn’t want anything that could grow tall and block my view of the pond from any angle. Those will probably be some of the only non native plants I use in the backyard.

I have a spot already earmarked for a couple of these!

 

[addy1]

I purge the bog at least twice a summer sometimes more, to control the growth. The plants love it

 

[Rabungalow]

Latest updates. I Added the anti siphon valve on the bog.

Added a few more plants to the bog and surrounding the pond.

Added some shubunkins and butterfly koi.

Was able to get a cool picture of the pond after a crazy thunderstorm

 

[Rabungalow]

Did another water test after a few days of heavy rain which resulted in a bit higher PH, but nothing that would surprise me. PH-9, Ammonia-0, Nitrite-0, Phosphate-0. Fish are all eating well and happy as can be. I'll upload a video of the pond and fish later this afternoon. Other then continuing the surrounding landscape work with more native plants and adding some Hardy Lilly's to the pond it is essentially done. Going to work on creating a showcase thread next.