Central Florida pond under construction

[sissy]

I could not get past the high cost down there .I have an aunt down there .Here on 3 acres only a thousand in taxes and insurance for 2 cars and house only runs me about 600 hundred a year .I like the cooler weather at times and the change of seasons .Not sure i could have taken the weather there .I was there at my aunts for one storm and that was enough for me .She sold her house after Uncle Tony passed away and moved to a condo to feel safer .Plus she had friends who lived in the condo's so had a support system .She seems to love not owning a house .

 

[shinksma]

My fiancee just sent me the below photo of the Lindsey Woods (note correct spelling this time) waterlily flowering - it was a bit grumpy yesterday after being re-located to our pond and the flower had closed up, but seems happy now! And more flowers on the way...

And I am pleased that I can see the stems in the water more than a half-inch below the waterline - the water is finally clearing up.

shinksma

 

[j.w]

Oh that's a pretty one and it will be even lovelier in full bloom!

 

[sissy]

I like the mottled leaves and think there are others here with that flower or something similar .I like the color of the flower and it sure must be happy if it is making more flowers .Usually they go into a little shock after moving or repotting

 

[CountryEscape]

Very pretty lily, Shinksma! I love the color of the flower, and also the pretty leaves, different than solid green ones. I got several tropical lilies from another ponder on this forum last fall, have been babying them all winter in my basement, under a florescent light. They are not really growing much, but hanging in there. Hoping when my pond finally warms up for good, they will really take off fast when they get to be out in the sunshine! Three other tropicals I had purchased I brought bulbs in and stored them moist, anxious to get them potted and going, too! May have to bring in one of my big water pots to get them going sooner rather than later.
Thanks for sharing a lily bloom with those of us from the north ...where temps are still going below freezing at least at night. Pretty!!!

 

[shinksma]

CountryEscape, I lived for a short time in Champaign/Urbana, so I know all about the daytime and nighttime temps you experience this time of year. And people ask why I live in Florida...

shinksma

 

[callingcolleen1]

I never even got a bloom last year!! I think my lilly needs to be repotted, have not touched my hardy yellow water Lilly for at least 20 years! I know better too, so this year I better get off my butt and repot the thing cause bulbs are falling out of the basket!!

 

[sissy]

well repot it stop talking about it colleen ,put the coffee cup down and pot pot pot .

 

[j.w]

Ha Ha yeah, get out there in the freezing snow w/ your cold and get that plant potted. Sissy you trying to get her pneumonia, remember she's a sick girl right now and needs warmth and rest and lots of fluids but don't think they mean coffee

 

[sissy]

yeh but fresh air always helps a cold also .You can actually breathe better if you are breathing in cold air .Plus germs die faster when they are cold .

 

[j.w]

Ok then Colleen sissy wants you out there in that 20 something degree weather repotting that lily right now! Just take your hot coffee w/ you!The dogs can stay close to warm you up if need be :razz:

 

[CountryEscape]

Wow, Colleen, 20 years? I repotted my one-year old lilies last spring, and was shocked how full the pot was with tubers. I cannot imagine what a pot would look like after 20 years. When you repot, be sure to fertilize your newly potted tubers so they will be sure to bloom for you this summer.

 

[callingcolleen1]

The thing is just a mess of tubers, and they are falling out of the basket. The Lilly pads still grow good, but no flowers for last 12 years at least. The Lilly will get reported this spring for sure, then I will post pictures of the mess so please don't report me Sissy! I will give lots of the tubers away this year cause I just don't have room for lots of lillys.

 

[sissy]

Don't feel bad colleen i have to repot mine also .I looked in the pond and see they split the side of the pot out .Colleen maybe you could tell poor gardenlady about your string over as a egret ate all her fish .sad to say and they have video . :sad:

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes, if you can string garden twine high above the pond and tie thin strips of old rags to the twine that will blow in the wind, this will scare the birds away and if you criss cross the twine above the pond it will also block big preditor birds from landing near pond, and if the can't land, they won't bother cause they won't be able to take off either. The Japanise do this in Japan and it works very well. The twine can be strung from a nearby tree to the house and then cross crossed above the ponds, that's what I did and they never came back!

It took me forever to find a couple pictures of the twine that I have hanging. Not the best shots of my ponds, but it give you an idea of what I mean. This first picture is from fall and I used the twine to also hold a ghost above the top pond.