Country Escape's 2nd pond - Goldfish only

[brandonsdad02]

Ce. I remember you saying that your skimmer box wasn't pulling much stuff in a few days ago. I was having the same problem and I got to thinking that maybe the float for the door just wasn't enough. Well I added more foam to it and now its like a magnet. Everything within a 2 ft area in front of it gets sucked in now. Might be just the design of my skim box but it seems to be working good for me.

 

[CountryEscape]

My problem, Ryan, is that I'm running too small of a pump, and I'm losing some of the power to pump the water up the stream, which is not far uphill, but a total of about 25'. I need to get an 1800 gph at least, and am using a 1,000 gph. Will have the smaller one for a backup or use in the winter to keep ice clear.

 

[JenH]

Oh I wish it would warm up here too. The plants I planted in my bog when it was 75 outside all look like they are barely making it. No growth at all since planting. And my kitchen is covered in perennials just waiting to get in the ground. I'm afraid to plant them though because of how bad the bog plants are looking. All of them are hardy perennials. My husband is sick of the kitchen being covered in plants, and my allergies are killing me having all these plants in the house, especially the russian sage! In the house waiting I have

4 Russian Sage (lg pots)
1 Beebalm (lg pots)
6 Hollyhock(sm pots)
2 Columbine (med pot)
2 Creeping Phlox (lg pots)
5 Creeping Jenny (small pots)
1 pot of Tulips (lg pot)
1 Clematis Vine (lg pots)
1 Honeysuckle Vine (lg pots)

I really hope none of them end up dying though, I think all total we've spent $160 on plants! The only plants in my bog that seem unaffected are the daylillies. The Iris and this other little plant that had purple flowers I transplanted from my moms on Easter, They look terrible too!

 

[addy1]

What is your zone jen? I planted most of what you list about a month ago, all has new growth and doing well. We have even dropped down in the high 20's a few times since I put them in the ground. The up down temps do not seem to be bothering them at all. I have some new growth on some bushes that have been in the ground for a few years that have been frost burnt, but are growing new leaves now.

We are around a 6b zone.

 

[CountryEscape]

Plant them, Jen. Temps next week are bouncing back up to the 60-80's!!! Woohoo!!!
The plant with the purple flowers is an early spring flower, grape hyacinth. Mine are done blooming, and dying, so that one SHOULD be going dormant. It's not dead. Keep that space for next spring! Rest of your plants look just fine, not growing maybe, but definitely not dead. Give them some time and warmth and they will take off. Right now, they are likely building strong roots. Oh, and I think the last plant in the bog is a pickerel rush, it's fine, too!

 

[j.w]

Grape Hyacinth...............yikes I had that plant in my garden and it tried to take over the whole world! Be careful about that one as it puts seeds out all over the place. If you have it and keep it you better love it!

 

[CountryEscape]

I found some growing in the grass last year in spring, transplanted them next to my electric pole. Just the ones I planted came up, maybe a couple extras, but only in that same place. Thanks for the warning, though.

 

[j.w]

Grape hyacinth can take over if not monitored.​

Grape hyacinths are often planted as garden ornamentals. Their small, grape like flower clusters and easy-growing attitude make them an ideal garden plant for beginners. But grape hyacinths can grow a little too well. Their bulbs spread aggressively in the right growing environment. If not carefully monitored, grape hyacinths can take over your garden bed and even the adjacent lawn. Luckily, these pushy little flowers are relatively easy to remove.

 

[JenH]

We were zone 5 before the zone changes now we are zone 6 (a or b whichever is colder) Grape Hyacinth, great thank you all for telling me what it is. Mom didn't know either, it's been there as long as they have. It definitely is not invasive at her house, but they're an hour north and have different soil. So knowing my luck.....LOL! But I do think it is really pretty. So does the whole plant die back or just the flowers. Not sure thats a good place for it if it will be looking all ugly for the rest of the summer.

So you guys think the ones in my bog look okay then? They're the whole reason I haven't planted the others because I'm worried they're dying. Maybe it will be nice Sunday and I'll be able to plant everything then. I have a busy weekend ahead, don't think I'll be doing much ponding. Tomorrow I have to finish preparing for our Lia Sophia rally (I'm a sales topper, so have to do a little presentation) Then it's rally on Saturday and I'm working a wedding immediately after. It's gonna be one of those working from noon until 2am kind of days. I'm already tired just thinking about it! If the wedding is a really late one, my hubby will be on toddler duty and I'll be sleeping all day. The last wedding I worked at this particular location, I didn't get home till almost 4am. Thats not the norm for most weddings but this place doesn't have time limits, so if they have the money and are having fun its gonna be a long one!

 

[addy1]

Bog plants take time to get going, but once they do they will take off. I have the grape hyacinths, so far they have stayed in one place. The vegetation does die back, until it does it just looks like skinny grass blades.

Yep stick the plants in the ground, you should be fine, they should be fine. I even stuck the taros out, too early, we dropped to 17, the leaves got a little freeze burn but are now growing back, struggling but growing back. We are back into the 31 range again, then climbing back up to the 40's by the end of the week,night, 60's day. Maybe this will be the last dip. My poor tomatoes all have blooms on them and baby tomatoes, I stuck them in 2 gallon pots, now they are 2.5 feet tall, geez. They wanna get outside.

 

[JenH]

It looks like our lows are supposed to start climbing and staying up now too. We weren't expecting very good weather this wknd, but its nice and sunny right now, so I might be able to get out there sometime today, if I stop procrastinating with everything else....Then maybe my hubby can get the rest of the mulch done while I'm working tomorrow

 

[CountryEscape]

I say leave the grape hyacinth where it is, and plant other perennials around it. They will cover the area during the summer. THEN, next spring, when all other perennials are still dormant, this one will be alive and blooming! That's the benefit of things like this and other spring bulbs. They don't last long, but they come up first and make us smile early.
As far as your perennials, look at your 10 day forecast. If it's anything like mine, this weekend will be perfect to get them planted. Since they have been in your house and being babied (not getting cold), I would put them outside against your house (on a deck would be perfect, against the house) this afternoon and tomorrow all day. If temps dip below say 35 at night, bring them in, but otherwise leave them outside. They will be somewhat "hardened off" by Sunday. And, it will give you some added incentive to get out of bed Sunday after that early morning wedding gets done with.

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, we posted at the same time! Today would be even better, and I love the idea of your hubbie getting the mulch put down while you're at work. Won't that look extra special for you to see all done!!! And, will give you more sleeping in time on Sunday. LOL

 

[CountryEscape]

Today was very productive! Finally unloaded the 100 or so sheets of old roof sheet metal from my barn renovation last fall, and came home with $213.50 in cash! Woohoo! Love recycling. LOL
Then, in between rain showers, I cleaned up some of the manure from the paddock area of the horses, and moved landscape stones around the flower beds by the stream. Saw this toad on the wall of the goldfish pond.

Wonder if she had anything to do with these toad eggs in the goldfish pond, hanging from the lilies and some ludwigia stems.

I wanted some of them to survive, although the goldfish didn't seem to be interested in them ... yet ... so I moved the ludwigia stem with eggs wrapped around it to the bog. Hoping to see the teeny tiny tadpoles when they hatch! At least they will have more of a chance if start out in here.

This frog was right on the lily pad next to where I wanted to photograph the toad eggs, and this pic is not zoomed in or cropped. I took it at most 12" from the frog! This is what I mean about this type of frog, whatever it is, being very sociable.

This guy, same type as above, was more afraid, hiding behind the rocks at the bog overflow. It seems to be here a lot!

And, I posted this in my other thread, but does anyone know what type of bug this is? It was in the pea gravel in koi pond bog, as I was gathering some from the bottom to put on top of pots. It looks like some type of nymph, but I have no clue what type of bug it is, or maybe this is full grown, just some type of water bug. It went back into the bog, right to the bottom and seemed comfy there.

 

[CometKeith]

Ce, Re the migrating bird you saw last week. Here is a good story that ran on all the major media outlets. Last Saturday there was a bird in Chicago that was identified that was 7000 miles from home. It was only the second time the bird has been spotted in the United States. The article about it mentioned that one person hoped on a plane from Florida to Chicago as soon as he heard about it. http://www.chicagotr...story?track=rss