Country Escape's 2nd pond - Goldfish only

[callingcolleen1]

Here is a picture from the top looking down (picture shot while up a ladder early summer) the Yellow flag is blooming (middle pond) and my larger versions of the two sweet flags are standing straight up in the air, whereas the Yellow flag (which is really an Iris) is blooming yellow and the sweet flags don't bloom like that. See the two VeRy different blooms?

Sissy's dwarf varigated sweet flag gets about one foot tall and my regular "larger" sweet flag grows to about five feet tall. Both are "Acorus calamus, sweet flags", just one is dwarf and varigated yellow and green, the other is tall and solid green.

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks for the lesson, Colleen. Here is a close up of what I was sold as "sweet flag". It might have said varigated sweet flag, not sure. It is yellow and green, and straight stems, so I will assume it is the dwarf version. I've never seen any type of bloom on it, although I don't expect it to have any type of flower, but yours has something that looks kind of like a cattail. Maybe mine will get that in time, maybe this version doesn't. It is VERY easy to contain. LOL It has hardly grown. Maybe it needs a couple of seasons to set it's roots before it gets going, and this spring I dug all the plants out of that bog to fix the hole, so it had to start all over again.

Here are the pics of my stream (and Tarzan), goldfish pond with larger bog, and some close ups of the bog plants in the goldfish pond.

This is one end of that bog, shows the very thick water clover (see why I need to "share" a bunch of it in the spring?!), irises, and lilies covered in frost.
Then this is the other end, with water parsley, more clover, and a reed plant. The reed still is very green, and seems to be unaffected by the cold.,
I brought in a bunch of the Azolla into the garage, under a light, and it's still green. This that I purposely left in the pond bog on the end where it won't get washed into the pond, is pretty red, as I know it turns in the fall. I want to see how to fares the winter. I have a feeling it will be alive and well come spring. Going to see the difference from that and what I brought inside.

And, this picture is for Montana Pond! Here is the Christmas cactus starts you sent to me. They all have new growth on them. I purposely put them sideways, not straight up, as I want them to eventually hang over the edge. They are doing very well. Thanks!!!

 

[gardengimp]

Hmmm. My dwarf variegated sweet flag leaves are much more narrow. I wonder if that could be a Japanese water ires?

 

[callingcolleen1]

CE you have a very nice collection of ponds and bogs. The shape looks very nice even though most is now froze. I guess last time I saw your pictures everything was still growing. When did everything finally die off?

Your sweet flag appears to be a varigated Sweet Flag. The Dwarf version can be very slow growing at first, and they don't like very much water over the top of the crown. You can tell if it is a sweet flag, if you crush one of the stems and rub in your hand it should smell very pleasant and sweet. The dwarf varigated sweet flag did not do much for me either years ago, but it grows well for JW. Some versions of the sweet flag may be even smaller and finer spear shaped grass like leaves. I used to grow different versions years ago and sold them at this greenhouse. The larger original version is much more hardy and can grow quite a bit faster, but not half as fast as my Yellow Flag Iris!

There are other types of varigated water plants like the varigated Cat-tail, Rush and Iris. It is possible that someone could have mixed it up with the iris, but if you crush and smell the stems you will know for sure. Varigated plants tend to be less hardy and sometimes like the Varigated Rush, they can revert back to the original all green.

 

[sissy]

mine have not bloomed but they are new this year so could take awhile ,maybe a season for them to mature .

 

[mtpond]

CE plants I sent you look good. Heres a picture of mine with a flower on it last summer. Once yours mature and start to bloom I think your going to love them, the flowers are huge. The zig zaggy one of mine was to small last summer so it didn't bloom, not sure what color the flowers are but I think the flowers are going to be as big and beautiful as the other one that did bloom.

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, I went out and pulled one of the blades of the plant grass and pinched it between my fingers. Not sure what "sweet" is supposed to smell like. I think it smells like ... green. LOL It smells like a plant green, not what I would call sweet. Guess I'll have to wait until it blooms and see what it has .. flower or other type of bloom.
VERY windy here this morning. The mares and mule are standing snugged up to the hay barn. Without a flag I could tell you what direction the wind is coming from this morning! This barn side faces north, we have a VERY strong southerly wind. I'm standing in the same place taking both of these pics.

 

[sissy]

wow look at old glory flying .Windy tie down everything

 

[callingcolleen1]

Well maybe it froze and lost the scent or maybe it is an Iris? Sweet Flags when green and growing should always smell sweet when crushed and rubbed on the hand. Sweet Flags is used in most perfumes, soaps and lotions.

 

[CountryEscape]

This morning the sun was shining, temps were very warm for February 7, above 40 by 8 a.m., and walked outside and instantly smiled. Thanks Mother Nature for a beautiful morning. Took a few pics of the ponds, anxious to see the dormant flower bed and bog areas come to live soon!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Have you spotted the fish yet or are they down deep hiding still? I know mine go and hide under plants this time of the year sometimes. I was looking back and reviewing Addy's and your threads from the start, and I noticed you sure did a lot of work this year, never realized how big you bog was before! I enjoyed all your old pictures and it does appear that spring does come earlier for you. When do people around there start their gardens? I know we do on the May long weekend, but I start planting some stuff even sooner.

 

[addy1]

The rule for veggie garden i.e. tomatoes is mothers day. Ow they can still be smacked with a freeze, last year I had them out mid april, but it was a warm winter and I was tired of them being in the house lol. Other stuff can be put out earlier.

 

[CountryEscape]

I have been watching the goldfish for well over a month. Every time I have any open water, I see them swimming. If it was sunny this morning, I would shut off the bubbler and take some pics of them, maybe tomorrow. The koi have been hiding under any bit of ice on the pond. I can see them all this morning, they don't tend to be as active as the goldfish, but they are milling around down there.
I have not had any luck with anything in my vege garden except plants that I planted - tomatoes and peppers. Corn and beans planted by seed just would not sprout, even when trying multiple times. I am going to try again this year, though. Didn't plant either of the seeds last year, will give them a shot this year, but will wait until the ground is nice and warm, at least May. Yep, last year I think the farmers had fields of corn planted before May 1!!! Unbelievable. But, I think to be able to use the insurance (in case of freeze, heavy rains, no seed germination, etc.) they have to wait until after May 6 ... or something like that. Anyhow, once that deadline hit, all the fields were planted. Then we had drought and it all promptly died. VERY bad corn crop last year, so hoping for a rally this year. It has made meat and other groceries go sky high already, and we all know those prices will never come back down. Ho hum ... glad I'm not feeding an army!

 

[addy1]

Our corn grew, the first few years just fine. This last year it was lousy, so planting red clover where the corn usually is, it puts a lot of nitrogen back in the soil. We mainly plant it for the deer, the stink bugs wipe out the ears. Keep trying though, one of these years we might have a decent crop.
My veg garden does fine, great tomatoes, water melons, onions, peppers. Last summer the stink bugs where not as bad as the year before............they ruined the crops. You can't eat it, once they stick their little suckers in the veggies and suck out the juice it starts to rot and smell.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Sounds like you guys are a couple weeks ahead of us, we plant normally around the May long weekend, but some do it sooner, like me sometimes. I do get panzies planted in March cause they are so darn hardy and do well for Easter.

My pumpkins did good for me last year out back with the junk. I got lots of tomatoes too, hu now I am tired of tomatoes and will plant some peas and cukecumber too this year, got to start the pepper seeds later today!