CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!

[combatwombat]

How do we feel about sticking these in the bog or somewhere in the pond?

My neighbors, despite my telling them not to, bought me these irises after doing a little work for them with Barney.

My head is not in plant mode yet, so I don’t know what to do with them. Ok to go in the bog? Straight in a shallow area of the pond?

I just need them somehwere I can forget about them while they take care of themselves because I have too much going on and will kill them if I have to look after them in pots all summer.

 

[combatwombat]

On that note. I'm probably not far off from buying a whole bunch of plants and getting the pond and bog planted up. But how do I know how deep all the different marginal plants want to be? I can make lots of edge areas be anywhere from 2' deep up to just barely wet. Is there a specific depth that most marginals will like that I can stick to?

 

[Dimelius]

On that note. I'm probably not far off from buying a whole bunch of plants and getting the pond and bog planted up. But how do I know how deep all the different marginal plants want to be? I can make lots of edge areas be anywhere from 2' deep up to just barely wet. Is there a specific depth that most marginals will like that I can stick to?

Google search eh eh

Btw "common" 1st step of a pond is around 10-12 inches deep(30cm since) that mean the depth of the marginal plants is around 2-4inches(5-10cm). Usually in this range almost all marginals can live without problem. So from barely wet to 2-4inches is ok, if you want a "specific depth", in my opinion, i will say 2 inches, but like said before you got a range.

 

[YShahar]

How do we feel about sticking these in the bog or somewhere in the pond?

View attachment 151298View attachment 151299

My neighbors, despite my telling them not to, bought me these irises after doing a little work for them with Barney.

My head is not in plant mode yet, so I don’t know what to do with them. Ok to go in the bog? Straight in a shallow area of the pond?

I just need them somehwere I can forget about them while they take care of themselves because I have too much going on and will kill them if I have to look after them in pots all summer.

You could just stick them in the bog, still in their pots for safe keeping, then plant them out in a more permanent fashion later on when you have all the rest of the plants. Because most irises have a lower profile than many other marginals, I'll be using them in all the places where I don't want to completely block the view of the pond. The bigger stuff, such as taro will go at the back.

 

[addy1]

I have the iris, the Japanese ones , in water only, in a pot with kitty litter and in the bog. They stay smallish, 18 inches or so with great lilac flowers.

The same with the Black gamecock, can't say that is the name of mine, but they are Louisiana iris, they grow right in the water, grow in kitty litter, grow in the bog, grow in land out of the pond.

Hard to kill lol

 

[combatwombat]

Thanks all.


@Dimelius: I hate googling for plant advice because it always seems like every article says something completely different for the same plant. My gardening skills are still pretty weak.

@YShahar: Great idea!

@addy1: Thanks! Why do you keep them in pots vs. bare root? Do you just reuse the plastic pot from the nursery?

 

[addy1]

Thanks! Why do you keep them in pots vs. bare root? Do you just reuse the plastic pot from the nursery

It was a one stem iris I got from the fish hatchery in a pot, so I just put pot and all into the small deck pond. It has grown out of the pot. Some of the plants I removed and just stuck in water , in the bog, they all have done great. Bog wise, most of my plants are tall the japanese iris gets lost.

I have reused the plastic pots from the nursery, never bought a pond specific planting pot.

 

[SarahT]

With all you have going on, I'm voting take the easy path - stick the pot in the bog in some pea gravel, not too deep, top of the iris above the water level. If the leaves start looking significantly brown, move them down into the water a little. If a little mushy, raise them up.
How kind of you and Barney to help your neighbors and for your neighbors to give you something useful for the bog (even if a little early). Don't sweat the iris. Or anything else. You are doing a fine job of navigating over the rocks and rapids of pond building.

 

[combatwombat]

 

[combatwombat]

Behold the world’s shittiest retaining wall:

 

[DanielleB]

So sorry you're going through this. Its been such a labor of love. But you've got this and you can do it! And American Tilapia just lost my business.

 

[combatwombat]

So sorry you're going through this. Its been such a labor of love. But you've got this and you can do it! And American Tilapia just lost my business.

Thanks. Even if AT is totally right about their product, they way they’re handling it kind of sucks.

 

[combatwombat]

Tested some loctite marine fast set adhesive sealant. Seems to work pretty similar to the PL-S30 caulk, but cures much faster. It peels off just as easily (medium effort), but it takes the LDPE coating layer off with it! Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

The waterproof tape is probably the best in terms of permanent adherence, but it’s the hardest to apply on these kinds of leaks.

 

[combatwombat]

GOT MY BUTT KICKED TODAY.

Moved a big piece of urbanite into the back yard this afternoon and noticed the machine felt little underpowered compared to normal. Had to move it all the way back into the front yard to find a flat spot to check hydraulic fluid. Low. Dang it. Pump/lines must have been empty when I refilled after replacing hose. Out of fluid. Go to store and buy more.

Come back and refill. Back to work. Get the urbanite close to where I want it and go to fire up the laser level to set it at the right elevation. Doesn't work. Probably the little rubber band again. Take it to the garage and take it apart. Yep, rubber band came off the pulley. Fix it and put it back together. No power. What the heck? Try new batteries. Still no go. DAMN IT. Must have pinched a wire putting it back together. Take it apart again and check everything over. All looks fine. Still no power. $%&^ this thing!

Off to Harbor Freight to buy another $50 one as the next price point up seems to be $400+. Buy another one for $75 and back home to try to squeeze out maybe an hour of work today.

Set it up. All seems fine. Turn on the receiver and... nothing. Check everything over again and still nothing. Turns out laser receivers need a pulse/rotation to operate, and this new level is a solid line. Ugh.

Head back to the garage to put it back in the box for a return and the old one—which I guess I left turned on and in pieces— is now spinning. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? Oh well. I'm out of time for the day, but at least I don't need a new laser level yet. Put it back together and take it back to the back yard. Notice on my way down that there's hydraulic oil dripping out of the bottom of the excavator again. CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE OF THAT TODAY! Put a rag under it and headed inside for a shower.

Oh, yeah. The whole laser fiasco is partly because I couldn't find my line level. Gave it to the toddler to play with the other day and who knows where it got set down. Don't blame the toddler, CW. She probably gave it back to you and you lost it.

Wife is out of town for work this week. Grandma is headed home in a few and this child looks a little... um... upset. What should I make her for dinner?

Pray for me.

 

[Jhn]

Feel ya, Have days like that at work, blown hydraulic lines, dead batteries in laser, guy drops my chainsaw in the water. Channel my inner Wim Hof, so I don’t kill somebody.