Hamstermann's pond build
- Thread starter hamstermann
- Start date
Looking good. make sure to create a berm with that flag stone to keep run Off out.. don.t know that I would use sand or any loose material. I'd look at removing the rubber and just doing a solid base and grass between or a mortar bed
Really has come together beautifully, great job. Like @GBBUDD be careful with the run off, have seen posts by people before where they have had issues with mulch run off into the pond. The area I have between the pond and bog is sloped down to the pond so there is no way I am putting mulch there I know for sure it would run off, tough enough dealing with the dirt run off but that has slowed down with the plants in there now.
Thanks! Yeah, I was nervous about the sand washing away, but If I use concrete sealer on it, it should lock it in place. the flagstone pieces are varying thicknesses so I can't just lay them down and call it done without it being a tripping hazard.
I also thought about whether I want the rubber there, but I like the idea of it being there because it should keep the ground under it dry if/when the pond overflows. I don't want the clay getting so soft and squishy that the rocks along that wall of the pond move.
I'm not too worried about runoff getting into the pond there. I don't use fertilizers on my grass and the ground tends to be so thirsty that it quickly absorbs any water that falls on it.
Thanks! Yeah, the mulch moving into the pond is a concern, but less so from rain or sprinklers than from people walking. IThe only irrigation I have between the pond and that back fence is drip so there shouldn't be enough flow to wash anything away and I'm hoping that by fall the plants will have filled out more. We don't get much rain in the summer. I guess I'll net out the mulch and put it back until the plants fill in enough to prevent that from happening.
Very aware of the thickness variation grout between or a retarder / puts the concrete to sleep for three hours untill whi c h time you can work with it then again mortar between. that separates the men from the boys in instalation it's very tedious work. But you can set on process / stone dust hardens like a rock and then mortar.
It's not about mulch washing in so much butttttt it too can have pesticides and preservatives both we REALY REALY DO NOT WANT IN OUR PONDS as well as law and flower fertilizers and pesticides . It's a must to have berms
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. let me see if I got it right.
You're saying use stone dust under the flagstone and then mortar in the cracks, or use a cure time extending chemical in some cement and put that between the flagstones instead of the mortar?
Retarder / put to sleep is for a bed for the concrete to be placed into. It's actualy easier than is sand or stone dust . a few careful taps on the flag stone with a rubber mallet and the variations in thickness set them selves to the desired height . Then finish with a mortar or grout
Is retarder/put to sleep the actual product name or a trade/nickname for the product? What do I ask for at Home Depot or look for on their site?
Edit: Oh! This is something like Flow Control or Set control? How do I prevent the flagstones from sinking too far before it sets?
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oh don't worry. With the way things have been going, by the time I'm done trying to level everything there will probably be a berm there. :-D
Wow! I think that's the fastest I've seen a nitrate cycle happen. Using an unexpired API liquid pond test kit, I tested for the first time tonight. I don't think we've had it full for 2 weeks yet and I'm getting the following readings:
High Range PH 9
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Phosphate is harder to read because the shades are so close but we think it's between 0 and .25.
I don't have any other testing supplies so can't test nitrate, kh, or GH.
High Range PH 9
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Phosphate is harder to read because the shades are so close but we think it's between 0 and .25.
I don't have any other testing supplies so can't test nitrate, kh, or GH.
After looking at it for a few days I don't think I like the flagstone as much. I'd rather have a more natural look on that end of the pond.
My initial thought was to just put Grass there, but my wife made a good point that grass right up to the edge of the pond would mean mowing right up to the edge and that would put grass clippings in. That's not a great idea.
So maybe another plant? I don't want a shrub since that end of the pond is in the middle of the yard and might obstruct things, but I do want something that may hang over the edge. I could do more carpet Juniper but that might be overdoing it with that particular plant since I already have 2.
So what do you all suggest? any ideas for a low-growing plant that will hang over the pond edge, not obstruct views, and be low-maintenance? I'm in USDA zone 7a, if that helps.
My initial thought was to just put Grass there, but my wife made a good point that grass right up to the edge of the pond would mean mowing right up to the edge and that would put grass clippings in. That's not a great idea.
So maybe another plant? I don't want a shrub since that end of the pond is in the middle of the yard and might obstruct things, but I do want something that may hang over the edge. I could do more carpet Juniper but that might be overdoing it with that particular plant since I already have 2.
So what do you all suggest? any ideas for a low-growing plant that will hang over the pond edge, not obstruct views, and be low-maintenance? I'm in USDA zone 7a, if that helps.
It does seem a bit formal having that flagstone. I buried random stones half way at random spaces to make it like the stones were leading up to the pond, and then you can plant between them. Or you could have a smaller area with the flagstones if you wanted an entrance to the pond. Also, if you could incorporate a log or two in that area it would soften it up and kind of balance with the logs you have at the other end.