Here we go -- FINALLY! A pond for wildlife...

[bagsmom]

It already looks NICE once you get the deer situation calmed down and plants growing it's going to be a 5 star resort..

I believe it was you who recently added some lights. By far my favorite time of day with the lights and now candles, strongly recommend the candles. Going to shut down the return jets and go for reflection tonight.

By the way a buddy of mine up here use to rent out guard dogs he'd come in at what hour you wanted and he'd set the perimeter for the dogs and he'd leave. Dogs would stay there over night hed pick them up in the morning. I know he went as far as using them on woodchucks , deer and raccoons. That's the best scent to keep them away "a barking dog "

Take pictures of the candle reflections! That will be cool!

 

[bagsmom]

I put out some Deer Scram granules. It sure has an odd, herbal smell. I don't know if it will keep the deer away - but my husband was freaking out. "That stinks. I mean it REALLY STINKS!"

 

[addy1]

I put out some Deer Scram granules. It sure has an odd, herbal smell. I don't know if it will keep the deer away - but my husband was freaking out. "That stinks. I mean it REALLY STINKS!"

The problem is it washes away after good rains. I used it for a while to fight the ground hogs finally gave up and said enjoy living here.

 

[bagsmom]

The problem is it washes away after good rains. I used it for a while to fight the ground hogs finally gave up and said enjoy living here.

I will be happy if I can get them to stay away long enough for the plants to get a good start - to send out some roots. I'd like them to stay away for a while, then they can come for a few nibbles.
Last night, we looked out our dining room window to see Sister French-kissing our bird feeder. No kidding, she was sticking her tongue right in the opening to get sunflower seeds - it was extremely funny! I will gladly give her birdseed if she forgets about the pond for a while!

 

[SarahT]

I will be happy if I can get them to stay away long enough for the plants to get a good start - to send out some roots. I'd like them to stay away for a while, then they can come for a few nibbles.
Last night, we looked out our dining room window to see Sister French-kissing our bird feeder. No kidding, she was sticking her tongue right in the opening to get sunflower seeds - it was extremely funny! I will gladly give her birdseed if she forgets about the pond for a while!

One of my sweet, elderly neighbors (in woodsy Maryland) was so excited at how many birds were benefiting from her shelf-style bird feeder, "every seed is being eaten every day by the birds!". The feeder is set about four feet high (low) in the yard, so she can load seed onto it without being on a ladder (smart, at 80). I didn't have the heart to tell her that two deer come at dusk every evening and simply stand there and lick up every seed.

 

[GBBUDD]

Take a rope throw it up over a limb of a tree. i usually tie the rope to a hammer to get it up there , and then the weight will bring the rope down . yes you need to be very careful and not loose your teeth or get clobbered by the hammer . but the idea is to raise and lower the feeder by wrapping the rope around the tree . the last 4 feet use heavy duty fishing line squirrels cant climb it.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Stunning! Last time I saw this project the bog was just being dug out. Really lovely spot you have created.

 

[bagsmom]

Here is an update. Right now, I am working on cleaning up and finishing the area around the pond. The backyard has been a mess for so long, I almost forgot what it looks like without pallets and rock piles and scraps of liner and underlayment!
Going back several weeks, we went up to visit family in Illinois and Wisconsin. Before we left, I used some Deer Scram and it seems to have worked! (Crossing my fingers!) Some things have been nibbled but not entirely destroyed.
I removed grass and terraced the area in front of the shed - between the shed and the bog and down the slope toward the garage. I covered it with landscape fabric and then planted gardenias by the pond there. My hope is that they will grow enough to make a barrier so leaves won't blow down the hill and into the pond.
We had a neighbor's tree fall many months ago. It hit our old stone wall, which we had rebuilt shorter. I have been using all the extra wall stones to make little walls around my flower beds. You can see some of them around the gardenias.
I have also been working on water drainage. We have an area by the driveway that always gets standing water. I dug out around the stepping stones (on intake bay end) and made a slowly declining sloped trench that will take the water out to the woods. That is still in progress. I draped landscape fabric over everything and put egg rock and pea gravel on top. I still need to cut away the landscape fabric that is showing on top of the stepping stones and along the sides.
We got another truckload of dirt yesterday to add to the berm around the back end of the pond. Today I worked on the low stone walls that will help hold the dirt in place.
Slowly but surely it is coming along.

 

[bagsmom]

These two pictures didn't want to upload with the rest:

 

[j.w]

You been very busy and looks like it is all paying off as everything looks great!

 

[Tula]

Wow, it's just beautiful , your hard works shows !!! I'm thinking it's going to bring you so much enjoyment to watch it mature and see what wild life it attracts.

 

[cas]

So pretty @bagsmom ! So much work in this heat! Did you know when you started the pond that you would be redoing the whole backyard?

 

[bagsmom]

So pretty @bagsmom ! So much work in this heat! Did you know when you started the pond that you would be redoing the whole backyard?

Thanks, everyone!
Well -- not really. The whole idea started out much smaller than it is now - and it kind of GREW!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Thanks, everyone!
Well -- not really. The whole idea started out much smaller than it is now - and it kind of GREW!

Yeah, that happens.....

But isn't it wonderful when it does??

 

[GBBUDD]

Here is an update. Right now, I am working on cleaning up and finishing the area around the pond. The backyard has been a mess for so long, I almost forgot what it looks like without pallets and rock piles and scraps of liner and underlayment!
Going back several weeks, we went up to visit family in Illinois and Wisconsin. Before we left, I used some Deer Scram and it seems to have worked! (Crossing my fingers!) Some things have been nibbled but not entirely destroyed.
I removed grass and terraced the area in front of the shed - between the shed and the bog and down the slope toward the garage. I covered it with landscape fabric and then planted gardenias by the pond there. My hope is that they will grow enough to make a barrier so leaves won't blow down the hill and into the pond.
We had a neighbor's tree fall many months ago. It hit our old stone wall, which we had rebuilt shorter. I have been using all the extra wall stones to make little walls around my flower beds. You can see some of them around the gardenias.
I have also been working on water drainage. We have an area by the driveway that always gets standing water. I dug out around the stepping stones (on intake bay end) and made a slowly declining sloped trench that will take the water out to the woods. That is still in progress. I draped landscape fabric over everything and put egg rock and pea gravel on top. I still need to cut away the landscape fabric that is showing on top of the stepping stones and along the sides.
We got another truckload of dirt yesterday to add to the berm around the back end of the pond. Today I worked on the low stone walls that will help hold the dirt in place.
Slowly but surely it is coming along.

I still can't get over the determination of some of the ladies on this site. And the description of ladies is way tame . They are some of the most goal oriented people I've ever seen .
Looking at all the boulders far larger than most "guys" today would even try to move . not that they couldn't . They're just week minded. My hat off to all you ladies.
Your pond is coming together beautifully. We know the long fight you have had to get it here.

Went to get a Dairy Queen for the Mrs on Saturday. 100 degree day and what do I find . Closed due to staff shortage... people if your not kicking your kinds out the door to go to work then maybe your the one who needs the boot. I can guarantee one thing those moms are on this site.