Here we go...

[pondlover]

Here's some pics of one of the ponds that is on annual pond tour. This is what makes me want driftwood. I just love it. If you really look you can see they also put an old buoy out there too. This ponder really has it going on!

 

[sissy]

I like that they put the heron in the pond,Wish i had mature trees .

 

[j.w]

Not trying to correct j.w., but be careful with those lilies; I've seen them just rot when they were placed too deep too soon after re-potting!
John

Oh I did not know that John. That would not be good. I keep mine on my shelf that is about 18" deep all year round so have never had them on the bottom of my pond. I like them on the shelf so I can reach them better and not have to get in pond to groom them. Just heard you could put them deeper as they grow but maybe now one should wait till more mature. How long should you wait?

 

[HARO]

I generally tell my customers to place a new addition no deeper than 18" (above the pot) and wait until you have a few leaves at the surface, then drop it 6" at a time.
John

 

[pondlover]

Thinking I'll probably wait and may not even move at all. Well in the winter I will probably need to move to bottom of pond.

 

[pondlover]

Sissy their pond was beautiful but I don't think I would want the leaves in my pond from all those trees.

 

[CountryEscape]

I also love mature trees, and if I had my way, the trees would be on the far edges of my property, to roam in the woods, but not in my yard. I have planted a few trees that will get very large (pin oak, hard maple, and few others) but for the most part the trees near the pond are all smaller types - Red Bud, Dogwood and flowering crabs. I know in time the other trees will provide lots of shade, but I was careful to keep space so none will grow together when mature. I had to deal with hundreds of trees (literally) where I used to live, and it was an every other day thing to blow the leaves to be burned so I would have some grass the following spring. Got to where I hated trees. I love grass. With lots of trees, you have all shade, no grass in the heat of the summer, and cannot have many sun loving plants. It really limits you. Of course, the only shade plants I can have go to the north side of my garage. LOL But, many more sun loving pretty perennials, I think.
I kept my pond lilies on my shelves which in main pond are all about 18", although I have "steps" that are deeper. I did put the lake lily I found last fall in deeper, since I knew it was at least 2' down, it is on the first step, so about 24" down or little less. Found the tuber in the skimmer last night, so the koi must have dug it up. Put larger rock on top of it and sunk the pan again. Bad koi!

 

[pecan]

We had no trees at our place when we bought it. Not 1, only 6 stumps that were about 4 feet tall because they had grown around ancient barbed wire so whoever cut them just cut them to point of where they hit metal. We removed all the stumps with the help of our neighbor. Since then I have planted 7 trees. 2 in the garden (pear and nectarine) far from the pond. 3 conifers (weeping white spruce, vanderlinden pine and a another one I forget what it is) in the rear corner of the property. A weeping willow about 10 feet from the pond on one side and a mimosa very close to the pond on the other side. I am dreaming of shade one day in our high desert sun, but for now they are pretty small (non over 10') but I am also dreading the leaves in the pond. I will have to get a net or something when the time comes.

 

[sissy]

I made nets from screening material and hand sewed pockets in and got metal electrical conduit and threaded it through the pockets and just layed it over my pond .I used fishing wire to sew the screen pockets and got the screening material that helps with uv control .I had bought the screening for my sliding screen doors on my house .The metal conduit comes in 20 and 30 foot lenghts and only cost me 6 dollars each

 

[pondlover]

We did go fishing this weekend, but truthfully, I think we "caught" more driftwood than we did fish. LOL My hubby was really getting into the driftwood hunt. This is what we've come up with so far.

I brought home another truck load of mulch on Friday and am hoping that is the last that I'll need around the pond. We also went to the nursery and got a few more rocks (as if we didn't have enough) while there I picked up a few plants to put around the pond. I'm really pleased with how things are coming along. Some pics of both sides of the filter. I hope that when the plants grow it will help to conceal the tank from the back side also. My sister had given me the Japanese Maple several years ago and it's been in a pot on the deck and I'm sure it's glad to actually have some growing room. I have another Japanese Maple that has the really lacy red leaves that I want to put around the pond somewhere.
Here's the progress:


Now I must go look and see what everyone else has been doing around their ponds this weekend. I love see what ya'll are doing. :blueflower:

 

[CountryEscape]

Love that yellow Japanese Maple! I don't think I've seen that color. Your plants are really nice and will grow and bloom all summer, I bet. LOVE LOVE LOVE the driftwood! You did well in "catching" those pieces. haha

 

[j.w]

You scored good on the driftwood PL! Love the way you piled the mulch up and hid the filter more. The plants add a lot to the beauty of the pond and I like that lovely Maple also. Do you know the name of it?

 

[sissy]

looks really good and when those plants spread it will just make it better

 

[Sunshine]

Love it !! Landscape in beautiful.

 

[pondlover]

I couldn't help myself and got some butterfly Koi today. Pond is still green and I am trying to be patient. I just have to share some pictures I took of my fish today. I'm thrilled that they are now very friendly guys or gals.

They range in size from 9" -12". Had a really hard time picking just three.

This was at feeding time tonight.

Water lilies are really starting to spread. I hoping that soon the bog plants will kick in with helping the green in the pond. Our boxer and his friend discovered the pond was a great place to get a drink. Cody was so tired from playing that he just plopped down on the rock and got a drink. Thankfully he hasn't taken an interest in my Koi.