New pond construction. The Water Garden Pond

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
Yes real nice work.
Yes I love customers that say this is what I want do it.

Ruben

 

[capewind]

Thanks Ruben. If we could afford to retire and didnt need an income, he would do ponds for free, he really enjoys doing them. Thankfully, we have been in business long enough, that even in this economy, he can more or less pick and choose which jobs he will accept. For financial reasons, we try to stick with nasty tree removals or excavation, as that is where we have the most gain, but adding some misc pics since I know you are in the landscape & construction trades.

The first pic is simply a camp that we moved. There were 7 in total that we moved/demo'd, but this pic is from the last four remaining on PRIVATELY owned lands (aka not belonging to the National Sea Shore), These 4 were all moved to one property in hopes of saving them. Unfortunately the erosion became bad enough that the National Sea Shore took juridiction and made the camp owners remove them in total. They are a nightmare to deal with, but the reality was they did make the right call, as late as it could be made... the next major storm resulted in that area being reclaimed by the ocean. The next pic was a landscape install/redo... Did everything... walls, all plantings, new lawn, irrigation, walkway (designed this way for disabled folks). The next was a commercial application... how to hide their half oil drum BBQ;-) (Also did the patio under the fire pit, wall in the background and 70' of walk ways that cant be seen in this pic) The last one is just another wall system.,,

 

[fishin4cars]

Wish you and your husband were closer, I could sure use some help doing some dressing in. Beautiful work! The company I'm working for right now sells pavers and wall retaining stones like that. Sure wish we could get rock for the price you get yours for. Free would even be better but no luck with that here, EVERYTHING has to be hauled in.. Flagstone runs $400-$550 per two ton pallet, smooth river rock runs $600 for 1.5 ton pallet. Ozark moss boulders are the cheapest rock at about $300 per 1.5 ton pallet. I like that BBQ pit, I'd love to do something like that for my Bottom drain pit, going to the pump room. That's the final step I still need to complete on the koi pond. Love the plantings of the Japanese maples in by that one pond where the stream flows past them. I so wish I could get just one to grow for me, Just can't seem to get one to take off for me down here.

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
Wow!! some very Beautiful Work.
So glad to see curves and not straight line and squares.

I bet moving those cabins was great fun I know a lot of work but still great fun.

I am like you and your hubby I do anything now a days.
We are stripping and painting a old old home next week like I said I do anything.

anyway looks fantastic.
Ruben

 

[j.w]

Larkin the garden radio guy here was just talking today about if you have wet soil that stays wet and you want Japanese Maples then you should build the dirt up and plant them higher than your ground. That way they drain better as they don't like to have wet feet all the time or they get root rot. I love them and there are so many new ones w/ such vibrant colors in oranges, yellows and bright reds. Some even have different colors of trunks like yellow and greenish or combo. Also he says don't water them after they have gotten established, just let the rains do the job.

 

[fishin4cars]

JW, I had read that too, I have two red leaf both slightly different one is frill leaded and weeping (Crimson Queen) and one is standard leaf and upright type ( Bloodgood) along the upper edge of the bog. The ground is raised and drains well, never standing water or wet feet, BUT easy to water from the bog so as not to get the leaves wet in the summer. I also read that water on the leaves can scorch them and cause the leaves to curl and turn brown. This is what usually happens and the leaves that come back come back smaller and smaller until it dies, These are probably the 8th or 9th ones I've bought trying to get just one to really take off.

 

[CountryEscape]

I have my original Japanese maple, but just bought it has year. Kept it in the container far too long, trying to decide where to plant it. Though it was dead, lost all it's leaves late last summer, then it bounced back by fall. Then, this spring, it had of all things Japanese beetles on it, so I sprayed it with a Sevin solution I use on tomato plants, roses, etc. Well, that "Japanese" maple did NOT like Sevin, it browned all the leaves. But, once again, it bounced back and grew all new leaves. Just one year I'd like to see it thrive all year! So, I will be careful about watering it, although this past summer, it surely needed to be watered in our 3 months of 90+ temps and drought! At least now I'll know that it doesn't need extra water, just in drought conditions. Thanks for the pointers. Also, since I live "on the prairie", with nothing stopping the winds, I have mine tucked next to the deck so not as much sunlight, and also somewhat guarded from the winds. Some of the newer varieties are so beautiful, but they looked too delicate to handle the winds here, so I've passed on them.

 

[capewind]

Thank you. Even tho we are too far to help phyiscally, if you want to post or PM areas you need help with, we can throw ideas out at you, or help with the how to-s. We have several clients who cant afford to have us do everything and willing to do some things themself... a free consult with instructions for them to do it themself here and there makes for LOYAL clients. Once we get into a yard, we dont lose them, as we really can handle everything they can come up with outside, and a great deal inside as well. Hubby even does septics, plumbing and electrical work, and just works under friends licenses since they know he knows what he is doing. With his business, I am mostly a secretary (phone, billing, meeting with clients, etc), but for myself, I am actually a GC (General Contractor) in construction (my building inspector keeps encouraging me to go for my BSL - Building Supervisors License, but I dont want THAT liability). I can do everything from drawing a working set of blue prints, to manage crews on a construction site, negotiate with suppliers AND drive a rig (only hold a class B LOL). Dont ever ask me to hang drywall, but I am also a fairly decent finish carpenter with custom oak (anyone can patch/joint finger jointed pine with caulk and paint LOL) and can quote/do interior/exterior house painting I laugh cuz I look like a girlie girl (nails and all), but my grandfather was determined that even tho I was handicapped at birth by GENDER, I would be USEFUL for more than babies and cooking (which I do well too LMAO).

 

[Ruben Miranda]

Hello
The only thing I would add is when planting anything really but trees and mables.
never bury them deeper then the top of the root ball, or they will surly rot die.

And yes Maples are beautiful but they need to be babied when they are young.

I could here that conversation now
I want it there
No it will over grow that area you know that
But I want it there
But even the planter space is to small for the roots
Husband I want it there
Ok Wife anything you want baby
:razz: :razz: :razz:

Been there so many times
So I can tease and laugh about others :razz: :razz: :razz:

Ruben

 

[capewind]

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He will do curves every chance he can get. He was doing curves before it was "fashionable" here. He hates straight lines, and we have had to learn to compromise LOL. One of my biggest hobbies (a profitable one at times) is drawing blueprints... Even now, I can be driving down the road, catch something on a house, and will have to pull over to make a quick sketch on a napkin, receipt, whatever I can find in the truck... I'll come home, and draw a full set of plans that will use that feature... he would look at my plans, and then for his own reasons, plan out landscapes... I used to yell at him that his BUSY lines were taking away from what I wanted to highlight on the house LOL. Yet when I can see it in real life, 99% of the time, I would admit he was RIGHT! I have to laugh at myself as I can read a topo map, SEE the elevations on a flat piece of paper.. can draw houses on a whim, yet can not see a landscape design on paper... I have to be able to touch/feel those...



Unfortunately, not with these camps... too much personal history involved.Hubby's family owned the first camp lost. The family camp beat Mother Nature for 61 years, but she got the last laugh. Our family still offically owns this land, and IF it resurfaces within 20 yrs of the loss, we can reclaim it... Not going to happen, it is all under water now. You could say we held a funeral on 2/7/08...While at this point, the National Sea Shore couldnt make us tear the camp down, it was made clear that we would be held accountable for any debri entering the ocean. The April storm claimed the land... several family members met on site, to witness the demo. We could not do this job. It was hard enough moving the other camps afterwards, but to tear this one down was too much. We had already felt the loss and knew how important it was for the families involved to try. The owner of the furthest camp allowed all the remaining camps to be moved to his land, but it only bought another year afterwards... It really was an end of an era, a way of life about what Cape Cod is about that most dont see...

 

[capewind]

My problem is that I have learned where we can bend the rules. We can throw a liner in the ground, with no filtration, and something will live... the more you want to add, the more care it will need... A tree is no different. You just need to learn how to bend it to your will;-)

 

[capewind]

Larkin the garden radio guy here was just talking today about if you have wet soil that stays wet and you want Japanese Maples then you should build the dirt up and plant them higher than your ground. That way they drain better as they don't like to have wet feet all the time or they get root rot. I love them and there are so many new ones w/ such vibrant colors in oranges, yellows and bright reds. Some even have different colors of trunks like yellow and greenish or combo. Also he says don't water them after they have gotten established, just let the rains do the job.

JW, I was being long winded when you posted this... yes, some of the new varieties (in the last 10-15 yrs) are pretty, but are not as hardy. If you can get the tree cheap enough it may be worth the gamble, but they are really touchy when young (under 5 years). Unless you have a really green thumb, you have MAYBE a 50% chance of pulling off a healthy, mature tree... Just my opinion. If you like unusual colors, check out the coral barks...

 

[j.w]

I think they are easier to grow here than in warmer climates. I don't have any problems so far w/ mine and they are in full sun but then like I say we don't get real hot here. I've also got sandy soil w/ good drainage and they only get watered when it rains. I only have the red varieties but have seen some really pretty green, oj and yellow ones. Never buy them unless on sale cuz they can be pricey. I love the Coral Bark Maples too and don't have one but might someday if I have my way!

Emperor I Japanese Maple


Crimson Queen Japanese Maple


Red Dragon Japanese Maple

 

[Fishylove]

Cape the one I just got at that plant auction is an. Acer dissectum Inaba shidare. I too will be planting it near a building, because I am stubborn too

 

[capewind]

Some varieties do better than others with the sun, but like with talking about ponds, the goal is the overall health. All three of the varieties you mentioned are Hybrids. That doesnt mean anything bad at all, just a basic fact. Of the three varieties you mention, the red dragon is the only one I have any real respect for, and that is more about my respect for its creator (cultivator). It's kind of like buying a Gucci bag... sometimes we just dont care if we have a fake, as long as it looks good and does the job you want it to do. Other times, we may be disappointed when you thought you got the real thing, and it didnt hold up quite as well. Then again, sometime a fake is even better In any regard, they are all pretty to look at, and am glad they are doing well for you. I have two healthy fakes in my yard too and dont regret them If you talk to the die hard tree nuts, it is like the standard fin/butterfly debate LOL.