Planning a new Pond Project!

[bagsmom]

More disclaimers. This doesn't look natural, in many ways. But we needed to make a surrounding area that would be mostly easy care. Didn't want grass clippings to get in there. Didn't want big rocks to trip over. He had a ton of the brown gravel and likes the look of it, so we made sort of a flat area around. I feel pretty strong, at this point. I am going to brag on my stamina. I worked EVERY DAY for three weeks. Most days from about 6 AM to 3 PM with a short lunch break, in some pretty major heat. I just followed the shade. It's amazing what you can do when you have to. We toyed with the idea of just leaving it and finishing at a later time. But I knew that anything left undone would not only be hazardous and look terrible - but my Dad would want to try to clean it up the minute he felt even a little better. And I wanted him to be able to enjoy it while he is recovering.

 

[bagsmom]

I didn't plant much around the pond just yet. After the broken hip, I got really scared about mobility and balance, etc. - as it pertains to pond maintenance. I didn't want him to have to do a whole lot this first year. We will go up in the Fall and try to come up with strategies for winter. We do have a gate valve drain to empty the waterfall filter. I figure for winter, we can just turn off the pump and disconnect from the check valve to drain the hose. It isn't all underground, so some of it could freeze. We can leave the pump down in the vault, drain the hose, and drain the waterfall filter. He has a little heater and aerators to use for keeping a hole open in the ice. It is just shy of 3 feet deep, so I doubt the entire thing would freeze solid. They are in the central part of Illinois, about 5 hours south of Chicago.

 

[j.w]

Looks beautiful and like it has been there awhile! You did a wonderful job and bet your dad loves it! Hope he can manage to get out there and enjoy it soon as it will drive him crazy if he can't. Does he want a certain type of fish when the time comes to add them? I vote for Shubbies! Maybe some fantails too!

 

[GBBUDD]

I didn't plant much around the pond just yet. After the broken hip, I got really scared about mobility and balance, etc. - as it pertains to pond maintenance. I didn't want him to have to do a whole lot this first year. We will go up in the Fall and try to come up with strategies for winter. We do have a gate valve drain to empty the waterfall filter. I figure for winter, we can just turn off the pump and disconnect from the check valve to drain the hose. It isn't all underground, so some of it could freeze. We can leave the pump down in the vault, drain the hose, and drain the waterfall filter. He has a little heater and aerators to use for keeping a hole open in the ice. It is just shy of 3 feet deep, so I doubt the entire thing would freeze solid. They are in the central part of Illinois, about 5 hours south of Chicago.

Even there i extremely doubt they have seen ice over a foot thick in a decade or more

 

[GBBUDD]

wow wow wowozers looks fantastic @bags WHAT IS THIS POND NUMBER 5 THAT YOU HAVE BUILT? honestly it looks fantstic . NIce work , I had no idea you had left and were working on dads pond but i am sure of one thing , He has got to love it !

 

[bagsmom]

Looks beautiful and like it has been there awhile! You did a wonderful job and bet your dad loves it! Hope he can manage to get out there and enjoy it soon as it will drive him crazy if he can't. Does he want a certain type of fish when the time comes to add them? I vote for Shubbies! Maybe some fantails too!

He has 8 smallish goldfish from the little pond we made him 2 years ago. They all started as 15 cent feeder fish and have been doing well since!

 

[bagsmom]

Thanks, Guys!!!!! This is number four if you count the little mini lotus pool I did. Number three if you count ponds with filtration, etc.

 

[bagsmom]

A few more pictures.

 

[hamstermann]

Wow, looking great!

 

[YShahar]

More disclaimers. This doesn't look natural, in many ways. But we needed to make a surrounding area that would be mostly easy care. Didn't want grass clippings to get in there. Didn't want big rocks to trip over. He had a ton of the brown gravel and likes the look of it, so we made sort of a flat area around. I feel pretty strong, at this point. I am going to brag on my stamina. I worked EVERY DAY for three weeks. Most days from about 6 AM to 3 PM with a short lunch break, in some pretty major heat. I just followed the shade. It's amazing what you can do when you have to. We toyed with the idea of just leaving it and finishing at a later time. But I knew that anything left undone would not only be hazardous and look terrible - but my Dad would want to try to clean it up the minute he felt even a little better. And I wanted him to be able to enjoy it while he is recovering.

That looks marvelous! Well done! It will get even better once the plants fill in and the stones get a bit of weathering. The styling suits the Asian-style of the lantern and the Japanese maple behind the pond. Your dad could put a candle in that little Japanese lantern, or even a battery-powered puck light for some ambience.

As we say in Hebrew:
!כל הכבוד
"All honor to you!"

 

[mrsclem]

Beautiful!

 

[GBBUDD]

I'm in the company of very skilled talented and determined Gradmas.

 

[addy1]

Looking great

 

[cas]

Wow. What a great pond!

 

[bagsmom]

Thanks, everyone!