pond in progress started 4/21/10

[CountryEscape]

Very pretty flowers, Sissy and Gardengirl. What are the purple flowers around your mailbox, GG? And, now that you have teased us with the thought of a flower the size of a dinner plate, you must post pics when it blooms!
I have a hibiscus from your seeds, Sissy, that I need to get planted. It's in it's 3rd pot, kept going bigger, and it's growing really well now. Others that sprouted died, probably missed watering them or something, but one is growing well.
GG, there's a difference between the tropical and hardy hibiscus. I bought 3 tropicals, but don't try to keep them over winter. Like them for the multi blooms they make all summer long, though. Hardies come back every year, just make sure they are protected near a house, or mulch them good. Mine is on W side of house. Going to put the seedling from Sissy's seeds there, too, I think. :blueflower:

 

[gardengirl]

The purple ones are bee balm. According to the lady that I bought them from. They are tall and spread very easy. The flower that looks white is actually pink. It is a bee balm that is shorter and has not spread very far. The flash went off and made them look white. I love dahlias. These are some that are smaller bloomers. They come in all different colors and sizes.

 

[CountryEscape]

I have a tall deep red bee balm. Friend gave me lemon balm, but she doesn't think it blooms. I bet it does, just doesn't maybe show up as much, but we shall see. My red is tall, too. I like dwarf varieties of lots of plants, bushes, etc. Trying to keep things under control in the flower beds.... not happening. LOL I love the way Addy has just let things happen in her pond menagerie! It's so beautiful and natural looking.

 

[addy1]

That looks like a bee balm around her mailbox. I have hardy hibiscus, middle of the yard, south slope. Put a little mulch over them, but not much, they came back great.


Before we put in the ponds, the yarrow etc was planted, it is too tall to see the ponds. Leaving it though, so pretty



My dear honey picked up two preforms and two stock tanks off craigs list, one stock tank is now the lotus tank. So you walk past the yarrows and find a little pond paradise. Full of frogs, tads, rosey red minnows., lilies, lotus



The lotus are full of buds



One opened today



Last year a catalog came, full of neat plants, one section was day lilies. The collection of re-bloomers were on sale..............well I picked them up. Some are just starting to open, fun to watch no idea where I put what color









And of course pond lilies, I did not divide them this spring like usual. They are all jumping their pots. Think I will groom them this fall and offer them up to takers.

georgia peach


Perry's orange sunset


Colorado


mayla



charlene stern a nice pale yellow



almost black

 

[CountryEscape]

I will definitely be in line for another GA Peach, and love the pale yellow and also the .... heck I'd take one of each color except for the last one. I have that color now, and too much of it. Going to try to revamp, get rid of most of my lilies except a few, then start over fresh. Probably put what I want to keep in one pond, and what I want to give away next spring in the other pond, so I know for sure what is what!!! Thanks, Addy. Just keep me posted when you decide to divide.

 

[gardengirl]

I have some stella d oro yellow reblooming day lilies. They are nice,dependable. Oh yeah I want some pond lilies when you divide them. How come almost black is pink?

 

[addy1]

lol CE in the fall, that way when fighting weeds in the spring, the lilies can just be put into the pond ..............done

I got a bunch of lily divides in the fall one year, put them in the pond they did great. Spent the winter growing roots, really took off in the spring.

our little one carried this stick for over 1/2 mile, after she carried a rock, other sticks. Then found her big one!

 

[addy1]

I have some stella d oro yellow reblooming day lilies. They are nice,dependable. Oh yeah I want some pond lilies when you divide them. How come almost black is pink?

In the spring when it is cooler it is a darker red, with white, then as it heats up it becomes pinker. One year it was darker than dark. I think ph etc effects it.

The perry lily I can not get the colors to show, it is a real pretty pink orange, cream. Does not put up a lot of blooms, only one plant, I think there will be divides when fall comes. Neat spotted leaves.

 

[gardengirl]

I have a white lily and today my big mama decided she was going to spawn AGAIN! Just about ripped off my 2 blooms. Lasted about 2 hrs. She wasn't even fat with a lot of eggs. I built one of those floating plant nets on Monday and put some lettuce in it. They really liked it. I wonder if that is what got them so frisky.

 

[CountryEscape]

Awwww Addy, she is just adorable, and such a little one to carry that stick around. Bet you enjoyed your walk with her entertaining you.
I totally understand the play with color and light and cameras with flowers! I could see several colors on that Perry Sunset one, and figured it was more outstanding than even the pics showed! I have to keep track of the names of the lilies. I've already asked at the pet store in town if he would like lilies in the spring. Told him I'm just going to bring them in, and he can sell them. This year I have probably another 20 that I could easily have removed from my pots, but are still in there. Should have removed them and tossed them, but that just HURTS. LOL So, that's how I plan to get rid of my dark pink lilies next spring. As I said, I'm going to keep all the nicer lily pots in one pond, and that way I won't be giving away the wrong colors! Then, once I get nice pretty colors going, I can divide and send them to other ponder's homes, give the "culls" to the pet store. I won't ask for anything from him, but he will swap me fish in exchange for the lilies.

 

[addy1]

When I was grooming the lilies, I was rubbing the aphids off into the water, the fish went crazy eating them, then went crazy spawning again..........I have a lot of plants growing in the rocks on the side of the deep end of the pond. There are a lot of roots, like mats of roots hanging into the water. That is where the fish go crazy spawning. I have seen a few fry in the preforms, which means the eggs went through the pump, down a 50 foot hose into the preform. Have not seen any in the big pond, but they have tons of places to hide. Still a lot of water room so not worried about over population.........yet

The top of the shubunkin pond sort of pre filter barrel is blooming nicely, plants just floating in the water.




CE you can see the purple plant you sent is growing great, I placed it all around the shubunkin tank, the green ground cover is to the back, not seen in the picture. The lambs ear did not make it.

 

[CountryEscape]

I had another person I sent Lamb's ear to, and thinking it was kind of mushy, too. I wonder if that is a plant that should be sent with less moisture, or maybe just the roots with a paper towel, then the top wrapped in dry stuff? Just wondering out loud.
Whenever you want more water fringe, just let me know. I have a couple of plants that are growing across the goldfish pond, and will be perfect to snip off and mail to you. I mailed just WF to a lady in a padded envelope, and she said it was great, so I could do that, too. That way it will have a good chance to get going well before cold weather hits this winter. I don't mind sending it now, and maybe other stuff later ..... :blueflower:

 

[addy1]

sure send me a padded cell..........................umm envelope......... lol We have no plans to be gone for a few weeks. The lambs ear got here great, it just did not take off. The other plants did fine.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, I'll get the plants ready to go first thing Monday morning, will PM you with the info then. :blueflower:

 

[addy1]

The fish were really showing off today, swimming together, parading in front of the camera.

thanks CE