Wisconsin Pond Build

[addy1]

Looking great there! love that deck, you have done a great job on it.

 

[herzausstahl]

Here are some more pictures of the progress:




Here is a closer picture of the filter waterfall return.



Here is the progress of the upper part of the garden. A lot of tilling and raking.



I started finishing the landscaping on the right side. Here is the path that leads to a stump to sit on by the upper pool. This path is accessed by walking across the rocks in front of the waterfall, sounds bad but there are several sturdy large stones above the waterline to step on. You can also reach it by walking around the upper pool, there is about 18 inches between the upper pool edge and the fence line.



This is how the pine bark path looks next to the wood mulch. I got lucky, not only did I find a place that sold hardwood mulch cheaper than anywhere else, it was naturally a darker color that gives the natural "pine forest floor" look that I wanted (I say pine forest because any other is full of little trees, shrubs, and plants so almost impossible to copy)



The completed side.



More landscaping the upper part. Again the weed barrier is placed down where the paths will run.



Here is some progress on the lower part.




The upper part again. In the back you can see the beginning of the pergola top bench.



I wanted to have some more warm "natural" light so I settled on Tiki torches. I tried to think of a way to use candles, but only came up with using Mason jars with rocks in the bottom and candles in them, but realized they would not put off enough light, and would be a pain in the but to cover to keep rain out. I have settled on using solar light and torches (haven't had both going at the same time yet). But here is an attempted picture of the garden with the torches lit. Enjoy! More yet to follow.

 

[addy1]

How nice, love the two water falls, the bubbler with the stepped falls. You have done one great job it is beautiful and getting prettier as you work on it.

 

[taherrmann4]

Looks good. Are you happy with the solar lights as most that i have seen only put out that real white light and not the warm light you speak of. I noticed that you don't have landscape fabric throughout the entire landscape area but only in certain places if you don't mind me asking why is that?

 

[j.w]

Looks great and love the shrubs/trees you planted all around. The whole thing is perfect and really like the lights at night.

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks J.W. and Addy. The falls I added for the filter and because I didn't really have one in the stream. Got the idea for the second one while on vacation, saw a falls like it by a restaurant and liked it.

taherrmann4,
The solar lights I added so it would be lit all the time, there are 30 of them (will try to get a picture sometime) and 2 spot lights. The solar lights aren't too bad, they do give off the soft white light like you usually see, but the spotlights don't do much, but that could be because I have them pointed at the two tall white pines. Although actually I think you might be looking at the Tiki torches I have which burn citronella oil. I do have solar lights but haven't posted those pics yet (I have 20 more to post and chose to split it up to avoid a really long post). The Tiki torches in the night pics add a nice warm light to it at night and really light it up well (tribal council is what my wife called it), there are 11 of them now, and then 3 candles on the deck. The weed fabric I put down where the path was so that I wouldn't have to worry about weeds in the path, but I didn't put it everywhere because even though they say water will drain through it, it can, but it doesn't do it very well, so then you have to worry about your plants,shrubs, trees, etc getting enough water. The only place I left it was on the mound for the filter waterfall return to help with erosion, but I cut out a 1' square around all the shrubs planted there so they would get enough water. As for the rest I have 2" of mulch so it should inhibit some weeds, but I will just have to be diligent in my weeding (plus I've noticed weeds will still root in mulch anyway). I probably could have placed it all over and cut out squares around plants, but didn't want the hastle of cutting new holes every time I wanted to add something or having to worry about the plants not getting enough water.



Here are 2 more night pics from the deck after I first put the torches in.



Here are more progress pictures of everything.



Here is the finished pond.



Here are some water lilies that I picked up on sale and put in the bottom of the pond.



Here is the finished deck area.



More finished pond pics.

Will have more pictures coming up that show things in greater detail and the chairs I added to the deck.

 

[taherrmann4]

When I was landscaping around my pond I originally put down landscape fabric over all the landscaping, and became to really hate that I did that. For several reasons I will no longer use landscape fabric where I have the intention of adding more plants in the future or where I want perennials to expand. Every time I went to plant something new I had to cut the damn fabric and it was a PIA. I also noticed that my perennial did not expand as well as others b/c they could not push up through the fabric. It could have been the type of fabric.

Your project really came out nice.

 

[j.w]

The pictures are wonderful! You've got a really nice looking area there now w/ your pond and landscaping.
We planted 80 Thuya trees along our street and we put that fabric down around all those trees. Hated the stuff and weeds grew on top of it and sent their roots down into the fabric and into the soil. And it did hinder the trees from getting enough water. A few yrs after we put it down we had to rip it all out. Take out all the bark etc. and then put the bark back after the fabric was out. What a nightmare it was! I will never use the stuff again. Only for area's like you have for a path or spot where there are no plants. That way if weeds sprout you can pour vinegar on them when the sun is shining hot to kill them w/ no plants near them.

 

[taherrmann4]

JW so does vinegar work well to kill the weeds? Do you mix with something or straight vinegar.

 

[addy1]

JW so does vinegar work well to kill the weeds? Do you mix with something or straight vinegar.

Straight vinegar, hot sunny day, used it all of the time in arizona, kills spurge wonderfully. It is the acid in the vinegar that wipes out the weeds. And it won't kill your frogs. I usually just put it in a hand spray bottle, buy it by the gallon from costco, walk around spraying the weeds.

I put weed fabric on my path in the back yard, the weeds are growing right through it, and it was not cheap stuff.........
Crazy people in arizona put down black plastic and then wonder why plants don't grow.

 

[j.w]

Yep that's the ticket addy. It's much cheaper than any weed killer from the box stores and you can also use it on dandelions and weeds in your lawn but keep in mind that it will kill the grass also so you will have to reseed the little brown areas awhile after the weeds die and the vinegar dissipates from rain or watering.

 

[addy1]

lol in arizona we didn't have grass, just crushed granite, vinegar only killed the weeds......... here a little different story.

 

[j.w]

Sounds kind of nice the idea of no grass to me............we have too much of it here! Too many weeds also :wacko:
Oh well it's all green anyways :razz:

 

[herzausstahl]

JW and Addy thanks for the info on vinegar! Will have to give it a try, I get a lot of weeds here it seems that love to spread their roots underground and pop up all over, so you never get them all.

taherrmann4,
I hear ya, it sounds like a good idea at the time to keep weeds out but then ends up being a hastle in the end. I hate weeding as much as the next person, but decided against it for the reasons we both described.

Now for some more pictures, still have 8-10 more recent ones to add after this set. These are more close ups of the landscaping now that it is all done.



Close up of the filter falls return.



The path just past the filter falls on the far side of the garden. It ends in a sitting stump next to the upper pool.



The entry path from the yard to the bench in the garden.



The view from the bench looking towards the deck. (yes the construction/storage area next to the garage has since been cleaned up and edged for a much cleaner appearance)



The area behind the bench. So far it holds my remaining hemlock (which if allowed to grow will get huge, but I will have to creatively prune it along the way as it gets there, but don't think I will have to worry for quite awhile) and one fern that I transplanted from my parents land. I plan to add more ferns to this area in the future.

Tomorrow I will add the rest of the pics I have of the landscaping. Thanks again for all your comments and ideas!

 

[j.w]

Someday your trees/shrubs will mature nicely and your place will look like a park. I love Hemlock trees and you can let it grow tall and just take off the bottom branches so the bench will sit under the tree.