Wisconsin Pond Build

[callingcolleen1]

Is that a fence made out of sticks? Looks like lots of hard work!

 

[herzausstahl]

Is that a fence made out of sticks? Looks like lots of hard work!

It is. As for work, yes & no, I would go the yard waste site, collect tree branches, cut them to size, drill holes & nail them in place. No I just have to wait for the treated wood to weather. I need to weed the garden but probably not until spring. Anytime I want to go in, the kids want to also & it's tricky at times to keep an eye on them while weeding. I'll try to upload pis soon but here's the fish in the bottom pond hungry as always any time I walk by. The dog has been amazing since we adopted her. We had 3 cats but had to put one down in February/March he had essentially irritable bowel syndrome for cats & was on steroids plus a special diet for it. He developed diabetes as a result along with a 3rd issue I forget but at the end he stopped eating & his last 2 weeks I did insulin injections along with IV fluids because he stopped eating. Finally had to put him down when he got too weak to move. Then recently my mother in law works at a Kwik Trip gas station in the food preparation, someone dropped off a kitten between the doors I. The early morning. She called us, my wife saw it & would've taken it but the manager wanted to call animal control in case it was a lost cat. We went to the humane society that day to see if it was dropped off & filled out papers to get it when available & did. Ironically she exhibits a lot of similiar traits to the CST we lost & the kids get to experience a kitten.

 

[CountryEscape]

Beautiful pics of your fish, Herz, and loved the story about the kitten! Good for you and bet your kids will love growing up with a kitten.

 

[callingcolleen1]

The pond looks really good and the water very clear. Fish look very colorful as well in the nice clear water!
So you have a kitten now for the kid to play with, how sweet, sure the kids love him!

 

[herzausstahl]

A few pic updates. The last one I just took right now, I like how rain brings out the color in everything. My favorite time to go hiking in the woods is during or right after rain. The colors & smells are so much more alive! The other pics are of how overgrown it's gotten on me this summer! As the kids are in school at least part of the day I'm going to try to weed it a bit as I can but so far too busy with work & keeping up with house chores. The plantings I have are to create a wild "controlled chaos " look, but I need to weed & cut back some of the junipers that have grown up. Hopefully a cleaner but still somewhat messy look next spring. Still looking for koi I like but trying to just get butterflies as I like how graceful they look. Plan to add 2-3 only to the upper pond & just Goldie's in the lower. JW I have to attribute the clear water to my water plants in the 2 tiny bogs & the 3-6" of River Rock lining the stream. I've been pretty lucky so far!

 

[j.w]

@herzausstahl that would be @callingcolleen1 that mentioned your nice clear water. Love that fence you made out of el naturel sticks!
If I had koi I would choose Butterflies as well as they are such flowing beauties

 

[callingcolleen1]

Ya, that fence looks good rustic and like the old farm homestead look. I like that look, charming and brings back memories of my grampa's farm. Nice place to relax and forget about the crazy world....

 

[herzausstahl]

Ya, that fence looks good rustic and like the old farm homestead look. I like that look, charming and brings back memories of my grampa's farm. Nice place to relax and forget about the crazy world....

It will be if I ever reach the point of leaving things alone & just enjoying it. Lol this summer I've been too busy to even weed the garden. Gonna see if I can get to it in the next month otherwise it will be next spring. Luckily it's all pretty much aesthetic so it doesn't have to be done right away.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I have the same problem here too. Worked so hard on my greenhouse and work, fell behind on housework and yard cleanup. Big freeze coming here next week...

 

[addy1]

I have the same problem here too. Worked so hard on my greenhouse and work, fell behind on housework and yard cleanup. Big freeze coming here next week...

Big freeze = dead weeds = no weeding!

 

[CometKeith]

Nathan. I like your pond with all the vegetation around it. I think it came out great. Are all your fish goldfish?

 

[herzausstahl]

Nathan. I like your pond with all the vegetation around it. I think it came out great. Are all your fish goldfish?

Right now yes Keith, it's the common feeder goldfish in pet stores & Shebunkins. I had a mishap a cpl years ago of my koi getting bigger & my 1800 gph winter pump died in October/November & I foolishly replaced it with a 450 gph I had on hand. Lower pond was overpopulated with that smaller pump & I lost all koi plus 1 larger goldfish. So I built the upper pond with the intention of putting koi in that, only 2-3. I have a Laguna 1300 gph for the lower I'll use this winter & a 2400 gph I'll use for the upper in winter when I get koi. With the 1800 gph a few years ago when we had that really bad cold all fish survived, so I definitely think it was the pump & lack of oxygen. Rookie mistake on my part after that winter thinking the 450 would cut it. How is your build/move going? I've been too busy with work & upcoming home remodeling to weed the pond area. We are replacing carpet & linoleum with Vinyl Plank installed glued down. It'll cost similiar to hard wood but with the 3 cats, dog & 2 kids we like the waterproof & resiliency benefits of the Vinyl better. The salesperson told us too with the glue down if a plank gets damaged they can hear it up, pry it up & replace it. Do you have any experience with it?

 

[herzausstahl]

Big freeze = dead weeds = no weeding!

Addy this is why I'm not worried about the weeds this fall. I plan on attacking what reg rows in the spring! And ironically Countryescape (Patti right?) I have a bunch of milkweed in the garden but haven't seen many monarchs, but I try to leave it anywhere in the yard in case they stop by.

 

[addy1]

My plan was to stay ahead of the weeds this summer, but constant rain, then record heat kept me from doing it, then they were way beyond control. I did manage to yank a bunch of them before they seeded. Others ..........winter is coming lol.

 

[Tula]

I heard you, on the heat and humidity. I was doing well with the weeds, till I was away for a week...upon return...it was hopeless - LOL. Ready for them to get frost bit