BagsPond Update 2

[bagsmom]

Oh boy! Rocks were delivered yesterday. Liner and underlay arrived also!

It is so tempting to just dive in and get started on the fun, creative part!!!!! (Placing the rocks.)

I am going to force myself to really scrutinize the excavation and be sure it's exactly right.

But once it is, I'm ready to go!!!!!!

Tomorrow the plan is to finish the trench and bury the pipe between the skimmer and waterfall. I need to overdig the outer edges so I'll have a little more wiggle room when placing coping stones (I can shove the dirt around to match the shape of the stones, rather than forcing the stones to fit the shape of the excavation.) I need to tamp everything down nice and solid on the hill around the falls. I'll also make sure the shelves are level from side to side.

Oh. First -- I need to pick up the 12 million acorns that have fallen in and around the pond.

 

[addy1]

Yeah! looking forward to the pictures!

 

[sissy]

acorns may cause a problem with water quality once your pond is done .So you may need to thnk about netting before next year

 

[bagsmom]

acorns may cause a problem with water quality once your pond is done .So you may need to thnk about netting before next year

Addy mentioned this to me too -- it was one of those Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moments! I thought about leaves and took care of that with the skimmer. But those skinkin' acorns! Arrrggghhhhh! We have oak trees everywhere, so there is no escaping them.
I think you are right -- that come September, my pond will need a net!

 

[sissy]

Even leaves can block a skimmer if there are to many .I saw a couple of video's on you tube where ponds were almost emptied out because of leaves .Even the automatic refill could not keep up putting water back in the pond .I am getting acorns but they are in the woods behind my house and are a nightmare so I feel for you .They hurt bare feet .But they sound cool when lawn mower runs over them ,crunch crunch .

 

[bagsmom]

Even leaves can block a skimmer if there are to many .I saw a couple of video's on you tube where ponds were almost emptied out because of leaves .Even the automatic refill could not keep up putting water back in the pond .I am getting acorns but they are in the woods behind my house and are a nightmare so I feel for you .They hurt bare feet .But they sound cool when lawn mower runs over them ,crunch crunch .

Years ago, there was a very old, thin, Asian man who would walk the neighborhood and pick up acorns in a plastic grocery bag. I always wondered if he was collecting them for crafts? Or cooking? Someone told me you can cook and dry them, then use them to make flour or something. He has probably passed away by now. I wish I'd see him again. I could give him a dump truck full!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Addy mentioned this to me too -- it was one of those Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moments! I thought about leaves and took care of that with the skimmer. But those skinkin' acorns! Arrrggghhhhh! We have oak trees everywhere, so there is no escaping them.
I think you are right -- that come September, my pond will need a net!

Had acorns from a very large and very old Oak tree dump acorns in my pond every year. Never a problem with water quality.

 

[peter hillman]

Yup, definitely want to photograph your progress. And share it with us.

 

[bagsmom]

Yup, definitely want to photograph your progress. And share it with us.

I will!!!!!!

Had acorns from a very large and very old Oak tree dump acorns in my pond every year. Never a problem with water quality.

That's reassuring! Maybe I will get lucky!

 

[bagsmom]

Here are a few pictures. My birthday present was the rocks! I'm lining the pond with the small river rocks. The boulders will build the waterfall and will be the coping stones. There is another partial pallet of boulders that didn't fit on that part of the yard. I finally found a nice scrap of corrugated culvert pipe to use as my fish cave. I carved out a spot in the shelf/step and it fits nicely. I will have to cut to length, obviously, but when it is rocked around and topped with gravel, it will be nearly invisible. Today I buried the pipe between skimmer and waterfall and "overdug" the pond edges. Now I am soooo tired.

 

[Lisak1]

Looking good!

 

[peter hillman]

Best present ever?

 

[bagsmom]

Best present ever?

Yes!!!!!!

 

[addy1]

Nice rocks!

 

[bagsmom]

Today I emptied about 3 buckets of acorns out of the pond hole -- but I think that is probably the last of them. I used the underlayment (which is same msmt as the liner) and opened it up to test for size. I had a good bit to spare (even with wanting extra around the perimeter) so I cut back a shelf for a little more water volume. Of course, this equalled a full wheelbarrow full of clay. Still, worth the work, I think.

I went to Lowe's to look for milky spore. THey didn't have any. But I got to thinking, wouldn't I only be able to use on the flat surfaces? If it is a powder, I don't think it would cling to the walls. I looked at roofing felt. It was inexpensive, but I could tear it easily with my fingers. I'm thinking a chipmunk could chew through that in a heartbeat. It seems that the only chipmunk proof thing would be formed hardware cloth -- with that, I'd be scared of a pokey part making a hole in the liner! It this point, I'm inclined to just use the underlay and liner and hope that my neighbor's cats continue to enjoy hunting. Since she started letting them out, the only chipmunk I've seen was being tortured.

Sissy, did you have a way to make the milky spore cling to the walls? If so, I might use it.

I saw a can of Flex Seal and sort of cracked up. The commercials are so funny! Then again... maybe a chipmunk wouldn't bother to chew through that. But Lord, how many cans would I need????? About 30! LOL

 

[addy1]

We have chipmunks, moles, mice etc, they have yet to mess with the pond. I put carpet padding under the liner.

 

[sissy]

I wet the walls and used gloves to spread it on the walls .I made it into a thick paste with water so the spores could grow faster .It tells you spores grow faster with wet ground .I have not seen a mole tunnel around there yet .I used to see them around the area of the pond but never thought they would be a problem and I lost that one .I put small holes all over around that area outside the pond also .I had a problem with mice even chewing the edgeas of my pond liner before ,at least I thought it was mice .Country living sucks sometimes .

 

[morewater]

Bagsmom, if I've told you once, I've told you thirty-five billions times. Don't exaggerate!

 

[bagsmom]

We have chipmunks and I'm sure other little critters, but none that are a huge problem. No mole tunnels. I might live to regret it, but I think I am going to just put down the underlayment and go for it.
But probably not today. I had Chinese food last night and my stomach does not feel that happy. (Dang it. I was looking forward to my leftover mu shu for lunch!)

 

[bagsmom]

Bagsmom, if I've told you once, I've told you thirty-five billions times. Don't exaggerate!

I am the Queen of Hyperbole!