Thanks, everyone! I am happy with the siting of the pond. I can see it from the living room and from the porch, which is nice for general viewing and for safety. We will see how much I'm cussing in the Fall, when the leaves start dropping -- but I'm planning to net then. Becky, when we bought the house 20 years ago, the hydrangea was the only plant in the whole yard. Whatever kind it is, it is well suited to the climate and the general location in the yard. I have other hydrangeas, but that one is always happy! Meyer -- as the plants are growing, I'm mentally moving some of the plants around. The elephant ears kind of take away from the impact of the lotus because they are right in line with each other. But I needed to put the lotus pot on the widest area of the plant shelf. I'm sure I will scoot things around a bit every year.
I am having so much fun watching the plants and the fish grow. The fish seem very happy. Even Nellie, the one that had some "issues" seems good now. (I'm guessing she had some spawning trauma.) I have 3 babies that are large enough to swim with the Big Kids. Still dark colored, so it will be fun to see if they change. I did see one black and white speckled baby -- about 1 1/2" long. Really interesting coloring, since all the adults are orange and white.
Thanks to all of you for the great advice. I could not have done it without you!
