Building pond in Israel by a Granny!

[YShahar]

Well, I finally got the rocks for the peninsula set, including the turtle rock! For those who have followed the long drawn-out saga of this build, you'll remember that one of the first stones I pulled out of the hole while digging was a huge bit of limestone with a lot of character, aka the "turtle rock".

That rock sat on the edge of my patio for some 20 years. During that time all kinds of things happened: the kids grew up and went into the army and got out of the army and got married and moved away. I quit my job and published a book and started a home business. I left my police unit and joined a reserve unit. In short, life happened, while the pond very definitively did not happen. And all that while, the turtle rock sat in the garden, getting tripped over, gardened around, and occasionally heaved out of the way.

And now, finally, the turtle rock is where I meant for it to go since the day I dug it up! Along side it are the two huge boulders that Muhammad the tractor driver brought me the day he cleared brush from the vacant lot. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to budge those two bruisers, but I was able to roll them out of the hole they were in and out to the path, where they could be eased on to the hand truck (one at a time, of course) and rolled around the pond to the shallow end. At that point, it was just a matter of dumping them right off the hand truck and into the water. Once in the pond, I was able to heft them around to where I wanted them.

Meanwhile, the Iron Net Air Defense System has been deployed over the corridor between the deep zone and the waterfall, giving the fish safe passage. I'll be putting more water lilies in the shallow end to give them a bit more cover there.

The fencing is unwieldy and has a tendency to bend and buckle rather than lay flat, but I've mostly gotten it hidden now. One of those problems whose resolution involves nothing more drastic than throwing a clump of water hyacinth at it! I could use a few more such problems!

Meanwhile, the kingfishers continue to strafe the pond. Here's a photo of a pair of them from my office window (sorry for the poor quality). As an aside, I love how the giant flower spike of the century plant they're sitting on is echoed in the comms antenna in the distance!

More updates to come!

 

[addy1]

Love it!

 

[GBBUDD]

I think you have or will be cornering the market in greenery around there. No wonder the birds have targeted you

 

[GBBUDD]

I'm very impressed there granny I don't know to many skilled guys who could have done better in as short a time . I'd like to put money down on you to out swim the Trans guy here in the US who winning all the woman's event me think if he did win you'd pull out a glock and fix things right .

 

[SarahT]

Well, I finally got the rocks for the peninsula set, including the turtle rock! For those who have followed the long drawn-out saga of this build, you'll remember that one of the first stones I pulled out of the hole while digging was a huge bit of limestone with a lot of character, aka the "turtle rock".

That rock sat on the edge of my patio for some 20 years. During that time all kinds of things happened: the kids grew up and went into the army and got out of the army and got married and moved away. I quit my job and published a book and started a home business. I left my police unit and joined a reserve unit. In short, life happened, while the pond very definitively did not happen. And all that while, the turtle rock sat in the garden, getting tripped over, gardened around, and occasionally heaved out of the way.

View attachment 151885

And now, finally, the turtle rock is where I meant for it to go since the day I dug it up! Along side it are the two huge boulders that Muhammad the tractor driver brought me the day he cleared brush from the vacant lot. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to budge those two bruisers, but I was able to roll them out of the hole they were in and out to the path, where they could be eased on to the hand truck (one at a time, of course) and rolled around the pond to the shallow end. At that point, it was just a matter of dumping them right off the hand truck and into the water. Once in the pond, I was able to heft them around to where I wanted them.

Meanwhile, the Iron Net Air Defense System has been deployed over the corridor between the deep zone and the waterfall, giving the fish safe passage. I'll be putting more water lilies in the shallow end to give them a bit more cover there.

View attachment 151886

The fencing is unwieldy and has a tendency to bend and buckle rather than lay flat, but I've mostly gotten it hidden now. One of those problems whose resolution involves nothing more drastic than throwing a clump of water hyacinth at it! I could use a few more such problems!

Meanwhile, the kingfishers continue to strafe the pond. Here's a photo of a pair of them from my office window (sorry for the poor quality). As an aside, I love how the giant flower spike of the century plant they're sitting on is echoed in the comms antenna in the distance!

View attachment 151887

More updates to come!

absolutely a wonderful pond, well done!

 

[GBBUDD]

She's nothing like my grandma when she found a snapping turtle in the garage addition at my parents house when I was a kid I found her swinging the handle of the shovel at the turttle

 

[YShahar]

absolutely a wonderful pond, well done!

Thank you! Still a ways to go, but it's beginning to look a lot more finished. Getting those rocks placed was a major milestone, given how central that little peninsula (or island, actually) is to the design (not to mention how big those rocks are!).

Now I just need to finish the stream and then gravel in both pond and stream. That didn't get done before filling it up, as I didn't yet have all the rocks. But the main problem is that every bucket load of gravel has to be washed and gone through to pick out the sharp flint. Takes bloody forever! But it is getting there.

 

[SarahT]

Thank you! Still a ways to go, but it's beginning to look a lot more finished. Getting those rocks placed was a major milestone, given how central that little peninsula (or island, actually) is to the design (not to mention how big those rocks are!).

Now I just need to finish the stream and then gravel in both pond and stream. That didn't get done before filling it up, as I didn't yet have all the rocks. But the main problem is that every bucket load of gravel has to be washed and gone through to pick out the sharp flint. Takes bloody forever! But it is getting there.

I used a medium sized tote filled with water as a washing tub, drilled holes in a plastic bucket, and put the gravel in it, used it as a sieve to wash the gravel. I think the process used less water than using a hose. When the tote water was very muddy, I emptied it in the garden. I haven't thought of a way to make your flint picking problem easier. Perhaps a flint picking party?

 

[YShahar]

I used a medium sized tote filled with water as a washing tub, drilled holes in a plastic bucket, and put the gravel in it, used it as a sieve to wash the gravel. I think the process used less water than using a hose. When the tote water was very muddy, I emptied it in the garden. I haven't thought of a way to make your flint picking problem easier. Perhaps a flint picking party?

That would be a great way to wash the stuff were it not for all the bloody flint (and broken stones, which are equally sharp).

For now, I've set up a "wet sifting" station similar to the type used in archaeological digs. A mesh frame made from bonsai potting mesh sits on an old plastic wheelbarrow. Dump a bucket full of gravel out on the mesh, squirt it with the hose enough to be able to discern the flint and start sorting. Each bucket load takes about 20 minutes to go through, so it's definitely going to take a long time to gravel in the whole pond.

I've got guests coming for Shabbat this week. Guess what we're going to be doing right up until candle lighting! <bwa-ha-ha!>

 

[YShahar]

Well, I've had a setback, though not one directly connected to the pond. Late last night, I heard a sharp crack and then a loud crash. I thought part of our pergola had come down, but then on the way downstairs to check it out, I realized that it was probably part of the olive tree that had fallen. Sure enough, I found that fully half the olive tree had split and fallen, taking out most of our beautiful lime tree as it came down. Part of it did land in the pond, but evidently no damage done there. Note: this is why olive trees are kept small! The wood is incredibly heavy and this tree was absolutely covered with growing fruit. So much for this years harvest!

I've spent most of a very hot day out with both of my chainsaws working on getting the branches down to manageable size. The entire garden is full of olive branches, leaves, and twigs. The lime tree can be saved (I hope) but it's going to be a couple of years before it's as shapely as it was before. As for the olive tree, I'm going to have to figure out how to prune down the remaining half, as that part is going to come down too if nothing is done. The part where I'd need to prune is way too high for my pole saw. Ugh!

Meanwhile, the pond water is back to murky peasoup, after a period when it had cleared up to the point where I could see the bottom of the deep end. I may not see most of my fish again until I can finally get the bog built. On the bright side, I do get to see the larger fish, as they've taken to coming into the intake bay to munch on something.

 

[GBBUDD]

Don't know if you have ever seen grafting. Or simply rescuing a broken off limb if it's at a Y where you said it split it sounds like it. They now sell basicly a little thicker than a sheet rock course screw and you can screw the branch back on . Wrap it with sulaphane./ cling wrap and odds are it will heal its self.
Sorry to bring this up after the chain saws have already been out but maybe next time you might be able to save it.

 

[YShahar]

Yep, I'll be using some of those techniques on the lime tree, assuming there's enough left to hold the broken branches to. For the olive tree, there's no way, as the branch that came down is equivalent to a full size tree and weighs (possibly literally) a tonne.

But yeah I've saved broken limbs by roping them back onto the main tree and waiting for the tree to grow around the wound.

 

[GBBUDD]

I figured you did but thought maybe just maybe we found a weak spot in the industrious Israeli gradma

 

[SarahT]

Well, I've had a setback, though not one directly connected to the pond. Late last night, I heard a sharp crack and then a loud crash. I thought part of our pergola had come down, but then on the way downstairs to check it out, I realized that it was probably part of the olive tree that had fallen. Sure enough, I found that fully half the olive tree had split and fallen, taking out most of our beautiful lime tree as it came down. Part of it did land in the pond, but evidently no damage done there. Note: this is why olive trees are kept small! The wood is incredibly heavy and this tree was absolutely covered with growing fruit. So much for this years harvest!

I've spent most of a very hot day out with both of my chainsaws working on getting the branches down to manageable size. The entire garden is full of olive branches, leaves, and twigs. The lime tree can be saved (I hope) but it's going to be a couple of years before it's as shapely as it was before. As for the olive tree, I'm going to have to figure out how to prune down the remaining half, as that part is going to come down too if nothing is done. The part where I'd need to prune is way too high for my pole saw. Ugh!

Meanwhile, the pond water is back to murky peasoup, after a period when it had cleared up to the point where I could see the bottom of the deep end. I may not see most of my fish again until I can finally get the bog built. On the bright side, I do get to see the larger fish, as they've taken to coming into the intake bay to munch on something.

Sorry to hear of the tree loss(es) and more hard work to do. Maybe some olive wood logs go with/ into the pond + bog?

 

[YShahar]

Sorry to hear of the tree loss(es) and more hard work to do. Maybe some olive wood logs go with/ into the pond + bog?

I'll definitely find a use for them! To go in the bog or the pond, I'll need to wait until they've been out in the weather for a couple of years (or decades). But I can still use them for retaining walls and the like.