Chumley's first pond is under way!

[Chumley]

After many delays due to the weather here is Wisconsin, our pond is under way. Still have some boulders, gravel and soil/mulch to put down. Then, of course, the landscaping. The pond was built into a hill where the ground just does not drain. Once we started digging we found out why.....horrible soil and bad drain tile install. The soil is clay and rock with about a foot of topsoil on the top. The drain tile looks like they might have been laid on gravel but nothing keeping the dirt out. We ended up placing a sump crock to drain water that drains under the liner. We are real pleased at this point with our contractor, Aquatica out of Wales, Wi. I will post more pictures in a few weeks.

 

[MoonShadows]

That's going to be a beauty when it's all finished!

 

[cas]

I can't wait to see more pictures of your progress!

 

[Lisak1]

We love the folks at Aquatica! They gave us lots of good advice on our DIY pond. Looking forward to seeing how this looks when completed!

 

[Chumley]

Thanks folks, here is today's picture with the rocks placed, mulch down and a few plants. We are getting three river birch to place behind the pond and a few more bushes. Then when the close out sales start we hope to pick up lots of hostas.

 

[Chumley]

Sorry, here is the picture.

 

[sissy]

Remember river birch's have very aggressive root systems and seek out moisture ,plus the leaves will fall in the pond and you will need a net or be using a pool net to get them off the bottom of the pond

 

[Chumley]

Remember river birch's have very aggressive root systems and seek out moisture ,plus the leaves will fall in the pond and you will need a net or be using a pool net to get them off the bottom of the pond

Thanks for the info. We are using them for the exact reason you stated as the incline just never drys out so we hope they suck it all up. How far away do you think they need to be from the pond so there are no worries?

 

[Chumley]

We love the folks at Aquatica! They gave us lots of good advice on our DIY pond. Looking forward to seeing how this looks when completed!

At this point, I can't say enough positive comments about Aquatica, their crew and especially Anthony, who planned the pond, sat through HOA meetings and was on site almost every day. If the weather had been more cooperative, we could have had it sooner and it would have been easier with less muck.

 

[sissy]

Landscaper put them 20 feet from my neighbors house and 6 years later they are pushing the foundation of the basement .He is trying to blame them because they have a sprinkler system in the house .The builder did all this before they bought the house .The house was new when they bought it and they have had nothing but problems ,but the same builder of the other houses here say the same thing .Glad my house is a modular and not touched by him

 

[Lisak1]

Hmmmm... we have a river birch at the corner of our house - maybe 12 or 15 feet from the foundation. It's been there for 25 years with no issue with roots. And for years our sump pump discharged right at the same corner - we never noticed that there were more roots growing toward the discharge or anything.

I wonder if your neighbor's issue is unique @sissy - too many of the same trees in one place competing for too little water? In our subdivision it was kind of the "go-to" corner of the house landscaping tree 25 and 30 years ago so there are lots of them - I've never heard of anyone having any issue with roots. But they don't call them river birch for nothing - it's certainly worth considering!

 

[sissy]

It is not a single trunk one ,it has 3 trunks in one spot and shrubs all around it .It is right at the corner of the house .I don't remember if it was a single trunk or like that when he put it in .But landscaper wants to root trim it and I say it would be better to just take it out .You can see the crack and stuff inside the basement .But builder built crappy house so the basement may be crappy also .I saw the houses as they were being built and I would have been ashamed to admit I built them .

 

[Lisak1]

Could be it's just too close to the house and has nothing to do with the water at all.

My pet peeve is how close builders put bushes and trees to new homes when they "landscape". We told our builder to keep the crummy bushes they offered us when we saw how they were planting them at other houses. It's like no one considers how big things will eventually get. You can't trim them properly, the sides that are stuck up against the house get no air or sunshine. and they cause damage to the siding when they are too close. Not to mention foundation concerns.

 

[haver79]

Pond looking fantastic.

 

[sissy]

even trees and then when they get big and fall on the house they are amazed (how did that happen ) .Well you planted it that close .I did all my landscaping including the grass ,I wanted it my way with what I chose .