Finally kicking into gear

[mouseams]

Here are some pics of our pond we inherited with the purchase of our home. Hard to believe he built it for his two dogs to frolic in. We started with a couple of plants and some goldies two years ago and have added as we have gone along. Still a long way from being full of plants, but is getting there. I potted the water lillies I bought on line that were 2 for $20.00 (and nice, too!) in oil pans and clay kitty litter as suggested here and have enjoyed two blooms alrady and more are on the way up!

My hubby made a homemade bio/fines combo filter from a tool box that cost five bucks at a garage sale and had never been used. We removed the waterfall barrel from the top of the rock formation as we lost too much water. We turned it into a bog filter, added pea gravel, an antique water pump $20.00 at a garage sale. In March I added two bunches of loose, store bought watercress. Brought down the calla lily plant I have tried to keep each year and it is thriving in the bog, it was looking quite sad.

Lost the parrots feather over the winter. This was the harshest winter we have had here. I will get some soon, and I have water lettuce floating. Sorry I have not been around much, I have been pretty busy

Enjoy the pics! more in the threads to follow

 

[mouseams]

Some more pond pics:

 

[mouseams]

and the last pics

 

[stroppy]

that is looking really good :0) plants are doing well and lots of lovely fish. and i love your water pump !!

 

[mouseams]

Thanks Stroppy!

 

[addy1]

Very nice Mary, you have done a great job on your changes. Love the pump, your plants and the fish. Nice clear water.

Do you over winter your taro? I am going to attempt it, have never had it before.

 

[Nova]

Is there a bird in the bird cage? Fantastic pond.

 

[lotust1]

THAT is great, I like the way it backs right up to the patio.

 

[fishin4cars]

Thanks for sharing! It's really looking good! I guess that's the first pics I've seen of your pond with all the fish out. You sure do have a nice assortment of colors and sizes! The old well pump on the bog is a neat addition!

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Such pretty fish and flowers! Looks great!

 

[j.w]

All looks great and you did a fine job. I like that red pump also and maybe if you sink some of your Parrots feather down deeper in a pot next winter some will survive :lol:

 

[mouseams]

Thanks all! Just about all our fish are what I call adopted, or paid very little for. Trying to be thrifty with my plant purchases, so I am pretty much only doing things I can winter over. I have the arrowhead winter over in the pond. The taro I may try to keep alive inside over the winter along with the calls. I bought $5.00 taro bulbs at Walmart but they didn't do a thing. No more bulbs for me aquatic or not. The planted ones outside the ponds were favored by the chipmunks who now have more holes in my property, than the moon! They are cute though!

Going to take some other pics, maybe a video so you can see the nice layout. Oh, and no bird in the bird cage, it is an antique cage from our old flower shop days. I also added a couple of tropical potted plants outside the pond, one was 9.99 at the supermarket, a ginger plant.

 

[j.w]

I kept two taro plants alive one winter and they just grew in big pots w/ no holes in them. I kept them pretty waterlogged and they were in front of a North window and they stayed green all winter. Then took them outside in the Spring again. I hear you can just roll them in an unheated garage also and let them go dormant. Just can't let them freeze. Some take them out and keep them in peat moss or some such thing and keep them barely moist also.

 

[addy1]

our garage freezes, will need to bring them inside, may try the peat moss method, or some in a wet pot in the sun room

 

[mouseams]

Some of the parrot feather was bare rooted at the bottom, I think the koi may have eaten it, I have one left that was living in the calla. Hardest part with planting this pond is he made no maginal shelf, so I either have to build up or find deep water plants that like full sun and because I am cheap, a perennial, too.