New backyard pond

[Lisak1]

@Mucky_Waters - I share your opinion on that one. If I had to keep a net up year round, I don't know if I would enjoy my pond half as much. We have herons that fly over head daily. But they are traversing from natural pond to natural pond, so my little puddle doesn't look like much from the air, I'm sure!

 

[EricV]

I had very little plant cover this year since everything was new. Maybe that and the occasional run through by my neighbors dogs will be sufficient. I've read that keeping the net up in the spring until the herons establish a pattern can help, so I may try that.

I did catch one chipmunk in the net, unfortunately, but I can't say I was too broken up about it. They burrow everywhere. But yes, in general I enjoy that my house has some nature around it and try to keep it as much a part of that nature, rather than apart from it, as I can.

The fish are $5 gold fish, so a few losses will not worry me.

 

[addy1]

Yes and no. It's a retaining pond, so not natural (used to be a farmers field). But it has water (and a heron) all the time. For quite a while the heron flew over my yard every day and ignored my pond. Then I caught him two days out of three landing in my yard. I need to figure out what to do about this in the spring. I do not like the fine-weave net over my pond. Maybe I need to figure out where @addy1 got her 5" spacing net.

I got it from here,
http://www.memphisnet.net/category/nets-gill-nets-multi

I had them coat the net in black uv retardant stuff. I picked out a heavy thread so it would manage being stretched over the pond without breaking. Mine has been installed 4ish years now, just now seeing some of the threads break. I leave it up year round.

@j.w picked out a lot finer thread, she sent me a bit for my small pond but it breaks a lot easier. She has a nice thread about it on here, I will see if I can find it, or she will chime in and direct you to it.

 

[j.w]

Here ya go and great job on your pond @EricV
I love the net in that it gives me great peace knowing my fish are heron free. That sucker still comes around now and then but all he can do is pace around and fly off angry, ha, ha!

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/heron-netting-101.13205/#post-195419

 

[Melina Nelson]

Excellent planning for your new backyard pond. Very professional way of planning new pond, hope to be successful.

 

[qclabrat]

I had the tree removed on May 11, the hole dug on May 21. It was around the 1st of August when I put the water in for the 2nd time after re-shaping the pond. And I was doing landscaping into September, I think. I had about 3.5 weeks in there where I was traveling.

I metered it out at about 2500 gallons in the end. My calculations showed it should be over 3000, so shows you how much curves and planting shelves take away! The liner is a 20x25 for the pond and a 10x15 for the waterfall area.

awesome pond, what's the reason for adding water the second time for reshaping? did you redig?

 

[EricV]

awesome pond, what's the reason for adding water the second time for reshaping? did you redig?

Yeah, I turned what was a straight edge into a bit of a peninsula. A place you could walk out into a the pond a bit.

Thanks for your comments. The pond is coming back to life now, of course. A few lily pads up and some plants. And a lot of floating algae at the moment.

 

[EricV]

I realized it's been ages since I updated on what my little pond has become. I'm very happy with it. I've continued with the native landscaping around it. I'm still figuring out what marginal plants work where and what will come back after the winter, but every summer it is full of life. I have about 25 good sized goldfish, some of which are probably reaching their maximum size.

This summer I added 3 golden orfes in an effort to do some population control. I think it's working, I no longer see clouds of baby rosy red minnows.

I'll start another showcase soon as I built a rain garden in the yard and connected the pond overflow to that (plus water from my downspouts).

 

[Tula]

Wow !! Absolutely lovely

 

[barryian]

I realized it's been ages since I updated on what my little pond has become. I'm very happy with it. I've continued with the native landscaping around it. I'm still figuring out what marginal plants work where and what will come back after the winter, but every summer it is full of life. I have about 25 good sized goldfish, some of which are probably reaching their maximum size.

This summer I added 3 golden orfes in an effort to do some population control. I think it's working, I no longer see clouds of baby rosy red minnows.

I'll start another showcase soon as I built a rain garden in the yard and connected the pond overflow to that (plus water from my downspouts).

Awesome pond! Absolutely beautiful! Enjoy!

 

[j.w]

Just beautiful! WoW!!!!

 

[addy1]

Great job! beautiful!

 

[cas]

Gorgeous! So glad you posted updated pictures.