A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Water Gardens Continuing Lynne's pond experience ~spring/summer 2009

Thanks so much you two!

Sounds like a plan Carol and Diane! Let's all find a time and we'll have a little breakfast party! What kind of bagels do you prefer? Which spreads?


Diane - the solar ball is still shining beautiful blue! Can you see it in the last picture up in the right corner? Every time I get up to use the bathroom at night I look out the window and can see that light, the blue mushroom light also shining blue, and a flower stake that alternates colors repeatedly. I just love seeing them - gives me a kind of peace, you know?

I've been seeing a few dragonflies and darning needles flying around the pond this week. They have such pretty irredescent colors!

This guy kept landing on this exact spot on the metal birdbath that I have perched on a rock lining the top of the pond. He'd fly off for a few seconds and land right back here constantly.

Think he was trying to camoflauge himself here?

excellent Picture Lynne and yes it does look like his body is part of the bird bath



oh any kind will do * except onion flavor * I like bagels toasted with strawberry cream cheese please

Thanks Diane

The other day, I noticed that the rocks under the waterfall were very green. Since Don put the UV lights in the skimmer, we've gotten rid of most of the algae in the pond, so I was surprised to see this on the rocks. I took a few pictures before I scrubbed them clean this afternoon.

Don turns the waterfall off when he cleans the filters in the skimmer up there,
so it was a good time for me to clean the rocks.


A closer look


And shining nice and clean afterwards


More next post...

Continued from above...

After I scrubbed the waterfall rocks, I wanted to go in the pond and deadhead the waterlilies, and also place a new tiny lily on the pond floor. Don usually does this for me, but he has had horrendous sciatica pain for 2 weeks now, so I figured I would do it this time. I used his rubber coveralls to stay dry - it was VERY funny! He is 5'10", so they fit his size. I am only 5'1" so they came up to my armpits with lots of leg length to spare! Because there were air pockets in the legs that were too long, when I was in the pond it felt like I was walking on the moon. The air pockets made me float around a bit when I picked up my feet to walk - I had to be careful though, because the pond floor was VERY slippery! It was fun though!

This is the only picture that Don took with my crummy camera that was somewhat in focus - too bad! The pond water is not green anymore since he put in the UV lights - the green is the reflection of all the greenery around the pond.


A final picture of the pond late this afternoon

Lynne your Pond and area around it , is absolutely gorgeous!

You and Don have done an outstanding Job the last couple of years! Big Big Pats on the back,,

I never thought you'd get in there Lynne Good for you good thing those pant legs didn't fill up cuz then you'd have floating devices ~ but at least you'd be safe

Lynne your pond is beautiful. How big is it?

Thanks so much for looking, and for your very kind comments Diane and Sheri.

The pond is about 3,000 gallons - sorry I don't remember the dimensions though.

The reason I was asking is I showed your pictures to my husband last night and he said "that's a swimming pool!" You've done a great job.

Awwwwww thanks Sheri!
It's really not big enough to swim in, though I must say that when I was bouncing around in it yesterday the water did feel good! Looks like I'm going to have to do that more often! :wink:

By the way... my one water lily has its second bud surfacing today. The other one hasn't had any yet, and the last one is a very small baby. Each flower excites me so much - I never thought I'd be able to grow water lilies!

Your pond is gorgeous; you and your hubby did a fantastic job!

Thanks so much Gail!

I just found out what that algae is called - it's string algae also known as blanket algae. According to the people on the pond forum I read, it's supposed to be "good" algae. So long as it doesn't take over the pond, I am ok with a little in there. I will continue to clean off the waterfall rocks when Don stops the waterfall to clean the filter.

lynne, when i am puttering around mine, i will gather up the "strings" that are hanging down and pull them off. they are great to put in the bottom or top of container plants. good organic plant food, and good to help keep them moist. i also drop them in beds and compost. when i have enough. what ever is nearby.

I do the same. But I think the algae on the rocks is good fodder for the fishes so I don't worry about getting it all cleaned. WE had a nasty black algae that came in with some water plants once that made us take the whole thing apart and scrub and bleach all of the rocks and redo the liner. It grew fast and thick and clogged up everything.

This string algae spreads VERY rapidly, and when it is brushed off all the tiny pieces become long strands within what seems like a matter of minutes. My fish do NOT eat this algae at all, so that is not a solution here unfortunately. They don't seem to mind it, but it is rapidly taking over everything in the pond, including strangling the long stems of the water lily pads and blooms.

Here it is on a water lily - I had already cleaned it off this plant several times while I was in the pond and it all came back.


That said... I went playing in the pond again today. I needed to deadhead a water lily bloom, as well as take out some dying pads. I had such a great time in there with the fish that I didn't want to get out, but Don is not feeling very well and he had to be there to help me out, so I had to end my fun before I was ready.

I thought it would be fun to show just how large his waders are on me before I got into the pond. I am holding them up straight from the ground here - they come up to my neck!!!


And here I am, in the pond - see how high they come up, while the legs are still very long and bunched up? Don told me to pose!


Can I please get to work yet???



More next post...

The fish have all become very inquisitive, and swam around me and in between my legs often. It was so much fun being in there with them! I figure since I will most likely never get to swim with dolphins, at least I can go ponding with my comets!

Here are a few that were just hanging out nearby.
They have more than doubled in size since I bought them about a month ago as 27 cent feeder fish!


And here is the one bloom I have right now - this same plant has another bud on its way up to the surface now - yippee!

First Let me say Great Pictures and You look fantastic Lynne over sized high waders or Not!
The first pictures it looks like snot( for lack of a better word Sorry )in the water euwwwwwwww yet it does appear to be clear. Strange the way it looks, So sorry you have to deal with it after you've gotten the water cleared,,
I don't know anything about Ponds and algae But I hope you find a way to resolve the string algae before it wraps up around your legs next time you get in there and says Feeeeeeed ME

Just kidding!

Thanks Diane!
You are absolutely correct - I never thought that it could start growing on me while I play in the pond - helllllllllllllllp!!!

yep I agree with Diane---and BTW--I simply LOVE your pretty pink water lily--and so very nice to "see" you. :wink:

very nice lynne nice to meet you again (i remember the wrennie pics :wink: )

and your pond looks good. and i get about the string algae. but i've seen it that way in lots of places naturally. i'm just impressed that the water is clear enough to see it that well!

i'm closing this, since it's at 100, but please start another one. i'm enjoying watching your adventures.