A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 ponds....whats ya'lls like?

well this is my 3rd pond and have to say was happier with 1st pond.it was 125 gallons had a small one in half a wine barrel& well it had too many plants.now am on 2nd year with 95 gallon pond with a waterfall.had it in full sun last year and this year is a bit more shaded& ready to move it.other difference from last year to this year is my jack dempsy fish are in it but is cause in move their home cracked& well #1 was convienate#2 are building house and at time was sardine can so that lil convienate cropped back up.by the way their house has not been repaired or replaced so for convienace......you can guess where they will possibly stay for a bit longer

but back to that pond.reason for move is will be adding next 2 bedrooms soon& will be close to house....right at corner may even be in way of setting ladder so......is time to get it ready to move.deepest part of it in center is 3 feet and inside has 2 shelfs at front.current plants are yellow iris now expaneded into 2 pots really needing a 3rd& some heart shaped stuff have had for 4 yrs now and don't know what it is ...some cat tails at back that are busting its pot and overgrowing from one lone cat tail& a white water lilly.I had some green stuff that floated at bottom& have forgot name and it got killed cause my dogs drink from pond& my bassett hound thought ws kewl stuff to play with,though did break him from playing with water lilly....tied a da% rock to it...problem solved.I've had alot of butterflys& dragonflys(misquitos too probably)attracted to it plus they flock the mimosa that has been growing behind it& I clean mimosa flowers and butterfly body parts out of filter.water has been green from algea off& on cause have not keept up on my white distalled vinegar too keep it happy.I don't nessacarily change the water,but do get heavy downpours that overflow it and have had some fish float out in yard to have to put back in pond and some are even smart enough now to stay at bottom.....so fish do learn tricks occasionally my basset will pull pond fountain out in yard& it will pull frog spitter off and water plants and cause me to freak for my fishes safty and have to fill back up...oh yeah is an algea eater in there too


current plants around it are burgmansia dr suess& 2 charles G those will move along with it.some canna,some spiderwort,coral bean& wild violets.in spring is mayapples and will likely not find them till spring and some wild violets(I was propagateing them there and forgot bout um...they kinda rooted there)some slow growing milkweed.have had hibiscus around it in years past and flowering jasmine& can't think of name of that impatient but was a sun lover and white.

what i want ideas.........
other plants to do with burgmansias& will likely put hibiscus back behind pond as before cause kinda liked it there
am thinking of turning pond around and haveing waterfall flow into center& have a concrete pillar considering doing the frog on to spit in waterfall.
I'd like to add a liner to make a larger pond& use current one as a 2nd level but at a loss on doing it cause of current pond being a formed pond.

this will get you started http://community.webshots.com/s/image/7/6/96/21/85569621tUafNc_ph.jpg

will look 4 better pond pic to post

Bob, I like your thinking!


Now, what does my pond look like??
Well, other than pea soup (no filtration for 8 days when power was out due to storm), it's about 12'x19', 2100 gal, 3ft deep in center with a plant shelf at 2 ft all the way around (won't do the shelf again, waste of space), and a fountain just slightly off center.
Planted around it I have: evening primrose, spiderwort, blackeyed susan, datura, hostas, mimosa tree, yellow cannas, bird of paradise (potted), sago palm, (potted) perennial sweetwilliam, Hollyhocks, peonies, yucca, horsetail palm, (potted) and aloe (potted).
I also have a few garden ornaments around it - an angel statue, gazing ball, a couple of "birds on a stick", and 2 pink flamingos (yes, I really have them!)

I also have water hyacinth, mint, horsetail reed, and cannas in the pond. (and LOTS of fish - parents and babies)

Well, njoynit, that's what it looks like, don't know if it helps...


Nikkal

OK you two.....once your finished your ponds.....can you start on mine? Pretty please?

Okay, Barb!

Of course, we'll have to wait til Bob gets his pond finished, and he can't start that til he gets his pavillion finished, and, and,...


Nikkal

.....sigh.....sounds like I will be waiting a LONG time yet! But don't worry....I'll remind you later. Hehehehe

Nikkal would love to see a pix. Your pond sounds wonderful. How long did it take you to complete it?
I would really like to make a waterfall/pond later after all my other projects are finished but afraid I will get myself in a pickle.
Catlover

Anybody out there got any ideas how to turn an old bath tub into a water feature? I kept the one that was in the house when we bought it, because it was turquoise. Figured that would look pretty w/ water in it, but haven't worked out logistics of putting it together -- allow for draining to clean, etc. Don't want fish -- mostly just want sound!Got a spot all picked out & new neighbors obliged by removing an old pomegranate that would have shed dropping in it. Any tips would be appreciated. I hear Mosquito Dunks are really helpful at keeping the mosquitos at bay - especially now w/ the WNile Virus! It's supposed to be harmless to animals. Is that right?

Yes I like those mosquito tablets. One of my neighbors around here has a pond with fish and it is a real mess. YUCKY
SSSShhhhhh I throw those dunks over their fence. Seems to have reduced the number of skeeters quite a bit around here. No they don't kill fish.
Catlover :rolleyes:

hey bob....can tell you to go rubber lineing over pvc...it will last longer.I used same as what they use on rubber roofs& fill with water as you lay it then secure it so it don't tear or stretch.

I have seen some bleeding heart fern leaf hanging over a pond and liked that effect.I have now chose a totally different spot to place pond its now going behind flag pole,but still at a loss on makeing it larger,but have priced my rubber roofing rubber so is progress& think will do some copper somewhere on new pond.I like the look.thinking of doing a frame out of treated timber so can get lift,is only way can think to get water to go to old pond form

bringing this back up to the top...

My husband is tearing out the main bathroom, and has removed the old tub. It is now sitting under our deck, and I had thoughts of turning it into a pond.

Any ideas or experience with this?

have absolutely NO experience myself, but one time at a pond store I saw they had used a tub and run the fountain works through the original drain hole and then up and out a new water spout, just like if it was piped in the house. it really looked cute.

and here is a link to someone's real bathtub pond. she chose to hide it under rocks, but it pretty:
Bathtub Pond

and you may be able to contact her with questions.

Thanks Rellie! That is a great link, and you would never know that pond is a recycled tub!

Hi all

Can anyone tell me what kind of plants i can put around my pond...full sun it is up to my deck so i need full sun plants.

Hello Lilcoot!!
Welcome!! Glad to see you here!!

First off, I personally don't have a pond,
but would like to ask you some questions for
some of the other gardener's that will come
through, and these may help in their answers
to your question!!

You said you have a pond.............
*Is it one with a liner? Or dirt bottom?
*Several different heights? (ie; some area's where the plant would sit just barely in the water, some in one inch of water, some the depth of the pots deep, etc...?????)
*Do you need plants that would also sit around the pond, in some rocks (in or out of pots????

*Will they need to be watered or just left alone,
because it's not easy to get to the surrounding areas of the pond???

*Is it a filtered pond or natural pond???

Just a few questions to help narrow it
down for the gardeners!!

And hope to see you around more often!!!

Weezie

plant n'pots,
My Mother-in-law has a clawfoot bath tub water garden and she loves it. She didn't bury hers. She has hers sitting in the yard. It is very nice. She planted flowers around hers to hide the bottom.


Lilcoot,
I have creeping jenny and sedum running around the rocks and the edge of my pond. I also have sedum tucked in around my water fall. Some people are using annuals around thiers.
Good Luck with your pond.

Gardencrazy

LOL When this thread first started my answer was FROZEN, but now it is completely melted. I started the pump on the waterfall.

I had trouble with it last year, first year, because there was a leak where I had seamed it. My pond is from 2 left over pieces from my nephew.

Because of all the snow melt and rain the level of the pond is just right. I`m keeping my fingers crossed that the pond miraculously healed itself! My hubby thinks I`m a dreamer.

I have round boulders and a log partially in the water around the edge. I want to add some flatter stones along one side to stand on. And there is a perfect spot for a bog garden.

This is definately a work in progress. IF the pond leaks I will try to seal it one more time, I have a different idea on how to do it. After that if it leaks again I`m going for a bigger pond and a new liner! hehe! A monster has been created with this pond building

LOL! I just noticed that the thread was actually started in AUGUST.

When it came back up in Feb my pond was frozen solid!! LOL!