The Great Pond Project

Humble me Lord · May 21, 2017

Looking great, I'm assuming the liner will come up to the edge of the grass, then edges will be covered with larger rocks to keep it in place?

afishamongmany · May 22, 2017

Humble me Lord said:
Looking great, I'm assuming the liner will come up to the edge of the grass, then edges will be covered with larger rocks to keep it in place?

Hi Humble, I'm hoping that just earth over the edges will do the job. The edges and their level will be where the 'hand crafting' comes in . The pond is already dry again and the forecast is good so ....
Bon courage for the beginning of your working season. Pace yourself.
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afishamongmany · May 26, 2017

So- one hole ready to line.

Hole with doubled underlay ready to be pulled and roughly cut to shape

Liner down and filling started. Rough cutting to shape and organizing creases then done.
One unforeseen problem was that in direct hot sun the liner was very uncomfortable to handle, kneel on and walk on in bare feet. ><>

afishamongmany · May 31, 2017

First the most exciting news! The pond not yet finished and only half full but colonisation has already begun. A week after I half filled it, there were two (different sorts) water beetles in it. They were very busy and easy to see as there was nothing in the pond except for a few bits of debris and some drowned worms. One was large (2cm long) and dark brown the other black and shiny about 8mm long. There seems to be many different kinds of water beetles and not easily identifiable. Maybe as time goes on I might get to know some of them?
The end is definitely in sight. Hopefully the mud and earth edging will be stable enough once grass and other plants get growing in it. May have to fill it by hose if we don't get rain in the next couple of days.
Good gardening
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Humble me Lord · May 31, 2017

Are you going to put in any potted lilies or lotus type flower?
Are your winters mild enough for Koi fish?
The dirt edging looks better than I had imagined it !

afishamongmany · Jun 1, 2017

Hey there Humble - Yea some water lilies eventually. Could have Koi if I installed filtration and circulation gear. But don't want any of that hassle. The aim is to create a self-sustaining, natural ecosystem.
Yea mud is a very versatile material and sure is sticky stuff.
Go well brother
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afishamongmany · Jun 6, 2017

The pond officially came into being 1st June when I filled it up with the hose. After a few days the level went down a couple of centimeters due, I think, to absorption by the earth and evaporation. Last night we had good rain and the level came up almost to overflow. There are several water beetles and at least one pond skater. Still to do, marshy area at the overflow, messing around with some rocks, and planting up the edges in and out of the water. I know very little about aquatic plants so learning curve ahead. We're away now for a few days but looking forward to making it 'pretty'.
Good gardening
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Humble me Lord · Jun 10, 2017

Turned out great!
I bet the birds and wildlife will be frequent visitors.
Great job, my friend

afishamongmany · Jun 15, 2017

Humble me Lord said:
Turned out great!
I bet the birds and wildlife will be frequent visitors.
Great job, my friend

Thanks Humble, It's holding its level but now is a soupy green. My farmer neighbour can get me some barley straw but not for a week or so when the harvest will start. Seems barley straw only inhibits algae growth but doesn't actually kill that which is already there . Will go plant hunting/buying tomorrow.

Today saw first dragon flies. At different times, a female then a male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa). There's a great video clip of one at - Libellula depressa - Wikipedia, in the Behaviour section.
Also this morning there were fresh hedgehog droppings close to the pond. Very exciting
Go well
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afishamongmany · Jun 18, 2017

Ok pond planted up. It's been an interesting learning experience. First time I've ever 'planted a pond'. Some of it was easy, just chuck bits of plant in the water and say "Go!". Planting up and placing the containers took a lot more time and care. Some stuff I've tried to plant at the edge on the moisture line. It's hot and dry at the moment so maybe, maybe not? The marsh area was almost like 'ordinary' gardening.
The dragon-fly was around again but just seems to be a visitor at the moment.
Rain is forecast for Tuesday. If we don't get a substantial amount (8mm+) I will top up to overflowing. The level has gone down about 5cm since 1st June. Most of that will have been absorption at the edges plus evaporation.

Marsh patch at the overflow.

List of plants put in/around pond - 17th June 2017
Bought-
Hydrocotyle vulgaris – marsh pennywort - european.
Mimulus (Erythanthe) moschatus – musk flower – NW America.
Crassula recurva – swamp stone crop – New Zealand.
Nymphea hybrid – yellow water lily – european.
Primula rosea grandiflora – marsh primrose – Tibet.
Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria' – America.
Some fancy type of Marsh marigold not the common wild one.

Collected-
Juncus effusus – common (soft) rush – european
Mentha aquatica - watermint - european
Potamogeton crispus - curly leafed pond weed - worldwide
Stachys palustris – marsh woundwort – european.
Iris ? - water flag (donated)

Good gardening
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afishamongmany · Jun 28, 2017

Halleluia!
Yesterday we had significant rain. It was certainly needed, not just for my pond but the maize and sunflower fields around were starting to seriously dry out. We need more yet to fill up the ground for the rest of summer.
But yes for the first time the pond has naturally filled to overflowing and I had to dig a small channel to direct the overflow in the right direction.

The water plants are showing signs of growth. The lily is particularly impressive, putting up a new leaf in only three days. The insect life in and on and around the water is also amazingly varied and abundant.
How thankful I am for this enriching of our patch.
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Humble me Lord · Jul 15, 2017

Wow, really liking the additions. Can't wait for future pics, when the water lilies spread and are in bloom!
Been a really busy time of year for me. Gardening has been a challenge here this spring and early summer, very wet and cool. Also a late frost nipped many of the wild berry blooms, so we'll see how many berries are available but not looking like a good year for them.
The bright side is we have tons of lettuces, peas, kale, mustard greens, and strawberries.
God bless you brother

afishamongmany · Jul 16, 2017

Hello Humble – good to hear from you.
The pond is now a daily source of pleasure and interest. At the moment the water is very clear and not showing any signs of greening up. A couple of the original water lily leaves died off but have already been replaced by several new ones and two flower buds and another leaf are on the way up. Other pond plants are also getting well established.
The big news is that there now seems to be a resident frog. Saw it this afternoon and got a photo. Identification is not yet sure. There are in this region three similar looking species, marsh, pond and edible frog. The edible frog is a hybrid of the other two but it is not straight forward hybridisation - Edible frog - Wikipedia

I feel for you working guys. But just remember, someone has to keep the wheels turning when us ol'fellas bail out.
Here's a verse and a sermon to bless you - Deutoronomy 33:25
210. “As Your Days, So Shall Your Strength Be.”
Go well up there in the wild woods,
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A pond skater and another water-walking insect on the right.

~Anastasia~ · Jul 17, 2017

Oh, wow, I missed some of the developments. The pond is looking great! Wow, wow, wow! Wildlife moving in too, and plants spreading. How wonderful is all of that?!

I can bet you probably spend a lot of time relaxing there. Well-deserved enjoyment!

Humble me Lord · Jul 17, 2017

Great sermon by Charles Spurgeon, the man truly had a fluidity to his words.
Looks like the new additions are enjoying their new home, and the frog as well. I bet you get tadpoles next spring. Then by next fall you can have a nice mess of frog legs for dinner!
Great gardening and God bless

afishamongmany · Jul 18, 2017

yea frog legs, snails, maybe a duck or two will fly in, well on the way to self sufficiency.

~Anastasia~ · Jul 18, 2017

If you want self-sufficiency .... well, your pond may be small to support it, except they are not heavily water-birds. But anyway, we raised (along with many other kinds of poultry) Muscovies on our farm in Texas. One drake, three ducks, and each duck would produce about 12-15 ducklings 2-3 times a year, and they are INCREDIBLY self-sufficient and reslilient. And big-bodied. They outperformed farm ducks and geese exponentially. And they are quiet, and less messy.

afishamongmany · Jul 18, 2017

Nah, I'm quite happy for ducks and such to come and stay awhile ( I would harm them not, our freezer is full) but we don't have space for serious self sufficiency.
We raised a few ducks (12-20 at a time) with the 200 chicken, 3 times a year, we used to raise to sell. We never had Muscovies but they are (or were) a regular sight in the old style farmyards around here.
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~Anastasia~ · Jul 18, 2017

We had to have two freezers - one a commercial style - in addition to the one on the fridge. We also raised rabbits for meat, and sometimes had chicken, duck, guinea, goose, or goat. But the muscovies were so prolific they had to be managed. And they would have easily survived and grown on only free range, though I fed them with the others because they liked it. I still remember how they would follow me about like puppies, opening their bills in a near-silent hiss, which was their "talk", begging for treats.

We did have a stray duck come to the farm, something wild I guess, and watch the others. I couldn't have hurt him either. In fact, I never did any dispatch of the animals, because I can't, personally. (It killed me to have to put down a few badly-injured dying ones at times.) I'm honestly too soft to make a good farmer.

But yeah, muscovies are such a favorite of mine. I like all the others too, but for different reasons.

afishamongmany · Jul 26, 2017

Yea! Our first water lily flower and two more buds on the way up. It really is very beautiful.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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