Any water gardeners out there

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Anyone have a pond/water garden out there... with an over abundance of plants? I could use some volunteers for my new pond.

thanks,
al

[brewmaster15]

It needs some plants I think...I built it with a 1 foot shelf, 2 foot shelf and 3 foot bottom. :)

-al

[Anonapersona]

Many of the aquarium plants you see are actually better as bog plants... bacopa moneri, parrots feather, sagitaria, all the "dwarf lotus" you see advertized are actually dwarf water lillies. Also, Lowes often has a water garden section with some unusual plants. Be sure to check out the local ditches for bacopa and so forth.

My goldfish have already eaten up the parrots feather, I will have "lotus" acorns in excess but not really worth mailing just that IMO. I can pull bacopa and some sort of ludwegia from a ditch but you'd want to sterilize it, I got a nasty anchor worm infestation last time I just plopped something into the pond from a ditch.

[Carol_Roberts]

very nice ;D Water plants will mulitpy quickly if only a couple of fish in pond

[Steve_Warner]

Hi all,
Al, sweet lookin pond. I'm hoping to set up a similar type at the new house and stock it with ;) How about some wetland grasses, like Bulrush(Sp?). I have been doing a lot of reading on certain wetland plants and, if I remember correctly, Bulrush is EXTREMELY effective at NitrAte removal! Have fun.


Steve

[brewmaster15]

ponds coming along... so far I added some duck weed, sedge, 2 ornamental water lilys (from Lowes..thanks!) and some wild sagittaria. I could really use some water lettuce... and hyacinth. (hint ..hint ) ..I could buy it up here... but its so expensive!

Our town has a free pile of bark mulch so I raided that to surround the pond and picnic area.

have 8 5 inch koi in it.


also caught 15 frogs at a local pond and relocated them ;)

have a lot to do still... thinking about my filtration now...

-al

[brewmaster15]

....

[Discus_KC]

Al,

Looks great !!!!

But that picnic table needs help !!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

Jack

[discuskrib]

Al,
i noticed that you've got your pond liner still showing. are you planning on using rocks or plants to cover it up? i'm sure you know but i'll mention it for anyone reading that might not: UV light can degrade pond liners, yes, even under the water.

are you keeping your plants in pots or are you substrating the bottom? if you are substrating i usually recommend just using potting soil covered with a layer of sand or plain kitty litter to keep things cheap and less hassle. some plants might require a little more but most will be fine.
...if only you lived closer. i've got some sweet looking lilies and other plants i'd be willing to thin out for you if you did.

for the filtration are you going overflow style or suctioning near the bottom? in overflow ponds with plants what i do is set up fishing line in front of and a little away from the overflow so that floating plants won't be pulled in. if you are using the suctioning method just be sure to make it easily accessible for when you'll eventually need to clean the pump.

so now the real question:

how long do you think it'll take before you decide, like we all have done with our tanks, on getting a bigger pond?

Dave

[gump]

I started one this week end Al...

[gump]

another...

[brewmaster15]

sent that digger down here..I'm ready for a bigger one!!!

-al :)

[gump]

Yea AL,
I always wanted a pond so...... I am digging 2!! there will be a waterfall between them. The upper pond will be small & a planted pond only. The lower main pond will be bigger & deeper with plants & koi. This pond probably won't be completed this summer, but I will keep you guys posted on my progress.
Pierre

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I'm starting a waterfalls for a customer this week. I've already taken a few BEFORE pictures that I need to post. I'm pulling water from a lake, pumping it up 25 feet and having it fall over a series of cascades and rapids. Because I'm pulling from the lake and putting the same water back into the lake, that precludes me adding any exotic flora and fauna. In fact, I'm not even going to make a provisions for significantly sized pools in the water feature at all, so as not to tempt the owner to add anything later.

However, I may add a few native species of flora and fauna that already occur in this body of water.

The lake is Crooked Lake in Averill Park, NY. An elevated lake in what I would describe as the foothills of the Berkshire Mts of Western MA.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

This is the first Picture. Just a mound of dirt that was dropped when the Inground Pool Behind the fence was installed a few weeks back.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

This is a view from the base of that mound at the top of the lake below. Probably a good 25 feet down to the water. Falls is clearly visible from the dock & lakeshore deck. Unfortunately, it isn't visible from the deck attatched to the house or the pool at all. However, I'm using a 5300 GPH pump and dropping the water quite far, so it will be audible from those locations.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

This is me just beginning to dig a place for the initial spill way at the very top (area just above my shoulders) and twin channels traveling about a 3rd of the way down the hill before joining together. I've not brought in any stone yet, this is just what I'm digging up as I work. I raked all the leaf litter, pulled the vegetation and sprayed herbicide. Too difficult to get any machinery in here (wish I could have begun this before the pool went in!), so everything will be done by hand. To the right, you can see the 3 inch wide, 6 inch deep channel I've dug for the 2" hose to pump water from the lake to the top.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

The results of my first 1/2 day (Couldn't start until after 1PM today). Difficult to perceive any depth at all because the dirt is so mono-toned. What's illustrated here is the 3' wide, 3' deep hole at the top that is the resevoir that will recieve water from the lake and spill over an 18" wide spillway and down the cascades. It will drop about 4 feet, then be diverted to either the left or right channel. It should make allot of splash and cause allot of spray. That will be useful in watering the 15+ Ornamental Grasses that will decorate the hillside. Not sure what I'll put in the center of the two channels; as I don't want to block the first cascade.

I will have a total 3 major cascades and 3 minor cascades on this water feature.

[zenman]

Hey Al By any chance you have an over abundance of fish you would like to send this way? Just so happens I have an empty tank. Jokes aside e-mail me an address and I will send you some plants. Zenman

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Falls is completed. Stone, Mulch and Plantings.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Top half of Falls. Note the Two River Branches.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Shot of some plantings at lower half of falls.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

My favorite angle.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

runway to the lake. unfortunately, you can't see the 3 foot drop off before it plunges into the lake. still it gives you a feel for it. you can see the 5000 gph Pump temporarily setup (decided not to basket mount it yet, as we'd be pulling it out in only 2 or 3 weeks). this falls will be ready to go for next spring!