thewebgal

After I accidentally took over another's thread on ponds - I saw that a lot folks either have ponds or like the ideas of ponds.
We bought our home August 1, 2000, in the DC suburbs, and had no idea about ponds.


But spring 2001 when I went to plant some veggies and hit concrete, and over the year uncovered a 16 x 16 pond that had been filled in and buried, I was hooked.



I read a bit about the ecology of a potential algae pit, and got informed about pumps and hoses and bought a cheap little pond kit to get a pump and some rubber material for the creek bed. --- I put all the dirt I pulled out on the side and made a berm - and figured I'd make a creek to run alongside it for the birds to drink and play in ...


Soon enough, they did soon find their way to the water ...
all kinds of birds and critters came because we were the only water for blocks and blocks -
we are actually in the city limits!!


But soon enough, fall came, and it got cool, then it got colder ...
and I found winter with a pond isn't quite as much fun!


But we found that even if the goldfish freeze solid, it doesn't seem to hurt them and they thaw out when it warms again.
Besides, like I kid our friends "How would you even know if a goldfish had brain damage?"



Anyway, the pond changes a bit ever year. The plastic lining in the creek didn't last and we found thick pond rubber sheeting and lined that with stones to protect it. We've planted all different kinds of things along the edge - japanese maples seem to suit it best, with lots of ferns and hostas,
And every couple years the pump gets upgraded and it just gets better.

Its a shady place, with 2 cherry trees and honeysuckle at one end, and its very pleasant to sit on the bench with a mojito or ice tea and watch all the birds and creatures play.

Here is a picture I got a few weeks back, in the late afternoon. After fighting rush hour I like to go sit out back and just unwind,
listen to the bird song or watch them at play. Anyway, a very young bluejay popped in the creek and had a marvelous time ...
it was a hot day and he just sat there and let the cool water wash all around him ....
Soothing for me and him!

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-= )-(eather =-

cherokee_greg

what a very good find you made. I have a real small pond. Maybe someday I will make it bigger. I should do it; somedays come and go so fast. Thanks for the post.

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

thewebgal

Couple more pictures - just went out this morning and there they were!

We've seen the frog at a distance, but its the first time he stayed still when he saw me and let me get the picture.
Usually he jumps in the pond as soon as we appear. I think he's from the tads we added in late May.
There are snakes in the 'hood that eat mice (good) but also eat the frogs too (bad!) ...



There are a couple chipmunk families in the neighborhood - I opened the front door yesterday to go to the farmers market, with just a glass storm door in place. A moment later he popped up on the front porch and looked across the yard ... don't think he realized we were right there, but, alas, no camera yesterday. But today I saw him running along the board fence - and he froze and let me get some pictures. Used to be just the chain link between the yards, but a previous neighbor put up the privacy fence about 5 years ago ... perhaps our yard is wilder than she liked?

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thewebgal

Oh - there is this from May 5, 2009. I was taking pictures and when I saw a very young redheaded woodpecker
taking a bath in the pond by the waterfall -
I flipped my Canon G9 into Video mode and wound up shooting a handheld video.
He looks like he's having so much fun! Here's the YouTube video, with sound.
You can click and watch it fullscreen if you like.

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thewebgal

We have a friend in the Shenandoah valley that built a beautiful pond a few years ago. He even has a pair of ducks that have taken to daily visits ...

No bananas yet tho ... but I'm working on him (grin) ...

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laserlight

That ponds really kewl and even in the winter. we dont have a pond and i want one but mom says it will make mosquitos. can something be put in the water that keeps mosquitos away?
Thanks for sharing the pictures and the video. =D

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Вырвем оранжевому хорьку его гнилые зубы.

cherokee_greg

Fish do a good job of keeping them away.

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

thewebgal

The goldfish love to eat the mosquitoes- we had more mosquitoes in the back yard when it was damp and swampy than we did after I had dug up the pond and had water with fish in it. Our pond is too shallow to winter over Koi, but there are some really cool kinds of goldfish like Shebunkens. They are a lot more active (fierce swimmers) than the usual orange goldfish, and not as fragile as some of the oddly mutated big eye goldfish.
Or you can get some of the "mosquito fish" that basically look like regular brownish guppies - they get in tiny corners and roots and eat any of the mosquito wrigglers they find before they can develop and fly away.

Or get a mosquito dunk - its an enzyme thing that is a floating ring of medicine that keeps mosquitoes from developing. We toss one up in the rain gutters every year - but the fish are much more fun!

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