Topics

1

Pond Chat / Overwintering Lotus questions

« on: October 12, 2009, 12:48:21 PM »

here in zone 5 we have experienced a killing frost and all our terrestrial annuals have died. Our lotus has turned brown and no longer is sending up anything green. My container is on the patio and WAY too big to move. I don't have anywhere to put it anyway.
 I was wondering if I could carefully dig up the tubers in the big container and place them in a smaller container that I could then sink in the pond so that they don't freeze. Is this possible and would they survive? Thank you for any help

2

Pond Chat / Random pics

« on: August 21, 2009, 08:04:42 AM »

here's a few

3

Pond Chat / Pictures in the morning (one more added)

« on: August 19, 2009, 06:17:45 AM »

Early morning lotus
2 Hibiscus  been waiting all summer to see

4

Terrestrial Gardening / Veggie Gardens new pictures added

« on: August 14, 2009, 12:39:14 PM »

With the weird summer so far, our garden hasn't been producing like in the past.
We are just starting to get some color in our large heirloom tomatoes (my favorite)
Our peppers are way behind last year, BUT
we have processed 31 bags of green beans for winter storage
and had, due to the cool weather earlier this year, great production from our spinach
and peas. The cucumbers are starting to really take off and of course the zucchini and summer squash
have been good.
 I also notice less bug problems too.
very few cucumber beetles and so far no vine borer's in the squash.

 What's it like in your garden?
and what are your favorite varieties?   

5

Pond Chat / overwintering tropical waterlilies

« on: August 03, 2009, 11:47:50 AM »

I know it is still August...but this our first full year with a pond and now we need to plan for overwintering our tropical plants
We don't have a greenhouse so whats the best method for overwintering tropicals in zone 5?

6

Chit Chat / How would you handle this one

« on: July 23, 2009, 06:58:43 AM »

Ok,
 We put our pond in last fall. It was the talk of the neighborhood for awhile.
This year it has been planted and currently has lilies blooming

Our next door neighbors think nothing of strolling over and sitting there to enjoy their
morning coffee or evening cocktails. They move the chairs from the patio to sit right by the edge.
 They will do this even if we are not out there or when we aren't even home.
One morning I woke up and went to start the coffee,looking forward to going out and sitting by the pond,
I looked out the kitchen window and saw the neighbors already sitting in our chairs by the edge of the pond
in the exact spot that I like to sit
  Last week they didn't even move the chairs back where they belong and left their newspaper sitting next to the chairs on the ground!!!
I want to be a good neighbor, but it's getting so that we can't even enjoy our own pond and backyard in private.
 We planted some Arborvitaes in a row on the side of our patio facing their house and the first thing they asked is:
 How tall are those going to get? and:
Aren't they going to block our view of "the" pond?
There is also a small Silverbell tree planted at the corner of the patio which, when they found out it was a tree;
immediately wanted to know how big it was going to get. When my wife told them it was a small tree they started to say that
"those look like awful big leaves for a small tree" and "pretty soon we won't be able to see the pond anymore"

 Any suggestions on how to handle this and still be good neighbors?

 

7

Pond Chat / Our pond today (pic)

« on: July 21, 2009, 01:03:42 PM »

here is our pond today.
10 months after filling it with water

8

Pond Chat / Trapdoor snails

« on: June 15, 2009, 03:06:25 PM »

does anybody have these in their pond?
...I am considering getting a few just for fun.
 Is there anything I need to be aware of?
Do they eat plants? Can they transmit diseases to fish?
opinions please....thanks

9

Pond Chat / Barry White / Marvin Gaye of the toad world

« on: June 10, 2009, 06:18:02 AM »

This little guy was singing his heart out for 2 straight days

10

Pond Chat / planting help for marginals

« on: April 30, 2009, 01:40:06 PM »

I need help with my marginals. I've planted my lotus and lilies by following the directions here on the forum. They all seem to be doing well. Now I have some others that need to be potted up and put in the pond. Do I use the same manure/osmocote combination that works for lilies and lotus? Is there a different soil I should use? Same kind of pots (no holes)? What about fertilizer? osmocote again? I have iris and taro, dwarf cattails and parrots feather. Any help is appreciated

11

Pond Chat / Good news... Bad news

« on: March 09, 2009, 12:00:03 PM »

  All six of our koi survived their first winter in our first pond. When the weather got into the 60's last Thursday all of them came up out of the depths to look for food I guess. While scooping leaves out Friday we also found a frog alive. After hearing about everyones losses this winter we feared for the worst.
 The bad news: After 2 solid days of rain the pond overflowed its banks and now the visibility is down to about a foot   Since we have no plants in or around the pond many leaves have blown in and mud has washed in too. I'm cleaning the filter pad in the skimmer twice a day and put the quilt batting back in there too.
 Our first crocuses and snowdrops started to bloom today so overall things are good

12

Pond Chat / trying to keep an opening in a frozen pond

« on: December 22, 2008, 02:37:04 PM »

Now that we are in winters grasp I'm having second thoughts on where to try and keep an opening. I thought it would be best in front of the skimmer to keep the water flowing to the pump. After this weekend, with temps below zero and wind chill ridiculously low (-30) I'm no longer sure. The heater I got(floating de-icer) seemed to be doing the job, but now there is only about a 2 inch opening. We decided to keep the water fall running (bad idea) and I'm wondering if the heater should be moved to below the falls. After Sunday night the waterfall was completely iced over except for right where it enters the pond. Any thoughts would be appreciated 

13

Pond Chat / new ponder.... murky water

« on: September 13, 2008, 11:57:17 AM »

We just started with our first pond. Things were going well until it rained a lot and clouded up the water. Realized that there was a low spot near the skimmer that was letting  run-off into the pond. I think we got that resolved but now it has been raining for almost 24 hours straight and the water looks like mud again. The pond was running 2 weeks before we added our first fish   6 baby koi and 3 goldfish. Our filtration consists of a skimmer with a leaf basket and one filter pad pumping to a waterfall filled with bio-balls and 2 more filter pads. We have no plants yet. Those will be added next spring. Is this enough filtration? We plan on running the waterfall all winter. Do we need a de-icer or heater? I'm sure the pond will freeze over this winter. Will the fish be OK? Are UV lights necessary? Any help is appreciated