Topics

1

Pond Chat / Happy New Year Everyone!!

« on: December 31, 2008, 08:56:04 PM »

  May 2009 bring you and yours many blessings and big beautiful healthy ponds, lillies, and healthy fish! 

2

Pond Chat / about n. Avalanche

« on: October 22, 2008, 07:16:04 PM »

Mine has been throwing beautiful blue blooms today one opened up and it was a light pink. Is n. Avalanche supposed to do that? Almost looks like a pastel version of my n. Charlies pride

Andy

3

Pond Chat / A day late and a dollar short!

« on: September 21, 2008, 09:14:48 AM »

I could not believe my luck! As many of you know I have a fairly large pond out beck and I have always wanted to put some Koi in there. The only problem is that the Koi would have to be fairly large because of the gamefish that are in there. Just last week I learned that there was a Doctor at work who had 30 Koi in the 20-24 inch long range. Her husband died suddenly about a year ago and she was left tending to his water garden. It became too much for her and she wanted to GIVE AWAY these Koi to anyone who would have them. They were gorgeous and well taken care of. By the time I heard that she wanted to give them up and RAN RIGHT DOWN THERE I learned that she had given them to the Koi club so they could adopt them out that previous weekend. I was devastated, she would have given them all to me because she has seen how I keep my pond.......  :'( :'( :'(   
On the up side she has the pumps and the biofilters and UV lights that she told me she would trade for some water plants. She said she would just give them to me. I offered to help her with her water garden but she said she has two and is keeping the smallest one (one is a huge above ground and the other is a converted pool) and diisassembling the other. As she is out of town this weekend I will be talking to her next weekend.  Man had I only learned of the info a week earlier!

Andy

4

Pond Chat / After Tropical Storm Fay My Pond is really trying to come back!

« on: September 14, 2008, 10:29:37 AM »

It is clearing up and the tropicals are blooming  See there is life after that much water....  I feel for all my brothers and sisters currently waiting to see what Ike did to their ponds and their homes. Saying a prayer for you. Just happy to see the plants are as resilient as ever!

Andy

5

Pond Chat / Welcome Tropical Storm Fay With Pictures added

« on: August 21, 2008, 04:22:20 PM »

And goodbye pond if we get as much rain as they are predicting,  Up to 8 inches... Which I think is crazy But that much water is going to be a major problem for me. It may push a little south which may be my saving grace but we will see.
I hope Craig is fine and he did not get flooded out, they are getting hit now. UGH
Andy

6

Chit Chat / I am a Grandpa!!

« on: August 05, 2008, 06:42:16 PM »

Well the phone call came in today  at 1334 (1:34 for you civillians) my Grandson Dillon was born!! 8 Lbs 7 oz's , 20.5 inches long. I felt sorry for my little girl (20 years old) she normally weighs  108 lbs soaking wet and tried hard to have this normally. Ended up with a 'C' section. She sounds tired but he is Finally here!! woo hoo!!

Andy

7

Pond Chat / Interesting site...

« on: July 12, 2008, 05:27:07 PM »

Found this when I was researching Tammies leech info... Kinda neat http://www.pond-life.us/

8

Pond Chat / wow a new twist

« on: July 11, 2008, 09:52:18 PM »

SO I have worked hard at balancing my pond out. I have Freshwater clams, Water striders, freshwater grass shrimp, crawdads  (although very few left) Mosquito fish, Bream (sunfish) of every size, Bass (several sizes) LOTS of minnows from all of the aforementioned fish groups. Oh yes and lets not forget the snails, Trapdoor and pond snail. Lots of polywogs and all manner of frogs, Mostly leopard with a few bull frogs and tree frogs mixed in.
    Just when I thought I had all the residents that a healthy pond could hold  I FOUND A NEW RESIDENT (well several actually)......

First a little background. I normally spend quite a bit of time wading in my pond cleaning up yellowing and dying pads, cleaning fountain heads and just doing routine pond maintenance the Bass always follow closely for the ocasional minnow or frog that flees the wrong way.  The Bream tend to eat any larvae I find and toss out to them. Well with this last workout the Bream and bass alike kept nibbling at the back of my legs, a couple of times I got nailed pretty good. Made me jump pretty high a couple of times. I could not understand why they kept picking at my legs and they were getting pretty determined... As I finished Up I saw why....I had a dozen or so leeches on both legs, very small like an 1/8th of an inch BUT DANG!  No wonder the fish were attracted I was a walking smorgasboard..... Needless to say I will need to correct that before I 'wade' in again... Great!
Andy

9

Pond Chat / Unusual plant Craig sent me (found the name of the Background plant)

« on: May 31, 2008, 12:38:45 PM »

One year it is a Tree the next it is a big flower. I forget what it's name is but it is cool!

10

Pond Chat / Tinkster Look! The Lotus!

« on: May 31, 2008, 12:33:58 PM »

Many of you may recall the Tinkster was kind enough to send me a  (Rosea Plena?) Lotus to go along with the White she sent me the year before. The Post office must have drop kicked it several times as the lotus tubers were pretty beat up. I planted them anyway in hopes that she would recover. Based on these pictures I think the once broken tubers may just make it!!

11

Chit Chat / Sean I hear you had an interesting day in Vancouver!

« on: May 26, 2008, 05:59:28 PM »

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=801824&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/

Some fool tearing up the streets with a BIG truck??

12

Pond Chat / Tammie!!!! Look whats blooming!

« on: May 17, 2008, 02:15:13 PM »

To give everyone else some background, I was looking fo a Hollandia hardy and some Joey tomocik's (JT). Tammie had some JT's and thought she had at least one Hollandia.  We were not 100 percent sure that the Hollandia wa a hollandia, there was an off chance that it was a Gloire. For some reason it decided to bloom under water but I would say it is Hollandia (I meant to say Gloire... Tired from woring in (yes IN) the pond in the sunall day! ). It is a pale pink.....

Tammie later in the year you sent me a few others, any idea what they may be? (2nd picture is the first of 4 to bloom) it almost looks like a lighter version of my Escarboucle (3rd Picture) any ideas?

Anyone is welcome to speculate what it may be.

13

Pond Chat / Test post for Julles

« on: May 05, 2008, 08:44:35 AM »

testing her ability to post pics

14

Pond Chat / Never a Dull moment around here!-LINK TO VIDEO ADDED

« on: April 27, 2008, 08:37:53 PM »

So The wife and I are coming home from spending the day out when I see the neighbors kids pointing wildly to something in the yard. Their father  was armed with a pitchforkstanding between my pond and a visitor, seems all the construction across the way has stirred the local fauna. Should have seen my City girl wife lock al the doors to the car... I got out and went in the house. Got my Camera and my pistol and went back out. The neighbors wife called 911 and aout an hour  later FWC showed up and hauled him off. Mind you I have not seen one in 5 years I have lived here.
check this out:

15

Pond Chat / almost!

« on: April 22, 2008, 07:47:43 PM »

  Dang it! I won't stop until I can do it.... My goal To take a picture of  a Dragonfly in flight and stop his wings.....each time I do this I get a little better at it, so close, so close! This was taken with My canon powershot s5IS love the camera just need to get a litlle more practice in!

Andy

16

Pond Chat / Why .......

« on: April 13, 2008, 06:11:08 PM »

Do you salt your pond? what is the purpose and what is the benefit??

17

Pond Chat / So I take my daily stroll around the pond and what do I see?

« on: April 08, 2008, 07:09:27 PM »

Well I see Escarboucle starting to bring up pads and my Berniece Ikins is as well, even the lone James brydon. As I walked around looking at the new plants and taking a few pictures of the plants  and admiring the new growth when what did I see? what did I spy with my little eye?? God help the person who lost it.......
  They were trying for these guys: And before you ask it isn't one of mine, I only have a few and ther are all brand new!

18

Pond Chat / Want some dragonfly nymphs?

« on: April 08, 2008, 12:33:22 PM »

Wards natural science sells them..... http://wardsci.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_IG0013499_A_name_E_Dragonfly+Nymphs+Living+Specimen they are the Aeshna spp variety which could be any of a variety of medium to large dragonfly's..... For those of you who were having a hard time attracting them here you go.

Andy

http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/GalleryAction.bySpecies

19

Pond Chat / Around the Pond Today... New Pictures added

« on: April 05, 2008, 11:55:39 AM »

This will likely take a couple of posts but my pond is starting to wake up and show some color. So before the storms hit today I thought that I would take a few pictures and share. It is interesting to note that the Splatterdock has sent up pads form it's deep position. The n. escarboucle has sent red pads to the surface and I THINK the tropical that tinkster sent me last fall is sending up a pad. it may not be that lily only time will tell.

I am getting excited.... Andy

20

Pond Chat / Need a hard to find plant

« on: March 24, 2008, 08:31:21 PM »

Anyone know where I can find 'peltandra sagittifolia' White arrow arum (not the green)? here is a sample picture http://www.horticopia.com/hortpix/html/pb15381.htm and here as well http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PESA7

I have the green version and I would like to mix in the white.

Andy

21

Pond Chat / Lotus notes..... No not the program

« on: March 24, 2008, 11:08:21 AM »

Recently I added another lotus to my pond (Rosea Plena... hope I spelled that right) and I placed it beside my white lotus from last year ( http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=3774.msg41316#msg41316 ) Well that lotus (the white one) came as two tubers with a couple of growing tips each. It thrived all season and died back during the winter. Well when I was done planting the lotus for this year I decided to reach down into the tub from last year and see what was in store there. Man in the span of one season that thing grew alot of tubers and a lot of roots one of those tubers is is huge! I did not want to mess with it to much as I was told not to divide them for at least two years and this is the start of the second season. I noticed some early growth coming from it, a couple of small floaters so now is not the ideal time to divide. when should I be thinking about that? January/February?

Andy

22

Pond Chat / So you lotus pros. Answer me this....

« on: March 23, 2008, 02:54:14 PM »

During a recent shipment from a friend I received a lotus tuber and some other small plants. upon arrival the box  looked like the post office played football with it. The tuber was broken in a couple of places although not completely (85%) through. I thought it was going to be a loss and I placed the tuber in my indoor tub under the grow light, it had only been in there a few days when Viola.... Shoots.  I did not know what to do other than to get it planted so into the tub it went. Today I have two small floating pads. Can I expect that she will live and thrive or is it all wishful thinking and prayers?

Andy

23

Pond Chat / Who am I?

« on: March 21, 2008, 07:18:06 AM »

For all of you who 'know your lilies' tell me if you can the identity of this lily..... The site I picked it up from MISidentified  it as n. Odorata (a Florida native and a white Hardy lily to boot)

Thanks Andy

For those Odonata enthusiasts.... the Dragonfly is Erythemis simplicicollis (Common Pondhawk)
Just FYI

24

Pond Chat / I actually got to do some ponding today!!

« on: March 15, 2008, 07:06:02 PM »

I went to our local nursery and found some Dianella Grass or Flax Lily It looked awesome so I had to have it!


it is still a work in progress but check it out, thoughts?

25

Chit Chat / Guess Who is going to be a Grandpa?

« on: March 10, 2008, 07:46:48 PM »

  Me at 46 years of age OUCH! Baby is due the 31st of July, looks like we are having a grandson....  I am going to be a cool Grandpa!! 

26

Pond Chat / Who has experience with Astilbe??

« on: March 08, 2008, 07:08:50 PM »

I am going to plant some by my pond since I am not moving to North Carolina now. I purchased Red Pink and Purple! I understand that it loves the shade and wet soil anything else I should know ?? Does Lavendar grow well in the shade? that may be a good complimentary plant...

Andy

27

Pond Chat / I may be pondless this summer..

« on: February 21, 2008, 07:20:15 PM »

I am looking at a job opportunity in Charlotte N.C. with UNCC and that means I will have to sell the house.... And buy one with enough land to put in my new pond... wow an opportunity to build it from scratch..... Johns you are in Charlotte right, care to give a fellow ponder some insight to the area? I will know more early next week (I hope) will keep you posted! Andy

28

Pond Chat / Okay I QUIT!

« on: February 06, 2008, 06:09:56 AM »

No more Mr. nice guy!! Seems like the nicer you try to be the more you get taken advantage of!! Seems the local fauna have determined that I am being a nice guy providing them free meals of Gold fish,  I caught a raccoon redhanded yesterday while I was home sick, I was having trouble sleeping so I got up and went to my office where I get a view of the front pond. Seems he was trying to capture one of the other remaining Gold fish. What he didn't count on was me getting to my paintball gun.... I know it stung because he had to have lept 3 feet in the air and the 2 subsequent shots hit him square in the behind. Wish I had pictures but hopefully he Stays away now!

Andy

29

Pond Chat / Of the best laid plans of mice and men....

« on: January 26, 2008, 09:33:24 AM »

Well I just checked on my fish in my small pond and now I am torqued off, I HAD 4 goldies in there that were a decent size (about 8-10 inches) one was actually a yellow/beige color. My wifes friend gave them to us and the big pond had to many predators. NOW I have 2, One is scratched up pretty good the other is fine. The yellow is gone and so is the other. Looks like something with some claws got to it so I suspect racoon.... Darn it! :'(

30

Pond Chat / Look what I found!

« on: December 28, 2007, 11:21:07 AM »

While doing some pond maintenenace I saw this large larvae which was all of 2 1/2 to 3 inches long, I do not think I have seen one quite this big before but it is nice to know that my pond is balanced enough that I continue to have dragonflys. He was a little cold but posed for the camera anyway....LOL