Messages

181

Terrestrial Gardening / Can you say cheesey?!?

« on: June 23, 2010, 08:27:27 AM »

The past few years I have planted orange colored flowers near and around my pond to accentuate the colors of my fish.   I call them my "cheesey flowers" because they remind me of different colored cheeses.

This is calendula - it's an annual here, but I was thrilled to find some very small seedlings growing early in the season, and moved them to one area.  They are doing quite well and I am thrilled that I didn't have to buy more this year - need to keep the budget lower this year.




This is dwarf cosmos - I didn't know of this variety before, I've only seen the very tall, pink varieties.


And marigolds!  I'm crossing my fingers because I've never been successful with them before.  They usually burn out or all the flower heads get bitten off by the  woodchuck, which surprises me because animals are supposed to stay away from them due to their pungent scent.


Anyone else have some cheesey flowers to share here?

182

Pond Chat / Re: Compact water lilies for container ponds?

« on: June 22, 2010, 07:51:54 AM »

I was also going to say that the pads and flowers on my Sioux are pretty small.  There are many pads and flowers, but the sizes surprised me, as I seem to remember the 2 flowers I got at the end of last summer being much larger.

183

Pond Chat / Re: Finally captured...

« on: June 21, 2010, 03:22:34 PM »

That is so cool, Bryan!!! I'm going to have to watch them a bit closer to see if I can watch that as well!

184

Pond Chat / Re: Father's Day Pics

« on: June 21, 2010, 06:37:57 AM »

So very pretty!

I felt like I was right inside that lotus bloom in the first picture - I love it!

185

Pond Chat / Re: Finally captured...

« on: June 21, 2010, 06:34:20 AM »

Very nice pictures!  I had tried holding my hand out to see if any would land - no such luck, but I'll keep trying.

186

Pond Chat / Re: Frog or toad???

« on: June 20, 2010, 07:50:31 PM »

not an expert, I'm better with frogs......could be an American Toad......females are larger then males.....if you pick up a male toad it will normaly give a croak for warning, females do not make sounds also a males throat is normaly darker. 

YES!!!  It's an Eastern American Toad!  I looked it up after you said American Toad, and then listened to the call - it's exactly what we hear beginning early evening and going late into the night!

Thanks Marla!

187

Terrestrial Gardening / blue lacecap hydrangea

« on: June 19, 2010, 09:19:36 PM »

I've had this plant for about 10 years, but until last summer, it was growing in too much full sun.  We moved it to where it gets morning sun only, and it seems to be very happy there this year.  Due to the early warm/hot weather this year, it's blooming way ahead of schedule.  I'm very glad it has reverted back to its blue coloring - the other spot had it flowering pink/purple no matter what I amended the soil with.  Also... when we moved this plant, it actually broke into 2 pieces, and the other piece is doing as well, on the other side of this garden in the front of the house.

188

Pond Chat / Re: Frog or toad???

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:48:02 PM »

Thanks Missa - do you know which type it might be?

189

Pond Chat / Frog or toad???

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:38:40 PM »

This guy has been hiding in our skimmer for a few weeks now.  He doesn't move when my husband lifts the lid off to clean the filter either.  He seems to be fine - serenades us every night, quite loudly too.

Is he a frog or toad?  I'm leaning towards toad with all those bumps?!?
And which one is he?

190

Pond Chat / Purple pickerel in bloom

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:22:34 PM »

My last pictures of this new plant for me were in the container pond thread, so I thought I'd start a new one for just this plant.  It's been blooming for a few days now, and getting prettier the more it blooms.



Anyone else want to share pictures of their pickerel?

191

Pond Chat / Finally captured...

« on: June 19, 2010, 08:06:26 PM »

on camera!!!

I've been trying to get at least one of the many dragonflies by my pond to sit still long enough for me to take a picture.  This one cooperated nicely for me today.

On a sunflower bud


Then nearby on a tomato stake I have at the pond to keep the heron away!

192

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:53:31 PM »

A question about container plants for a few friends - what should they do with the lily plants they are having success with this year, when winter comes to their zones 6 and 5?  They will surely freeze if left in the 1/2 barrel containers, right?

193

Pond Chat / Re: Finally a bloom

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:48:45 PM »

Both pictures are gorgeous!!!

194

Pond Chat / Re: a video of pond and garden I have no idea if it will work ! We will get better.

« on: June 19, 2010, 05:54:24 AM »

  I wondered if anyone got my joke about the grass called
"Stipa?"

Got it Jerry!

195

Pond Chat / Re: healthy koi?

« on: June 18, 2010, 08:50:05 PM »

Thanks - now I wish I had gotten it - it's a 1/2 hour drive back there, and I don't want to waste the gas.  I'll know for next time though - thanks again.

196

Pond Chat / healthy koi?

« on: June 18, 2010, 08:05:44 PM »

I was in a store today where they had a very nice looking small pure white butterfly koi.  Its fins were a bit shredded, but that often happens in these stores, but the odd thing is that where the nostrils (?) are on the top of the face were fleshy looking pieces sticking up.  It's hard to describe it - the employees hadn't ever seen this before, and neither had I, so I didn't get it, because I didn't know if this was normal or not?

Anyone know?

197

Pond Chat / Re: a video of pond and garden I have no idea if it will work ! We will get better.

« on: June 18, 2010, 06:09:22 PM »

I really enjoyed your video, especially your narration!  I felt like I was right there along side of you, visiting your lush, green yard!

198

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Saw the blacklace elderberry at

« on: June 16, 2010, 06:33:50 AM »

Mine is planted in full all day sun and seems to be very happy.

Glad you found some - can't wait to see pictures!

199

Pond Chat / Re: Pictures: Lynn Ellen, Avalanche, Bull's Eye

« on: June 16, 2010, 06:27:16 AM »

Is that first one really that blue???  If so, I might have to find one!

200

Pond Chat / Re: Red Scarf Lotus

« on: June 16, 2010, 06:13:23 AM »

Very pretty!

201

Pond Chat / Re: some of my water lilies

« on: June 13, 2010, 07:56:12 PM »

VERY nice! 

202

Pond Chat / Re: Tinkster's visit to Turtle Island.

« on: June 13, 2010, 05:41:41 PM »

StoPPPP!!! You're killing me here!  Tooooooo gorgeous!!!

203

Pond Chat / Re: Tons of tiny wiggly things?

« on: June 13, 2010, 09:11:39 AM »

Well... we still have tons of string algae - even on the waterfall rocks where these buggers are - it's growing faster than they can eat it!

204

Photo Album / Re: Pics from Tim

« on: June 13, 2010, 08:19:53 AM »

Gorgeous flowers in beautiful pictures!

205

Pond Chat / Re: Tons of tiny wiggly things?

« on: June 13, 2010, 08:10:35 AM »

My husband permanently attached those rocks when he built the waterfall, so they cannot be moved.  I told him what I found online last night, and he said he'll probably have to powerwash the rocks then, hoping that the water from the powerwash will force them down into the pond for the fish to eat.

Now that I know they are black fly larvae I want them off as soon as possible!  I seem to be a magnet for those flies!  I can be standing in a circle of people, and the flies only attack me - something in my chemistry!

206

Pond Chat / Re: Tons of tiny wiggly things?

« on: June 12, 2010, 09:02:22 PM »

Thanks for all the responses!  A google search tonight showed that they are black fly larvae.  The pictures look just like what we have and the explanations are on the spot too!

Black flies live as larvae in shallow, clear, fast-running water in rivers and streams. The black, spindle-shaped larvae live on the stream bottom attached to rocks and other submerged objects and feed on tiny bits of organic matter, algae and protozoa. Larvae transform in the water to adult flies that rise to the water surface in a bubble of gas. The adult flies are usually present for about 3 weeks before they die. The adult Black Flies are not known to bother humans out west, unlike their northeastern US relatives.

Of course I live in the northeast, where the black flies are very bothersome, and as someone else wrote... they get in my eyes and ears, etc!  I also read that the best way to get rid of them is to scrape them off the rocks into a container and then put them in the pond for the fish to eat.  I really don't see myself scraping them off the rocks - EWWWWW!  Is there any other way to get rid of them without harming the fish?

207

Pond Chat / Tons of tiny wiggly things?

« on: June 11, 2010, 09:31:38 PM »

My husband pointed out tons and tons of teensy tiny black wiggly things on the waterfall rocks today when he shut off the flow to clean the filters.  I have never seen them before and can't imagine what they are?  They seem to stay on the waterfall rocks whether the water is flowing or not?  I won't be home tomorrow, and if it's not raining on Sunday I will try and get a picture, but they are very small.

Anyone have any ideas?

208

Pond Chat / Re: My version of a jap. maple.. its blooming, thanks Joyce!

« on: June 04, 2010, 06:01:16 PM »

Jerry - you are correct about the humidity!  It has been just awful this past week - they keep forcasting rain but it never materializes here for us!

I was not aware of this bush until I saw your post.  I think it's beautiful, both the Black Beauty and the Black Lace.  I am going to have to go out on a mission and find one of those.  There was something kind of like that in Conneticut.  It was called a lace capped hydranga and it had all those flowers in a cluster of each individual bloom.  The hydranga here bloom in one big ball, different colors depending on the acidity of the soil.  I like the new England version more and brought one back but it isn't doing well.  Going to keep feeding it and trying to make it happy.  I sure could find a place real quick if I find one of your type bushes.

jax - I have a few lace capped hydrangeas also - have had them for many years but I had them in too much sun and they were just "ok" - last summer I moved them to the front of the house that only gets morning sun and they are full of buds already - very early!  I will take pictures when they are in full bloom.

209

Pond Chat / Re: My version of a jap. maple.. its blooming, thanks Joyce!

« on: June 04, 2010, 08:13:50 AM »

I have a small one that is planted in afternoon sun here - I would say from about 1 til sunset.  The first 2 years it was "ok" but this year it's doing very nicely!  I make sure to keep it watered and it doesn't seem to mind the full HOT afternoon sun here.  Will get a picture over the weekend.

210

Pond Chat / Re: Those gorgeous night bloomers!

« on: June 04, 2010, 06:37:23 AM »

OMG soooooooo pretty!