Author Topic: time for our "annual" what do you plan to do in your garden/pond this year????? (Read 3775 times)

tinkster · « **on:** February 13, 2008, 08:19:43 PM »

Maybe that will help with these winter blahs....

for me I am really gonna get into some serious culling and planting this year.. I have taken a liking to roses and want to start someof them.. probalby be sorry as I hear thye are mega trouble!

I also give up on hiding the ugly chain link and found a bunch of the 12' ft wood fences at lowes on a clearance table for 5.00 so I am gonna hang pretty white fence over the chain link

anybody else have plans?????

tionkster

Ky Kim · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2008, 08:25:02 PM »

Haven't had time to think about it. Depending on my hours if there like anything like I'm doing now, I won't even get to look at the pond. :'(

Kim

tinkster · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2008, 08:34:53 PM »

you will just have to quit work then

we cannot NOT have your pictures and pretty pond this year!

tinkster

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2008, 08:43:55 PM »

It would be easier to make a list of things I don't plan to do!

I would like to build a new pond in an unused space in my yard (easier said than done). Tear down the old gazebo and remove the old spa, which still works fine but no one uses it anymore, and build a "teahouse" (which will probably be the dumping grounds for lots of things) (easier said than done). It will be a miracle if this gets done before the end of the year!

I never stop putzing around the yard and sit back and enjoy the garden. But I do enjoy small garden tasks.

What are you not going to do?

frloplady · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2008, 10:02:32 PM »

finish the pond and surrounding area..but I've been saying that for the last 2 years

Jerry · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2008, 10:26:14 PM »

I don't know where to begin. Some very light shade structures with bamboo (home grown) and shade fabric. A better veggie garden, less variety and better care.
A giant garage sale to get rid of perfectly good stuff I don't use and it owns me and I can hardly work because of this crap. :'(
Always looking for a special plant.

Bonnie · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2008, 05:22:08 AM »

Tink only you would find such a great deal on fencing!

I'm also culling some of my fish this year. Only the koi because I got rid of over 100 goldies last year!

We've got to replace a few of our knife valves that are leaking, gonna replace them with ball valves.
Thinking about buying some more brushes from Kevin to add to one of my skippy's and also finish the rock around the skippy's.

Add more perennials which some I've already got on order!

landey1230 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2008, 05:26:38 AM »

I would like to build a skippy. I was going to work on it over the winter, but nah. I don't get along with cold water.

tinkster · « **Reply #8 on:** February 14, 2008, 06:06:58 AM »

well I dont know what all I am not gonna get done or not do.. but I can tell you what I wont be doing.. SITTING and enjoying it.. I am never happy to do that.. The happiness for me comes from playing with it.. if I dont have anything to do I will sit up on the rocks on the waterfall and play with moving them around to get different effects .. maybe I need some crawdads so I can hunt them when I run out of things to do

tinkster

Cindi · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2008, 07:20:26 AM »

We plan on building steps from the existing upper deck down to the new lower deck that was built last fall around the pond. Then we will finish landscaping around the pond so it doesn't look like it just popped up from nowhere.

marla · « **Reply #10 on:** February 14, 2008, 12:08:55 PM »

Just starting to think, bought a couple seed packets yesterday. Last fall as I was bringing in all the lotus DH said maybe we should just build a lotus pond with leftover liner from the lily pond......hmmmm

Well, he started it!

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2008, 02:09:47 PM »

I need to finish my 4' fence around the pond's . I plan on putting some latice board on
top of the fence ( to make it higher) .

I have 2 flower bed's I want to finish up with perennial's .

Build some kind of filtering system for the lily pond.My Cousin Mike was telling me all about the one he's going to build & now I want one too .....

....

bonnie

Julles · « **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2008, 05:17:13 PM »

"I can tell you what I won't be doing.. SITTING and enjoying it.. I am never happy to do that.. The happiness for me comes from playing with it.. "

Tee hee hee - is that why they call you "TinkerAroundster" ??

I always have plans, and it's getting warm, so I have to do my pond expansion before it's too hot and hard on the fish, while they're in 5 gallon buckets while I'm digging. My yard is very small - just the sideyard to a townhouse that takes up most of the lot. I'm lucky to have any yard at all, and it's all garden. It's pretty much "done" - all full up, and I've forbidden myself to add any new plants. :'( I do have to do some repotting and trimming of potted plants, though. But no more pots!)

For the pond, hopefully in March, work schedule permitting (I figure I need three days off work) I'm gonna expand it from 550 gallons to 700; 25'x3'x30" deep, which is about all I can squeeze in my wee yard. Besides, I've already got the liner, and I'm tired of walking around all 100lbs of it in my garage. I've been pondering and pondering, and have pretty much decided to do away with the bog filter I installed just last March (at my last expansion!

) in favor of a pressurized bio filter. This means moving around the waterfall, and figuring a way to have some plants in the pond again, rather than in a bog.

I've got my eye on a couple of larger koi that I may cull out, and some non-remarkable shubunkins. Then again, I'm hoping to hatch and raise a few of this year's spawn, so....

Also, since all the photos here, plus a gift from someone on the site, plus all of you talking about the 99¢ PetSmart lilies, I've developed an interest in water lilies. I have one 30 gallon tub lily garden set in the flower border, and will build a PVC and plastic mesh "corral" for lilies in the pond to keep them safe from the koi. In addition, I "inherited" (from the curb!) a kidney-shaped pre-formed mini pond, and think I can find somewhere, even if it's on the front driveway, for a free-standing lily pond.

The pond expansion means 12 sq ft less yard space, plus it's hard to walk around, since I have less than 3' land on either side of the pond. BUT I LOVE MY FISH!

The first weekend in June is our annual Pond Tour - this year, they project to have 40 ponds on the 2-day tour, spread over three counties! Can't miss that!

In addition to the pond, twice a year at least, I have to climb up and trim the suckers from my live oak tree. This is an 8-hour job, believe me, just to get the main ones - and they come RIGHT BACK within weeks!

I'd also like to join the Texas Amphibian Watch, which is where you sit in your yard at a certain time of day for a certain period of days / weeks, and listen to which types of frog and toad calls you hear. The State of Texas sends you a CD of calls and a booklet to record your observations, then you send it in. I signed up in '05, but was in a bad car accident and that kinda nixed a whole lot of stuff for a time. Now I'm ready to pull that CD out again, sit in my garden in the warm evening, and listen up!

Guess I'm kinda like Tinkster - don't like to sit still.

patsy · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2008, 07:14:43 PM »

Hi Tink!

I have seen photos of you beautiful pond and really admire it, and, your awesome waterfall. I need to put a new pump in my 600 gallon pond this year. Soooo, I've been thinking of asking you about how large your pond is and how many gph, and what brand your pump is? My pump is 700 gph. and just doesn't seem to have a nice flow.
And I'd sure like to have a pretty one like your.

Thanks Patsy

Ky Kim · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2008, 08:03:52 PM »

Sounds like a plan Tink. She called me in early today, and while I had her on the phone I told her. Look, I only wanted a part time job. It got better after Christmas and its worse now than then. I'm never home at night, and only see the kids when I'm putting them on the bus. Between working 40 hours (a little plus) and 20 at the bingo hall, I'm wore out.

I did do some thinking,

1. Finish the falls
2. Plant things I don't have to dig up in the fall
3. Relax!
4. Did I say finish the falls, that should have been done last summer.

Kim

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #15 on:** February 14, 2008, 08:44:41 PM »

Last summer I planted zinnias and nasturtiums along the edge of our deck in between all the shrubs and perennials. They added so much color! I saved seed and this year I plan on planting a lot more, a whole lot more.

Here's a few pics.

Karen

Jonna · « **Reply #16 on:** February 14, 2008, 08:48:42 PM »

I don't think I'll have a garden yet in time to plant much this year down here in Mexico. Planting here is in June and July, before the rains start. Of course, you can plant all year around but things grow better if they have the rainy season to start out in. I will have to do some landscaping whenever the house is done, and I'll have to figure out the pond. Right now, all I know is I will have a hole, covered in concrete.

I miss my pond in California, friends from there are coming down here at the beginning of March and have promised to bring me pictures of both ponds, and the fish! She called me while standing by the pond the other day and said it is clear as can be, that you could read a penny on the bottom. But, all the lilies have died back and there is nothing growing in there. It's warming up though and they have started feeding the fish.

The new pond that wasn't finished when I left is up and running, using a bog as a filter. It's too soon to tell if it will work well or not. I hope so.

Don · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2008, 08:57:58 PM »

I’m going to finalize the plans and build a new DIY skimmer, and maybe add a venturi for oxygenation during the hot summer months. Add more variety of plants, perhaps a Lily and…

Oh wait, the wife purchased strawberries to go with dinner and my now 12 year old daughter reminded me that we used to have a strawberry patch (a birthday gift to me when she was 3 or 4) but Dad dug them up and put in a pond!

The pond stays of course but I’m plantin strawberries

tinkster · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2008, 09:02:22 PM »

wellthank you patsy! I am running two pumps... and for the life of me I cant remember what they are.. they were recommended on this forum. magdrive waterfall somethings.. but one is 3,200 or maybe 3,500 gph and the other is 2,000 gph. so I am pushing close to or over 5,000 gph but I have a high "climb" to the top fall.. something that really helped me with the flow ( and I think I stil need much more) was I narrowed down my pools/ basins/ streams as they were to wide and that made the water not flow as much.. I also have the rocks just slightly pitched forward to give it momentum and then what helped it most I think was I feed the water in from the pumps right at the top of each waterfall drop so it basically comes out the plumbing and falls right off.. lots of momentum that way

anyway.. am sure there are others here with much better info on how to get good waterflow.. I struggle with it myself!

Oh also.. I changed my 1" and 1 1/2" plumbing to all 2" so I figure less fricition more water.. thnk it helped....

tinkster

tinkster · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2008, 09:03:50 PM »

wow karen!! those are beautiful.. Ineed some color like that all through my garden! Quesetion.. I dont really have any place to start seeds early.. did you just plant yours in the ground direct sow.. ??? or start them in flats.. if so how long before they stasrt blooming???

tinkster

Julles · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2008, 10:09:49 PM »

Patsy, you might want to repost your question as a New Topic... that way more people are likely to see it and respond.

When my pond was 300 or 400 gallons, I had a 700 gph pump divided between a low waterfall and a small waterfall for aeration. In addition, there was a 900 gph pump running the Tetra gravity-type bio filter. It all worked fine.

In my expanded 550 gallon pond, I kept the 700 gph pump and use it on a tiny fountain and on a small waterfall. I used the 900 gph pump to run my bog filter, which sits a few inches above the pond and splashes into it, providing more air.

I intend to keep both pumps when I enlarge to a 700 gallon pond this spring. The 900 gph will run the pressurized bio filter / waterfall, and the 700 gph will continue to work the fountain and small falls.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #21 on:** February 15, 2008, 08:49:22 AM »

Karen your garden looks like a photo out of a garden magazine! It's beautiful! Your colors and placement make it picture perfect. Love it!

MikeW · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2008, 12:35:56 PM »

Karen - ditto. Wow, those colours!

I don't know what my exact plans are this year - I'm at my best while muddling through, but I just feel like it is time for a great gardening year.

After Karen's photos - zinnia seeds everywhere!

Cheers,

Mike

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #23 on:** February 15, 2008, 12:42:37 PM »

Thanks guys for the compliments. I just loved the splash of color they gave my yard and everyone that came loved them too. We had our house roofed last summer and even the roofers commented about how pretty they were. I thought that was the ultimate compliment. You wouldn't think roofers would enjoy flowers. They loved the fish too. Every morning when they got here they went to check out the fish before they started roofing. I kept a can of fish food on the deck and told them to feel free to feed them.

Tink.....I bought a couple packs of the taller zinnias. They were blooming when I bought them. While I was planting my annuals in pots in the spring, I planted some zinnia seed in pots too. Just as soon as they were up, I transplanted them into the ground. For the nasturtiums, I took a pencil, poked a hole in the ground and dropped a seed in. I think every one of them came up. I had all of them planted up close to the deck where I could reach them with the hose and I watered and miracle growed them really often. They bloomed constantly until frost. This year I want to do a lot more. I just loved the bright colors. The only problem with the seed zinnias is that I ended up with a lot of white ones, but they were pretty too.

The best part was that they attracted so many butterflys.

Karen

marla · « **Reply #24 on:** February 15, 2008, 03:49:34 PM »

As a kid my moms gardens always had zinnias, so did mine at my other house. Last year I wanted more color and planted one packet of seeds, forgot how much I liked that old fashion flower, I have already purchased some for this spring. Plan on doing quite a few more seeds of the old fashion cutting flower variety. Karen yours are just FABULOUS, it does look like magazine pictures, thanks for sharing, makes me long for spring even more.

milliemax · « **Reply #25 on:** February 15, 2008, 06:12:57 PM »

Well, garden wise, my DH is a wood carver and carved a sign for a guy with a new nursery,so he owes us a whole bunch of hours to work on our yard.
We're working first on the potager garden, adding new beds and paths. We're not sure whether to use gravel or bark for the paths. Any opinions?
We have acres and acres of horse field on the wind side, so it's not easy to keep the weeds out.
Pond stuff, I did find 3 fish still alive and starting to explore, but the pond is still at about 48*.
I'm going to have to drain it and clean it, cause the algae is massive!
Just went to the Chiro, so NOT this weekend! LOL Nancy

Mikey · « **Reply #26 on:** February 16, 2008, 07:53:48 PM »

My current project is re-working some areas around the pond. I have a bunch of air plants attached in a tropical tree and they were starting to get leggy so I spent time tying them back up again and making sure the mister was reaching them. Thanks to Annette's tip I bought a saucer magnolia on sale for 1/2 price and had a spot next to the pond where I wanted to plant it. That spot needed re-working anyway so I spent the day getting it back into shape. Below is the hole I dug for the saucer magnolia and a root barrier in place to protect the liner.

Magnolia dropped into the hole...

I planted some Mondo grass along the edges of the rock and the vinyl edging. On the back side of the rock is a short fern that will fill in that area come spring. There is also some Sweet Flag that will fill in the rocks next to the water.

I finished working on the small veggie garden today as well. I had a bunch of compost that I rototilled into the soil. We then had a wind that knocked down a bunch of leaves and so I scattered them on top. Not pretty but it will give the worms something to snack on. I then laid down my drip irrigation and planted seeds for bell peppers, eggplant, dill, chard and cilantro. I also planted seeds for one tomato (Better Boy) and one cherry tomato. The bare spots are where I brushed aside the leaves and planted seeds next to the emitters. Behind me from where I took the below photo is a raised planter and it has strawberries, asparagus and artichokes planted in it.

If I'm in the mood tomorrow, my next project is to re-work the other side of the pond where I have some Korean grass that has run amuck and needs to be corraled.....

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #27 on:** February 16, 2008, 07:58:51 PM »

Wow Mike, you've been belly belly busy! Someday I will need to inspect the placement of the saucer magnolia tree

Looks like a very beautiful spot for it next to the pond!

Mikey · « **Reply #28 on:** February 16, 2008, 08:29:11 PM »

I'm just hoping the saucer magnolia gets enough sunlight.... Time will tell.....

Loritx · « **Reply #29 on:** February 17, 2008, 02:52:11 PM »

Already did the spring cleanout of the pond....had no choice, we had a bad windstorm a few weeks ago and it filled the pond up with leaves. Fish are happier now!!!

And all of them are accounted for!!! I really thought I was down to 4 shubunkins but all 6 were busy chasing the wetvac hose!! It was kind of scary vacuming the leaves out not knowing or being able to see the fish...The largest Koi even had a fight with the hose- she did not want it in the pond and kept attacking it! THere was no way to catch the fish before cleaning.

I plan a few revisions to the pond rocks, but other than that, the pond is "well" almost done!

We have been in this house for almost 3 yrs now and the garden area is totaly DEAD....Dirt DEAD...nothing will grow right in it.....so we are going to make a 12ft x 12ft raised garden bed and add new soil. Hopefully something will grow in it this year. I think the previous owners had a herb garden there- still some stay parsley in the flowerbed and some mint(which will never go away).

Other than that the previous owners did a pretty good job landscaping. Lots of raised flowerbeds and lots of perrenial plants. So only have a small area for annual flowers.