Holly
what kind of fish do you have? I really like that it is around your bird bath. I would think the birds would like it too. Very nice.
Carolyn
Happy Ponds- the upside of ponding
It reminds me of a fish pond my great-grandmother had back in Oakland, Calif. She had one of those shotgun houses, very narrow and long into the lot with three floors and a big back yard. There was a single car garage and in the 10' or so that was left of the lot there was a sidewalk and a round concrete fish pond. I don't know how deep, but my memory (at 5 or 6 years old was that it was very deep. I think she had fish, assume they were gold fish. I think I was told that the city made her fill it in eventually as it was a drowning hazard. I remember she had white cala lilies down the side of the garage next to the pond and fruit trees in the back yard.
mstella, Sounds like your Great grandmother had a lovely yard.
Carolyn, Most of the fish are just cheap feeder goldfish that have grown over the years to pretty good size. Yes, the birds do love the birdbath. We get a lot of action here and the feeders are close by.
Carolyn, do you have goldfish and koi, or just koi?
MS
I have just koi. We used to have both, but the goldfish breed far too much for DH and I to stay on top of them.
Okay. I was just wondering after svkoi said that you couldn't keep them in the same pond.
Why is that? I have had both together.
Well, R said that the goldfish had diseases that could kill koi. made it sound like it was a given. Then J, her husband, sent a note and said that while that was true, it was very rare. then went on to discuss how the koi could damage themselves on the rocks, etc. Suggested triple anti-biotic fishfood. Was just curious if anyone else mixed up the critters.
I've always had both in my pond mixed together. It's never been an issue.
We used to, but the constant breeding of the goldfish was the reason the goldfish had to go. We did have some very beautiful goldfish and they had grown quite large.
From the very beginning have had koi and goldfish together. They get along fine so far and its been almost 2 years . Florida fish must be more social. LOL
Mine are quite happy together. After four years, we have had only one baby survive and he/she is about 3" long now. First spotted her this spring. Assume she is from last year's batch. And definitely a goldfish. Mostly those cannibalistic fish eat them all. I see them all crowded around this one area where the babies seem to hide.
I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this thread with all the beautiful ponds and those cute frogs....
I hope to have a place next year that will be ours and where I can try my hand at a pond, so if you don't mind, I would love to hang around and enjoying your pictures and learn about ponds.
Jan
Oh Jan. Please do hang around. We are a merry and friendly bunch and the more the merrier. A little irreverant at times, silly at others, but always ready to welcome a fellow gardener, ponder, or just someone new to the mix.
Mary
Mary is right Jan..... please stay. We have a lot of fun.
I agree, this is a great thread.
How I wish there was a hardy blue water lily. Maybe someday someone will develop one.
I agree DavEdsel. I would love a blue one. I tried one this year. It had a lovely flower on it when I got it but when it went into the pond it barely survived the summer, much less winter and it was supposed to be hardy -- maybe in California. :(
Dear Holly, the picture of your bird bath with the green-slime-algae growing on the concrete looks like a good idea. It seems to compliment the natural surroundings. That's a maintenance-free filter? And I bet it supplies alot of oxygen to the water.
Very late chiming in on this, but Txdoodlebug, if you're in the market for more water plants, I have bought from Texas Waterlilies and been very pleased. Think of the shorter shipping distance your plants would have to suffer. I wonder if they have survived the terrible drought ok.
I got my dwarf water lily 'Dauben' from them as well as lotus 'Baby Doll' and this year a new slightly larger water lily 'Yellow Thamannoon' that has been really lovely. It's a bit too big for my little 4ft. by 12ft. pond, but I inhibited its growth a bit by keeping it in a small-ish pot.
If I had a pond up north, I think I'd want blue water lilies, too. I'd buy the tropical blue of choice, lift the pot, keep them in a cold but not freezing basement or garage over the winter, then put them out again in spring? You'd just have to make sure they didn't dry out. My tropicals have all survived two extremely cold winters. I know the pond water got down into the 40's despite my best efforts at adding sun-warmed water to keep the temp up.
Here's 'Yellow Thamannoon'
This is 'Dauben' which is truly a perfect sized water lily for a little pond. The leaves get about 7in. long. It's also tolerant of some shade, as my pond only gets a couple of hours of direct sun per day, but 'Dauben' blooms constantly from about March to December.
Flowers are almost white, but the blue color suffuses in until on the last day of bloom it is quite blue. Nice fragrance, too.
I don't bother cleaning it off very often. Once in a while I will hose it off when I what it to look nicer for company but mostly I just let it grow. That water feature doesn't have much in the way of a filter. We took a plastic milk crate and tied barley straw mats to the sides and set it over the pump. The idea was that the pump would pull the water thru the barley straw mat. Here is one of my tropical WL
thanks for the warm welcome, good to see Elaine here, she has a wonderful pond.
Jan
Hi All,
It has taken us a weeks work to get to this point. I'm so tickeled. Husb. rigged up a little boom on my Kubota today to set the 5 pieces of concrete in place that form the fountain. I painted it with leftover pool paint which is all I got advice on that would not flake when submerged. If it flakes off I was told the fish would eat it and get ulcers so couldn't use latex. The flowers and birds on the top piece are latex as pool paint doesn't come in varied colors. Hope it holds up but if not we will have to take it out of pond. There is a little stream running to another pond but thats not in the pic. Will try to share what we have done so far. Husb put water flow controls on all the water lines. Hopefully it will work if not he will make it work I'm sure.
Bonnie
Second pic
Last one
Wow! I can't wait to see it! :)
that is a beautiful pond. Had you thought of putting it up on a pestal so it wasn't in the water???
me also can't wait for the finished photos (see I'm saying photoS, as in many pics). LOL
Jan
Jan,
It is on a pedestal that puts the large basin up out of the water. We are hoping water will flow gently out over basin and into pond.
I have a few fish to seperate and Mary is contributing some also which is wonderful.
Jan you get up here and see it in operation at the RU. Hopefully it will be running long before then Lord willing.
I've never seen my husb. so interested and he has been working on it every day. He is a perfectionist and that takes time.
We have to haul hay tomorrow and maybe Tuesday but then will get back at it. I'll have to plant a bunch of plants around
both ponds and little stream but that will come in time. He keeps telling me Rome wasn't built in a day and I tell him thats cause I wasn't heading up the job. I learned a long time ago its better to pick up the shovel and use it than nag. Gets projects going.
Take care and look forward to seeing you all soon.
well had a message typed out and hit the home button instead of the send... oh well...
Just saying how much I liked your thinking "I learned a long time ago its better to pick up the shovel and use it than nag." So true.... makes life nicer for sure..
Jan
Yipee Yipee
Filled up pond last night and turned it on this morning. Everything appears to be working. Washed more little rocks this morning and added them to smaller pond. Can't wait to get fish in there. This time I bought a bottle of the good bacteria to help it get it off to a good start. Looks bare without plants in the water but that will come in time. Got little walkway to build in the morning.
Jan,
I sharpen my shovel on my husb. grinding wheel and that sure helps. Have 4 different kinds of shovels and ea. has its own job.
See you soon.
Bonnie....I can bring some little koi over. Do you want them before your roundup so they have time to acclimate?
Can I request that pictures of your round up be posted? They should be fun.. I want to see all the fishies as well!
Carolyn22
You should be a snow bird and head on down to the round up....LOL
Jan
Jan
I would love to..... I liked Southern Florida in July - I can just imagine! ^_^
We're forecast to have a shocking weather change this weekend, our first cold front of fall. Daytime it will be 85 instead of 90, nights will cool down maybe even below 70!
It's a tough life down here . . .
I'm ready! Time to get out the Bratwurst! :)
It was 42F here this morning and no frost! Yeah! a heat wave. LOL.
Mary
I'm loving this upcoming weather change as we pick up SIL on Monday for a week visit with us,so going out during the day will be much easier on her and DH.
By all means get on down here....
Jan
Mary,
Would love to have koi anytime but we are experiencing leaks with new ponds. Charlie thinks its in the little stream fold overs of liner. He has already torn apart all liner around skimmer and reworked it and today we are going to reglue steam bed. I'll let you know as soon as we get it solved.
Carolyn you can rely on pics of roundup and fishies. BTW would love to have you come down.
It feels great to me today. I'm plowing up garden then tilling and then I can put the vegies in. Broccoli does great and I love it. I eat it raw or cooked, stalks make into slaw, leaves we cook like collard greens. Great winter vegie.
Got to get to work!
Bonnie - I'd love to.... How far are you all from Orlando? I have family in DeLand.