Zany! I've been following this thread with interest! (I'm gonna try too this summer). You both did a great job!
I like how you have taken the rocks and spread them around. I have a rock pile that is growing by the minute. The more perennial beds I make, the more I get. I am looking for something creative to do with them......
P.S. Stop the varmit from eating your Hosta! ;-D
advice for first time ponder
LOL I stopped him and now the poor thing will take a year to recover! We are going to use smaller stones to continue the rock right up to the patio. Hoping for a dry riverbed effect that will serve as a pathway since the area gets too much traffic for grass.
And to be honest, I am determined to use this wee yard as an example of small space gardening. It has limitations but the possibilities are amazing me!
Zany it is really looking GREAT. You are creating something U can sure be proud of. What is the blue flower? I love clear blue flowers but don't have any. I have some blue but they are dark blue.
Zany - absolutely. I went on a private garden tour of several homes this past weekend. The use of rock in small spaces was outstanding. Either to create a dry riverbed effect, or a backdrop with groupings of pots. I gathered so many ideas! I probably will not have enough rocks now! :-D
Sure wish we didn't have to buy our rocks..sure limits what we can do.
Sugar, the light blue is a trailing lobelia
The lavender/blue is a verbena as is the pink on the other side
And the chartruce strappy leafs in the back with the deep purple/blue is a spiderwort
This message was edited Monday, Jun 9th 7:30 PM
Thanks Sue, I have even convinced Bob that rocks can be a good thing ;~)
Sugar, I have never lived anywhere that you would have to buy rocks other than Los Angeles! It would be a lot simpler to have them delivered but then we would miss all the fun of digging them out of the ground or spending days loading them up at the river! It is also better for the economy because after spending a day hauling rock we then spend a fortune on pain pills, linament, and heating pads :~)
Zany, trailing lobelia is something I never see in the stores here..Wonder if they will live here? Maybe I can try some from seeds if I can find seeds. We have spiderwart growing wild beside the road here..
I would think it would grow fine there in a semi shady spot. We get it here as an annual. I never looked for seeds on it since we get the 6 packs of it for under a buck on specials early every spring. At that price seed starting and grow lights...seem like a waste of energy! I usually buy 4-5 6packs of it and tuck it in everywhere there is a spot of soil in pots or flowerbeds.
I found this to add to my pond today :~) Pretty neat looking plant. It is a Juncus effusus 'Unicorn' according to the tag. It says it takes Sun to light shade and is hardy to 0 degrees. The common name is corkscrew rush and it grows 1-2 ft high.
Oh Zany! I like that ALOT! Your pond is sure looking good,
I'm still waiting and waiting...)~:<
Zany I have some corkscrew rush I found at Lowes this year. Mine is nowhere as big as yours looks but that's OK too since my pond is kinda small. Your pond is sure looking GOOD.
I just got this one at the hardware store today. It is in a 1 gallon pot and I really should divide it since it is pot bound. I paid 7.99 for it and figure that I can divide it into 2 plants easily or just pot it up to a larger pot.
Zany,
I have the same exact pond kit as you do! You did an excellent job! Keep up the good work. I wish mine was almost complete, as far as landscape goes. I need Rocks!!! I guess I just need to get out there and find some -- I'm not going to pay the prices they want for them from the local quarry. Here's some pics of my project.
here's another one -- that's one of my six fish.
and yet another -- excuse the weeds, and extension cords, had no chance to weed (too much rain), and no chance/money to run electric to the pond!
This message was edited Saturday, Jun 14th 9:26 AM
kc8lcw thanks for posting your pond pics. It is indeed the same pond I just didn't add the cascade feature to mine. I may be ahead of you on rocks but you are ahead on plants from the looks of things :~) And once those plants fill in you may not even need rocks. Keep those photos coming, we will all enjoy the process together and it is fun to see the way other people do their set up and landscaping. Oh, and mine is hooked up to a bright orange outdoor extension cord too ;~)
Hi KC and Zany,
I have five small ponds, two of which have waterfalls into the two larger ponds. I have good pictures but have to wait for GW to show me how to post them on Dave's Garden. As soon as she does I'll show them to you.
Both of you have done a beautiful job.
By the way.....water lotus comes in different sizes, is hardy thru the winter and the leaves grow up out of the water and stand up as well as the flowers. They wre beautiful even when not in bloom.
I would love to add water lotus to my pond but they are banned here :~( I may have to resort to bribery and get someone to send me some anyway ;~)
I am looking forward to seeing your pictures though! It is fun seeing all the ways people do their ponds and the ideas that we share are a real teaching/learning experience.
If anyone has noticed in the one picture I posted above (the one with the fish), I am having some difficulties with my water lillies. They are all very jaggedy around the edges with holes all over them. Were the fish and tadpoles eating at them? Is it a snail problem (I always thought that snails lay their eggs on the bottom of pads, not eat them)? Is it a lack of nutrients, or is it the weather this year in the Ohio Valley? If anyone has the answer, please help. Thanks in advance!
Dave
Hi KC,
If water lillies are ubder a fountain or get splashed they get spots and tears. They can stand to be in water that is moving but cannot take water on the top of the leaves. It's happened to mine and the man who raises lillies for the aquatic store said that was the reason I was having the problem.
Lotusblossom, I wonder if the same thing holds true for water hyacinths..mine get splashed on & they get brown streaks on them. My Lillies have moving water but not much splashing.
Sugar
Sugar, I'm not sure about water hyacinths. Mine seem to do ok anywhere in the pond. Koi can and do eat plants and if birds are bathing/drinking in the water they can damage plants.
Lotusblossom, I don't have Koi in my small pond just 3 fantail goldfish. When they start looking too bad U just take them off.