I finally have a pond! I dreamed and read and watched for a long time. Still have finishing landscape to do. How do you cover the biofilters and skimmer so it dosn't look so obvious. Yet, my DH still needs to get access to them. I didn't think it through well enough when we got the plastic fall attachment for the biofalls. Now, how do I make that not look a piece of plastic with water coming out? Do you have pictures of examples I could see?
Here is the skimmer. How could I make this look like a skimmer and fit into the rest of the landscape and still be accessable?
Here is the biofalls. How do I make it "more natural" looking landscape and make the falls not look like pieces of plastic hanging out? Ideas, pictures, suggestions??? I would love any help.
Plants plants and more plants. In one year you'll be amazed at the difference.
It's beautiful!!!
Do you have pictures of how you placed you plants? I like to know kinds and how to place them. I am just drawing a blank on what to do with this.
There's lots of spreading plants that would grow right over your stuff. Gosh, I'm thinking creeping jenny or a sedum would work just fine in your zone. Really if you'd put plants all around your filters (low growers) it would look just fine. Post a request for spreading plants and you should hear from someone. I could send you some next spring. Just remind me. :)
You've done such a nice job already that I can't imagine you drawing a blank. It's pretty!!! very relaxing!!!
Thank you for your thoughts. I have focused on this project to just certain points. (We are also adding several new flower beds etc.) Creativity sometimes is not my strong suit. Yes, we do find it incredibly relaxing. I just spent the morning with an old (not in age, but have known for a long time) friend sitting by the pond. It was a delight.
I also was thinking about lighting the pond. I saw some ponds lighted on a pond tour. I didn't even think to ask what kind of lights they used or what wattage to consider. I'm not finding much on the web to guide me. Any thoughts here also?
I have seen really big plastic "rocks" that look pretty realistic and are light enough to pick up and move around. Maybe you could cover the tops of the skimmers with those? Plants will really look great when they get going. I like the pond already!
That's one beautiful pond......having just expanded my pond, I can see how much work went into this. It will be awesome when you get some plants in and around it!
For height there is nothing better than Arundo donax
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/1560/index.html
Looks best when pruned mid-season here because it gets so tall.
Here's a list of some of the plants I have in and around my pond. You'd be surprised how many of them will grow within a years time to the point that you will be pulling them out. Mimulus is a quick cover, easy to pull if it goes rampant.
Many of the sedums look great in and around the rocks.
The smaller sedums rather than something like Autumn Joy is what I'm thinking of, but Autumn Joy would work at the edge also.
Moneywort (both the green and the chartreuse) make good edging plants.
Many of the reedy type grasses work well too, but most will reseed prolifically. A beautiful wind resistant plant Elegia capensis makes a great pond's edge plant.
Catmint also looks nice around a pond.
Variegated Ribbon Grass looks great, quite invasive.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/1582/
I haven't checked any of these for zone hardiness in your area, but I'm sure there are some of these or similar plants that would work for you.
Here's a thread about a recent pond expansion project and within this thread are a couple of links to other threads about my pond:
http://davesgarden.com/t/444582/
We've all been through the "bare" look, but in a year's time you will be amazed at how things fill in.
Anemopsis californica Pine Cone Flower
Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'
Blechnum Silver Lady Fern
Caltha palustris ‘Flore Pleno’
Caltha palustris Marsh Marigold
Canna glauca 'Panache'
Canna x generalis 'African Scarlet Speckle'
Canna x generalis 'President (aka Mr. President)'
Colocasia esculenta 'Fontanesii'
Colocasia esculenta Green Taro
Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris'
Cyperus alternifolius Umbrella grass
Dichromena colorata Star Grass
Iris Black Gamecock (Chowning, 1978)
Juncus effusus 'Spiralis'
Lippia lanceolata Lanceleaf Frogfruit
Lobelia x gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’
Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander'
Mimulus guttatus Common Monkey Flower
Nymphaea 'Attraction'
Nymphaea 'Carnea'
Nymphaea 'Comanche'
Nymphaea 'Escarboucle (Aflame)'
Nymphaea 'Fabiola'
Nymphaea 'Gloriosa'
Nymphaea 'Joey Tomocik'
Nymphaea 'Sulphurea'
Nymphaea marliacea 'Albida'
Oenanthe javinica 'Flamingo'
Pontederia cordata Blue Pickerel Rush
Ranunculus repens 'Buttered Popcorn'
Ruellia brittoniana 'Chi Chi'
Saururus cernuus Lizard's-tail
Zantedeschia Calla Lily
Edited cause I lost the opening paragraph! :-)
This message was edited Jul 29, 2004 1:27 PM
Appreciate the input! Any ideas I can get is greatly appreciated. I maybe trying to do too much. But, my mother is getting married in my yard this fall. (She asked after I started my project.) So, my goal is to get it as nice as I can get it without going overboard as you talk about in a year things will fill in.
I will be looking up all your suggestions Happenstance. I remember seeing some absolutely gorgeous pictures of your pond. I do not have your background to set it to. But, I hope to make it alittle oasis for us.
I have had great success with the second, third and fourth grasses on this page. I put my large pond in with 18" high coping so I could sit on it. The grasses planted around it took the harsh look of the higher coping away and made it more appealing to the eye. I have them planted on both sides of my 6' wide waterfall also....they look great.
I also have them planted close to my other two ponds. I just love the look.
Grasses look natural and once established really need little attention. They hide much of the unnatural look of a pond.
http://plantsdatabase.com/search.php?search_text=Feather+Reed+Grass&Search=Search
Thanks for you thoughts and ideas blngsbell. I love grasses!
