The small pond in the Extension gardens is too small to keep going when it freezes so we drained it completely. It collects leaves and other debris that settles into whatever precipitation happens to collect and by spring thaw the stench is impossible to put up with. This year we decided to make sure we don't have to deal with that mess again. We had a choice of stacking the stone that made up the waterfall in the middle of the pond or using a very large plastic ball. Since we always change the design of the rocks we used the stones but the ball would have done as well. The stack is several inches above the edge of the pond. We stretched 6mil plastic over the whole pond and fastened it down with Silicone air tubing which is what I use to tiedown my car trunk when I am trying to haul too much. LOL The thing looks like a flat top pyramid. The snow should slide down and no leaves or debris will get in. I am so glad we had enough hands to make it a fast and simple task. How have you handled winter chores like this with a group? Previously, I wound up doing all the pond maintenance myself and when it gets cold my muscles stop working and this was one job I couldn't do on my own. This year all the group members took the responsibility of cleaning the filter, feeding the fish getting rid of the algae and topping off the water if it got low. I am so proud of them. Sandy
small pond's winter cover
Group chores go something like this around me...
-First everyone clambers around and eyeballs the project.
-Everyone then tries to define what needs to be done by assessing the situation.
-Here's where the first hint of dissention enters the equation as few will be able to agree as to what the actual issue is.
-Now that everyone is disagreeing about what the problem is the next phase is entered where participants attempt to collectively fix an unidentified problem. This is rather amusing
-It gets real interesting as everyone has a different idea of how to go about this because everyone has a different interpretation of what the underlying issue is.
-Now that chaos is about to break out, people sense the tension and start getting agreeable real fast as nobody wants to get saddled with any project all by themselves
-This is where the sense of community kicks in and everyone decides on a plan of attack
-Now the folks begin assuming responsbilty for every aspect of the project and within no time at all, it is complete.
From here, ongoing maintenance is delegated. This is about how it went with garlic mustard removal from a forest preserve. Some wanted to burn it, some wantted to hand pull it, while some wanted to mow it to stop it from going to seed. Some wanted to work from the center out, some wanted to work from the entrance in. Now we will address the issue of broadcast seeding the area. Oh boy, the fun begins in about a month.
Amazing how people can get along for the greater good! I love watching the interactions. I also love watching people roll up their sleeves to help so that poor people like you don't get saddled with the responsiblities of large scale projects on their own. They truly can be too much for one person.