Dinu,
that looks so nice. It looks like it has always been there.
Carolyn
Moving pond to new location
It's a jewell!
Dinu~beautiful.
Dinu, your new garden looks beautiful! And if I've not said so elsewhere, the new colors on the house look nice. The pond and its surrounding stonework are lovely. Great job!
Thanks. I've not been able to take pictures of me working the various things. All my dears were inside home busy in their own things... while the hard work went on for more than a week, for many hours, in fact. My palms have got rough and feels like sandpaper. I don't wear any protection - uncomfortable!
Last evening, I have added a few pots on one side [the side from where I've taken the above picture] and a few more in two rows on stone shelves near the wall to the left of the sitting bench. I'll also add some paving stones in black - they are lying around. Or may be some clay tiles. Let's see what my instinct says. I don't have many potted plants - they ask for too much care from a person with less time and more work!! The few I have finds themselves repotted rarely. So I stick to the ground.
Dinu: I have been watching your progress and think it turned out lovely. Is this pond bigger than your last one? I love seeing the picture with your home in the background. I live near Chicago and we have nothing that looks like your home. I love the color and archetecture (mispelled but you know what I mean). Thanks for posting. When are you putting in the fish?
Have to ask you an OT question. Why do you just have bare dirt most everywhere instead of grass or other vegetation? I was sharing the progress of your new pond with DH and he said that it is because of the large numbers of venemous snakes you have everywhere. His feeling is that snakes can remain hidden in grass and other vegetation and pose a danger but that bare ground discourages them from the garden.
Interesting theory-okay Dinu-what s the answer?
I've put in the fish - the little red ones [name unknown] and also the water lily. Now I must take starting the lotus seed I received from a kind friend seriously. It's time for it. I'll not use a pump. Just allow water and the system to settle itself. Soon, the water will turn green with algae. This location gets more sunlight than the previous one. But I observe that some algae will help to keep the water clean. Here is a shot I took yesterday. Today I've put the two plants down to the bottom using some stones to hold them down. I've also dug out the lilies section you see unclearly in the background of the pond and made a raised bed.
See the house reflecting in the water.
Snakes: It may be true that these reptiles will be happy in thick growth. It has happened to us here a couple of occasions, esp. in summer months when they are spotted out. I'm also a lawn-hater for the reasons that it asks too much attention - weeding out, manuring, pesticides [poison] and too much watering, is of no help to the environment, but just the green look to the eye [to me not worth the effort and time, add to it the time limit]. I prefer the natural growth of grass which does not ask anything, but occasional trimming out.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Dinu
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Dinu: I love hearing about cultural differences-your grass sentiments are so unlike my neck of the woods. People spend hours making theirs look good (or pay someone else to make it look good). We just cut ours-nothing special.
What are those cement round concrete things holding your liner in place? Did you make those or are they a reuse item from something in your neck of the woods? They look very interesting-they remind me of something I see in the United Kingdom - old mill stones but in a much smaller size.
Your pond looks as if it has been there a while with that large lilly in it. Very nice!
Thanks. I reciprocate the wishes, though belated.
Some 5-6 years back, I tried to grow a small patch of about 2x6 feet of lawn and I realized how difficult it was! I hate to grow, attend and water the lawn. I prefer the natural growths where no pesticide is used so we can walk barefoot.
Those round things are indeed old mill stones. One of them is ornately decorated. There were so many lying around in the yard and I've used them before as sitting benches, as stepping stones [the elders said that it was wrong to step on grinding stones, but I said that their original job is finished - worn out]. They are age old ones. Here is a full view of the pond.
Dinu - It gets more beautiful with each picture. The mill stones are a treasure. It seems a very fitting way to honor and use them
Thanks Snapple. One of the stones I told above is decorated this way: Picture
It must have been discarded probably when the handle had broken off. The broken part of the stone can be seen near the bottom close to the dirt. The set is quite heavy. The bottom stone is heavier and beautifully round.
There are a lot of people at Dave's Garden who would love to have one those. They're beautiful.
Oh is it? But not all I have are so beautiful. All others are plain stones. This one is made out of fine hard rock and so it is heavy. I also notice it had two handles for two persons to operate [due to the weight and the diameter] like a coordinated relay. I've seen them operate and it is lovely to see two ladies working at it, grinding wheat flour. Sorry out of the subject of the thread.
I also have what is called as 'Cuddapah stones' for paving the surroundings. They are black stone slabs. We had them for flooring. Many broken pieces are now reused as stepping stones. It breaks in odd shapes.
Dinu,
Your pond is beautiful and looks so restfull. I envy your zone where you can enjoy your pond year round. DH makes DVD's every year of our pond so I can enjoy it during the winter months. Although I enjoy watching the DVD's that he does for me, it is not quite the same as sitting next to the pond year round.
I really love the picture above of the heavy millstone. I can see that as a wonderful accent in my garden! It is so beautiful and so antiquey looking - You are very fortunate. Please keep your beautiful pictures coming.
Carolyn
Looks great, Dinu.
Your pond turned out looking amazing! The pond is so well done that it looks like it has always been there. The fact that there are old mill stones just lying around everywhere is cool. I have never seen one myself. I love the pics that you post. I find my self looking at every detail and even "peering over the fence" to get a glance of the neighborhood. Your part of the world looks so different from mine.
Oh, wowow...it is great...I also love the idea of using those grinding wheels...what a treasure you have...and then to share the beauty..with us...hahaha..I am also..looking at everything, every inch..lol...What a great place..you have..to enjoy..now..all will be worth the effect...and thanks again for sharing..looking forward to more and more..lol..
hugs...from Michigan...smiles..Diana
Dinu, you are an artist as well as an engineer. Your pond area is beautiful.
Lovely pond! I really enjoyed viewing the photos of your progress, and it's turned out wonderfully!
Those millstones would fetch a very $$$$$$ rate here in Illinois. What is the history of the land that your home is on? I presume they used the mill stones to grind corn into flour (Is that correct?). Was is a home or a farm or something?
I recently found out that my home was built on a very large farm that raised mink's for fur coats. This was about 80-100 years ago. They aren't even in this area in the wild-maybe they were years ago.
Dinu: On the far right of your picture you have a branch with leaves on it-is that a bamboo type? I like the leaves. My zone is zone 5a and too cold for a lot of the beauties that you have there. I am unfamiliar with the warmer zonal plants. I did however get a cold weather bamboo from my panda loving son for Mother's Day last year. I think he has hopes that if we ever get a pet panda, we will be able to feed it. He is 6 years old.
Mmmmmmmmmm, thanks for all the praises, if not prizes. LOL. I'm glad someone else is enjoying half way round the earth, the work done here, with bare hands, to tell you the fact. Gardenwife says "engineer"..... "artist". I think I must agree. Because my mind is like that and my hands do the work. I enjoy doing things myself. Since we have no climate extremes, we get to stay out all round the year, barring when it rains. Even then, I'm out [when I'm home] with an umbrella looking where water flows down through the downspouts [I've also a rainwater harvesting system done - an article was posted recently], to see where it stagnate.. or just to hear rain! But not when there is lightning.
My great grandfather built this house in 1911 on a vacant land. We cannot think of houses on 'acres' of land! Even a square foot is hard to get. All occupied by houses with little space betwixt the neighbours! We are fortunate to have some soil to dig around. I'll tell how the situation is in a separate thread when I support it with proper pictures to explain. Ponding too cannot be thought of by others! All such vacant land in the premise is used for building and renting it out - for more income! Trees, plants.. have no meaning to many people. But money.
Coming back to the house -- 1911 I said. In 1950, the family moved out after renting to a house nearby. So many of those millstones were probably taken there. When I came to live here [after the same tenant left in 1997] in my ancestral property, I brought all of them, one by one on my scooter!! My mother was still living there in that other house where my gardening began. So that is how the stones never left us! So were many old things. There was enough space to stock them up in attics or shelves, despite being 'used-less' [not completely useless]. Now that I have [with the family partition] less space inside to hold all the things, I gave some for charity.
That is not bamboo - they are leaves of my oleander plant. I love bamboo too, but I've not much space for that.
tt and WG,
You look at every inch of my pictures.. some others visiting here do the same, live. Pictures capture just what the camera does, but visitors have many such things to see! You are welcome too!
Here is what it looked like this afternoon [from the room above]......but the whole scenario went a step back by sundown. I had to raise the level of the ground by a couple of inches to keep rainwater at bay because the ground level around it did not match my idea. So I've taken all those stones out, lifted the liner, put in more dirt [by wetting it so that it stays in the desired shape]. The work will be completed tomorrow morning. Got bitten by red ants that had its nest beneath one portion.. ooouch.
Dinu
We're very familiar with that wetting the soil and mounding it higher around a pond's perimeter. We had to do that, too!
You're fortunate to have such an expanse to garden. Even if your yarden shrank with your renovation and move, you still have so much more than many of your countrymen. It's good to see someone who realizes this and puts that space to beautiful use; you choose to profit your soul over your pocketbook. :)
Dinu: Your story is great to hear. My mother-in-law grew up in India. Her father was an officer in the British Army and worked on the railways. She tells lovely stories of her life and memories there. She is now eighty years old. She has some beautiful cherry wood furniture adored with elephant carvings and tusks (unfortunately) that her parents bought whilst living there. Her home in England has touches of India in nearly every room from art work, to furniture and decorations and draperies. Even her English garden has sentimental ornaments from India. Some day I would like to go there ( and possibly with my MIL) and my entire family. We just saw the movie "Slum Dog Millionaire" and absolutely loved it. Is it as popular there as it is here? Critics are buzzing that it may win best picture at the American Academy awards.
Dinu,
So glad to have found this thread. Long time no see!
You have done a beautiful job on that pool. It is truly a labor of love.
Hap
Hi Hap.
Happy New Year to you. Keep visiting this thread! Thanks.
Dinu
Dinu~your pond project is gorgeous. Are there fragrant plants/flowers nearby? Is Oleander fragrant?
Beautifully done.
Thanks. Take a look at my blog here on DG for a few more picx. Oleander is not fragrant. I've added a few pots.
Dinu~ ok, will go take a look. Thanks for info/Oleander.
Today's shot of the lily.
That's a picture to behold. WOW!!
Wowowow...beautiful..for sure...
smiles..Diana
Indeed, I agree myself! I'm happy, Happy1!'
Here is another shot I took from surface-level of pond.
I was driving up a hill... I stopped by a huge lake with giant leaves and a giant waterlily bud.
And a tiny, tiny little car perhaps? How clever!
You're funny, Dinu!
Almost went for it.
I really believed you until I looked at it up close. I thought that maybe just everything grows bigger and better in India . . .
LOL. I want a waterlily that big ;-) Lovely!
My purpose of planning, taking and posting that particular picture of the giant lake is served!!!