Pond Garden
My pond garden gets a spring clean up. Finally.
Note the tree stump in the upper left hand corner – The Maple tree that is no more used to provide shade for my Ligularia and Jewelweed. I think the Ligularia will handle the extra sun but the Jewelweed is going to suffer. Not that that’s a bad thing – the Jewelweed sprouts everywhere and a little help controlling it is appreciated. Yea right – I’ve planted some Yellow Jewelweed seed I collected last year.
I want to do more of this. I just love a stone wall emerging from water. The Sweet Woodruff growing out of the cracks only ads to the charm.
Stone bridge over the drainage ‘ditch’ along the driveway. All part of the plan to get the vegetable garden dry before the end of may. The crushed stone dry stream is also part of the ‘easy maintenance’ pond overflow.
There’s a dam at the end of the pond I lower to drain and flush the pond. One reason to drain the pond in the winter is to keep frogs from trying to overwinter in it. The pond is way too shallow (only a few inches deep) so before they start to think about burrowing in I drain the pond, forcing them to seek better shelter elsewhere. They don’t have far to go though, my plot is surrounded by swamp.
A look at another bridge in the ‘construction’ area. Where the hand dolly is laying was flooded not that long ago. The spring melt usually fills the area about 8 inches deep. I haven’t decided if I want to make it a permanent pond or put in a drainage pipe to carry the water away.
The wall will get done sooner or later. It’s just that I suffer from Shoemaker’s Syndrome. I probably would never have started but I came across some stone that I wasn’t going to let anybody else have.
I call this Bubble Rock. It has to be the only pieces of stone like this around. How it formed is a mystery to me but it’s mine, mine, mine. All mine. Those Jewelweed seedlings in the crack are mine too but they’ve got to go.
I guess the best way to describe it is it looks like half filled water balloons that hardened into multicolored stone. The sandstone quarry had never seen anything like it before and probably never will again. There were only a few pieces and I took them all. They just begged to be in a water feature and I couldn’t say no to them.
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May 8th, 2009 at 11:08 am
The bubble rock is gorgeous. As a pond person, it’s fun seeing your pond. No fish? It’s very pretty and natural looking in that wooded spot.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:10 am
I remember you planned to build an arch bridge. Try to look around, search behind the screen as well, just cannot find it.
Seems like you have not build it yet.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Very cool! I would love to have a real pond, there’s only so much you can plant in a wine barrel. Love the plants in the stone cracks…
May 8th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
The bubble rock is totally awesome! I would have taken it all too(-: I have a few fossil rocks I cherish(-: One has a shell imprint in it. Its so cool(-:
Whenever I see a cool rock I always bring it home. I could spend all day looking for rocks.
Can’t wait to see your finished wall(-: I am sure it will be beautiful.
I have a pond waiting to be cleaned out still. My daughter and her BF caught a bunch of Tadpols and put them in there a couple weeks ago. I should check to see if they are “growing”(-:
Have a great Friday(-:
May 8th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Love the pond and the bubble rock. Not sure what kind of Ligularia it is, but mine, which gets more sun than it should, gets droopy leaves every day, but it recovers at night, and still blooms OK. it always looks dead, though. Hmmm (brainwave), I should *move it* somewhere shadier. Heh.
May 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
what a lovely pond. I love the stone wall coming out of the water. That was wise to force the frogs to hide somewhere else. Beautiful plantings too!
May 10th, 2009 at 8:52 am
bubble rock may have been formed from glacier, combination of air pockets, silt movement, melt and pressure??? My best guess. But you were smart to grab it. It is really beautiful. It looks like what you might see under a piece of plastic over frozen water, or kind of like, you know when a tarp has been sitting outside and has water in it? Little channels form of sitting water (great for mosquito larvae!) and there are air pockets under the tarp that bubble it up.
May 10th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Gorgeous rocks! I tend to bring home lots of unique stones myself, much to hubby’s chagrin! I’d bring bigger ones home with me if I had any encouragement.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I am absolutely in love with your pond Mr. WiseA** !!
Bubble rock and all … the thought of hearing frog song from it would be amazing .. you have not disappointed me at all even with the “shoemaker’s syndrome” .. I think you have done a wonderful job : )
PS .. I am so impressed you have taken such care to discourage the frogs from harming themselves .. you are a treat, Mr.W : )
I know .. you hate those happy faces but I can’t help myself ?? LOL