| Blog series by MsDebbieP consisting of 23 parts so far |
Part 1: From a speck of water to...
As we build our personal retreat in the backyard, we seem to just go with the moment and build/add whatever feels right. For example, last summer my son and his family moved from Ontario across the country to British Columbia. They left behind a small fountain that they had in their backyard. “Sure, I’ll take it”, I said, wanting a fountain but having no idea where it would go in our acre piece of land. This spring we decided that we would put it in the ground: just ma...
Part 2: Refurbished Pond
April 20, 2008 On our list of garden updates this year was making the pond deep enough so that our fish could stay in it for the winter. Here is where we started this morning:Yes, that’s the neighbour’s dog, Gabby, laying in one of the two little “pond” holes from last year. Not quite sure how she fit into it but she loves being cool and I guess the hole did it for her. We then spent the day digging.. and digging.. and digging.. One area is almost 4’...
Part 3: New Fish and...
April 25, 2008 I had to go to town today so i made a couple other stops and did some garden shopping :D 1) I bought some blue pansies to put in my “frog pond” flower bed—3 metal frog sculptures surrounded by the blue pansies which looks like water if you use your imagination. 2) three blueberry bushes. —location for them yet to be determined and 3) fish.I got 2 shubunkins (is that the right word?) and one little goldfish (maybe not a good decision after rea...
Part 4: Newest Inhabitant
June 10, 2008 For the past couple of weeks we’ve been hearing a huge splash in the pond and haven’t been able to see what it was, although we figured that it was a frog. Yesterday, we finally saw him. So here’s Freddy.
Part 5: New Additions
July 1, 2008 There two cast iron pieces were just too cute to pass up. I think they are perfect additions to the pond. 1) Daisy Duck 2) Fairy with Butterfly on Toe
Part 6: Leap Frog, Anyone?
July 31, 2008 Today we were watching a frog sit on the lily pads in our pond and then I noticed a second little guy across the pond on another lily pad. And then as I was about to walk away I saw this one. I think he was in the middle of playing leap frog with this cast-iron lady bug! It was just too cute for words.
Part 7: New Additions
Aug 27, 2008 Monday was a “road trip” and I came home with this little guy (amongst other things). I also had to move my iron gates (for the fourth time)! The neighbour’s dog, no – not Gabby, our other neighbour who has a little pup, has decided that our pond is his favourite swimming hole. So, about every other day I hear splash splash splash and find him swimming across the pond. He rips up the plants, knocks over the fountain, scares the fish, and pushes/pulls...
Part 8: Another Benefit to the Pond
October 30, 2008 This morning, I looked out to the pond to find it covered in a layer of ice. Brr. it’s cold. It’s interesting to watch our two fish continuing on about their day under the ice… the fun part, however, was just now (noon-ish) watching half a dozen sparrows bathing in the little corner of the pond that was open water. I wish I could have gotten a picture.
Part 9: Today's Saga
November 3, 2008 I wasn’t going to write about this but then changed my mind. Recap: Saturday I brought our two fish inside and set up a bubbler/filter for them. The cat was soon to greet them with a paw that was itching to play catch. So I covered the container, leaving just enough open on one end for air/light circulation. It was a “quick fix” until i decided where the fish were going to stay for the winter. This morning I woke to find only my goldfish in the tub....
Part 10: Fish In
April 2, 2009 well, let’s hope that the cold weather that is heading our way won’t be too harsh for my fish. With the “new” sewing machine sitting in my dining room, the fish just had to get moved (yes they spent the winter in the dining room). What better place to move them to, I decided, than right into the pond. I had set up an old wheelbarrow as the “fountain/waterfall” (until i can take my plants outside) and so I set the fish in that, in a co...
Part 11: Just a little VENTING!!!!
April 17/09 I invest in $200 worth of iron fencing (ok—any excuse will do when it comes to adding to the fencing.. but still…) .... I wrap the fence around the pondI put an old wheelbarrow in, as the “upper pond” so that the dogs have a place to drink.What does the neighbour’s dog do??? Oh yah.. you guessed it. This morning as I’m attacking my “to do” list outside I take a moment to check out my pond and I find that my fish are down at the...
Part 12: Fish Update
Aug 25/09 When our fish hear me walking on the lower deck they come swimming to the surface to see if there is anything to eat. If I notice I usually grab them a small handful of food and toss it in the water. The typical reaction is:1. Goldie, the goldfish, grabs the first pellet 2. Number 1, the big Shubunkin, grabs a mouthful (usually 3 or 4 pellets)3. Jenny-fish, one of the shubunkin from this year, comes next and takes a pellet. After Number 1 has had about 3 mouthfuls, Tim-fish...
Part 13: Fish Update #2
Aug 27/09 I’m sure you are all curious as to how my little “Nessie” is doing. We’ve had several sightings now and she is doing well. And she is definitely not lonely. We now have Number One, Goldie, Jenny-fish, Tim-fish, Nessie, and Tiny… oh and Teeny Tiny,.... and “Uh-Oh”. :) We now do not know how many babies there are. We have seen four at the same time. But other than that…. Sheesh. Rick says, “soon you will be able to walk acros...
Part 14: December Update
Dec 8/09 I had a thought this afternoon—- I had covered our pond with a netting to catch the pine needles that fell from the tree this fall. It worked well. But, the “idea” pointed out that the netting would catch the snow that is supposed to fall tomorrow and get weighed down, down into the pond, even though I had a crisscrossing of boards supporting the netting. So, I removed the netting. Although it was almost dark out I could see a swirl of “white” –...
Part 15: Keeping the Ice Open
Dec 12/09 Today, after several days of sub-zero temperatures, I looked out at the pond and the surface was solid ice. I had installed a bubbler to keep the surface open in order for toxic fumes to escape. That plan wasn’t working! The bubbler can be set at different speeds and I had it at a medium level. It was moving the water around pretty well, where it was sitting, but not so much that the entire pond water was moving. I understand that you don’t want to circulate al...
Part 16: De-icer Purchased
Dec 14/09 I purchased a de-icer for the pond … another investment. Bob’s cold weather will be heading our way in the next couple days so we should get the de-icer tested to see if it keeps the pond open.
Part 17: The Pros & Cons of Winter
Dec 27/09 Pond Update the netting (that I had on the pond to keep the pine needles from going into the water) has been removed a bubbler and de-icer/heater has been installed to keep an opening in the ice over the winter, to let the gasses escape The Cons the pine needles are now going into the water—the day after I took the netting off we had a huge wind storm and tons of pine needles fell into the water. the cost of running the bubbler and de-icer were not expenses...
Part 18: Winter Update -- all is still well
Dec 31/09 At Christmas, our weather was hovering around (just below) the freezing mark and the pond was entirely open. Although it was nice to watch the fish I was worried that they were at the surface because the water was too warm and that when the temperature dropped again that they might be in trouble. This week, we had temperatures of -10C (and colder) and the pond froze up again – all except the circle of open water around the bubbler and de-icer. At the first drop in temper...
Part 19: Bubbler - off
Jan 4/09 We are having extreme cold (extreme for us) and when I looked out at the pond today the bubbler was just barely having an effect. So, assuming that it probably isn’t good for the motor to be have the air hoses frozen or whatever the problem is, I decided to unplug the bubbler. (next year—unplug it when we reach winter). So outside in the “brrrrr” and working my way through frozen plastic and around wood that is frozen in the ground, I reach the electrica...
Part 20: Fish Update
Jan 17/10 Well, we went through a really cold week or so and yesterday the sun shone brightly, melting the layer of ice on the pond. This morning I watched our fish swimming around (well not really swimming around really.. just kinda hovering near the surface). Still alive and well. Still crossing my fingers. A few more months to go.
Part 21: 2010 planning
March 5/10 Sitting here, waiting for spring, my mind starts churning, thinking.. thinking.. thinking… (it’s a dangerous thing, sometimes!) This winter I took the risk of leaving my fish in the pond… a big sigh of relief, they have survived. Now, I look at all the plants that I hauled in last fall and think “this is crazy” – not my style. If they can’t survive the winter outside then they aren’t the plants for me. So, I had a thought.R...
Part 22: 2nd Pond & a River
June 1, 2010 Today was the day to tackle the new pond. The GoalThe goal is/was to create a pond that will hold hardy pond plants that will filter the pond water. Over the past couple years I have had to remove my pond plants each fall and store them in the house—a big bother. So I plan on buying plants hardy to our region that I can leave in the second pond over winter. The Build1. We used a string to establish a slope that would let the water run from the one pond down to t...
Part 23: A Trip to a Native Plant Nursery
June 9/10 Today, Rick and I took a drive to Acorus Restoration Native Plant Nursery to pick up some plants for the filtration pond. I got: sweet flag arrowhead marsh cinquefoil I also wanted a few other plants, and while walking around I picked up a couple varieties and while waiting for the young lady to find a PawPaw tree for me I was left to my own devices and picked up some more :D (Rick later said, “Did you get everything you wanted? .... and then some?” hah...
gardening is a journey, a journey of learning how to connect with and support Mother Nature
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Blog Series
- Bonfire Breakfasts - 2 parts
- Dehydrating - 3 parts
- GT Talk - 14 parts
- Labyrinth - 3 parts
- My "Turtle Island" - 6 parts
- My Carolinian Forest - 9 parts
- Our "Edibles" - 66 parts
- Our Flower Gardens - 37 parts
- Our Gazebo/ "shanty" / Cabin - 16 parts
- Our Pond - 23 parts
- Our Wildlife Companions - 17 parts
- Photography - 3 parts
- Recipes - 13 parts
- Sculptures - 1 part
- Spring - 19 parts
- The SPICES of Life - 5 parts
- The Winter Season - 15 parts
- Walkabouts 2010 - 11 parts
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