Ponds & Spring Arriving

[~ janj]

It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)

What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to it.
How about you? ~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[JB]

I cleaned out my bio falls filter today. It was really yucky! Got a 3,000
gallon pond. Fed the fish a little for the first time since October. Looking
forward to a great spring!



"~ janj" > wrote in message
...
> It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
> What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
> in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
> and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
> early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
> was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to
> it.
> How about you? ~ jan
>
> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[Joel]

~ janj > wrote in
:

> It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
> What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the
> out-of-pond in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning
> on not draining and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too
> agreeable so far. No early spring for us like last winter. We thought
> it would be, as January was so mild, but February turned on the cold
> and March is hanging on to it. How about you? ~ jan
>
> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

I just peeled off the tent cover off my little pond, had a heater going all
winter, it never iced up at all compared to last year which I had 4 inchs
if ice even while it was covered, all fish look good, water looks dirty.

Waiting for more warm weather here in Toronto, Canada to get the pump
going.

Joel

[J.D. Stone]

"~ janj" > wrote in message
...
> It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
> What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
> in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
> and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
> early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
> was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to
> it.
> How about you? ~ jan
>
> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

Time to clean out the lilies that have filled in the bottom foot of the
pond. Going to kill my back again, I am sure.
JD

[Galen Hekhuis]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 12:00:36 -0800, ~ janj > wrote:

>It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
>What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
>in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
>and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
>early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
>was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to it.
>How about you? ~ jan

Spring has definitely sprung here. My pond used to be just a junk heap
albeit in water. I don't have a liner or anything like that. I had
carefully watched the water level last year (I was too lazy to get it
cleaned up) and was pretty sure I knew how high the water got. So after
the bulldozer got through with the thing this year, I waited for the hole
to fill up again. It did so in about a week, and then I waited another two
weeks before planting bulbs. A few days after I did, this particular area
got some rather heavy rain. The water came up in the pond over 16 inches,
covering the yardstick I had stuck in there as a measuring device. I
figured the bulbs that were covered were pretty much toast and so I planted
some more bulbs. Lo and behold some of the day lilies and cannas sprouted
underwater, and are still surviving today even though the water has
receded. (I mostly planted day lilies, cannas, iris, elephant ears and
stuff. I'd planted some last year and the deer didn't eat them and they
seemed to thrive even with my neglect.) I'm impressed. My style of
gardening is to get bulbs at a specialty store (Wal Mart), dig a hole and
pop 'em in (no fertilizer or anything), and then maybe water them if I get
around to it. I still can't get over seeing tadpoles resting on a plant
that sprouted underwater, and today is happily growing out of the water.
Like I say, I'm impressed, although I'm probably easily impressed.

Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA
Stings like a butterfly, floats like a bee

[[email protected]]

It was 56o outside today. The heated water was also 55o and I fed the fish again. I
was tempted to move the output hose into the veggie filter(with no veggies yet), but
I resisted. I have a seachem ammonia alert in the pond so I can make sure the water
is good for em since I been feeding em all winter. I want to put up a greenhouse
over my pond this summer.
This year I have an entire new city backyard to landscape and dig a pond at our
rental. I am also putting in fruit trees and a grape arbor.
Out at the dacha I want to finish the deck around the big pond and build little tents
to go over the ponds in fall keep the oak leaves out and keep heat in.
Ingrid

~ janj > wrote:

>It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
>What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
>in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
>and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
>early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
>was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to it.
>How about you? ~ jan


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.

[~ janj]

>Going to kill my back again, I am sure. JD

I feel your pain (to be). I noted soon after I last posted that the temp
had hit 50*F. So I went out to prune the roses, one of which is by the koi
ponds. I saved that one for last, knowing how easily I'm distract to water
related activities.

Sure enough, I go out to prune it and next thing I've got the shop vac out
sucking up the maple tree shucks off the screens and leaves around the
ponds. Saw a swimming bullfrog under the surface, so another has snuck into
my yard. :( Last one I hauled off to the demon pond, so I can only hope I
can catch this one by the time I take the screens off. Then I cleaned the
skimmer and added water to top off the ponds.

Turned out to be a pretty good days, pond-wise. Now for some Tylenol.
~ jan

--------------
See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[~ janj]

On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 02:27:48 GMT, wrote:

>This year I have an entire new city backyard to landscape and dig a pond at our
>rental. I am also putting in fruit trees and a grape arbor.

Wow, but why would you do this at a rental? Is it close by? ~ jan


~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

[Koi-Lo]

"Galen Hekhuis" > wrote in message
...
Lo and behold some of the day lilies and cannas sprouted
> underwater, and are still surviving today even though the water has
> receded. (I mostly planted day lilies, cannas, iris, elephant ears and
> stuff. I'd planted some last year and the deer didn't eat them and they
> seemed to thrive even with my neglect.)
====================
I've not had luck trying to grow daylilies in wet soil. They seem to like
damp soil with good drainage. Water iris will thrive in your pond
environment and come in several nice colors. Please keep me informed in how
these plants do for you over the summer.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Koi-Lo]

Moments before spontaneously combusting <Fred Hall> at >
was heard opining:

> On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:42:33 -0600, "Koi-Lo" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Galen Hekhuis" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> Lo and behold some of the day lilies and cannas sprouted
>>> underwater, and are still surviving today even though the water has
>>> receded. (I mostly planted day lilies, cannas, iris, elephant ears
>>> and stuff. I'd planted some last year and the deer didn't eat them
>>> and they seemed to thrive even with my neglect.)
>> ====================
>> I've not had luck trying to grow daylilies in wet soil. They seem
>> to like damp soil with good drainage.
>
> Same here in Zone 8. Our soil is brick-hard, red clay. Fortunately,
> day lillies, at least here, will grow and bloom when laid directly on
> top of the ground. Usually though, I throw a bit of compost on top of
> them.
=================
Brick-hard reddish brown clay is what we have as well. I've dug in tons of
compost we make ourselves with the help of a chipper-shredder. For the
flowerbeds I also added loads of "bought" cow manure, sulfur, Ironite, sand,
bone meal, blood meal and general fertilizers. The soil here is poor
droughty gladevill soil. When dry it's like concrete, when wet it's like
mustard.

We had to totally redo the berm with rebar and cement around our 2000g pond
because the sides were collapsing and sinking. Now it looks like the 800g
one is next.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Lar]

In article >,
says...
:) that sprouted underwater, and today is happily growing out of the water.
:) Like I say, I'm impressed, although I'm probably easily impressed.
:)
:)
The last years submerged hybiscus sending up shoots is my act of being
impressed...as you though, probably too easily impressed...
--
Lar

Oh, if only Noah would of been a bit more wise,
he surely would of swatted those two flies.

to email....get rid of the BUGS

[Gill Passman]

Koi-Lo wrote:
> Moments before spontaneously combusting <Fred Hall> at
> > was heard opining:
>
>> On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:42:33 -0600, "Koi-Lo" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> "Galen Hekhuis" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>> Lo and behold some of the day lilies and cannas sprouted
>>>
>>>> underwater, and are still surviving today even though the water has
>>>> receded. (I mostly planted day lilies, cannas, iris, elephant ears
>>>> and stuff. I'd planted some last year and the deer didn't eat them
>>>> and they seemed to thrive even with my neglect.)
>>>
>>> ====================
>>> I've not had luck trying to grow daylilies in wet soil. They seem
>>> to like damp soil with good drainage.
>>
>>
>> Same here in Zone 8. Our soil is brick-hard, red clay. Fortunately,
>> day lillies, at least here, will grow and bloom when laid directly on
>> top of the ground. Usually though, I throw a bit of compost on top of
>> them.
>
> =================
> Brick-hard reddish brown clay is what we have as well. I've dug in tons
> of compost we make ourselves with the help of a chipper-shredder. For
> the flowerbeds I also added loads of "bought" cow manure, sulfur,
> Ironite, sand, bone meal, blood meal and general fertilizers. The soil
> here is poor droughty gladevill soil. When dry it's like concrete, when
> wet it's like mustard.
>
> We had to totally redo the berm with rebar and cement around our 2000g
> pond because the sides were collapsing and sinking. Now it looks like
> the 800g one is next.

My experience with Day Lilies is much the same as Fred's is - and my
soil is clay as well. I add very little when planting them other than a
little bit of compost.

[Roy]

I already have a ton of water lillys pushing up leaves and even my
sensitive vine is starting to show some green growth. ALl the trees
ahave budded out or have new leaves, and the water temp in the large
ponds had never gotten below 55 deg, so we have never stopped feeding
the fish.

Not going to go to any extremes this year with the two larger ponds
and intend to just let whats there grow, and not add anything new in
the line of plants or fish (yea, I really see that happening)

Going to put a bit more attention into the preforms and water features
the wife has around the house, and spend more time on a few ideas for
sal****er and freshwater tanks.

In some ways I certainly am glad my ponds are natural ponds so there
is no real need to vac any crud and junk out, but there is times when
I wish they were not natural so I could control things more to my
liking......



On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 19:28:36 -0800, ~ janj >
wrote:
>><>>Going to kill my back again, I am sure. JD
>><>
>><>I feel your pain (to be). I noted soon after I last posted that the temp
>><>had hit 50*F. So I went out to prune the roses, one of which is by the koi
>><>ponds. I saved that one for last, knowing how easily I'm distract to water
>><>related activities.
>><>
>><>Sure enough, I go out to prune it and next thing I've got the shop vac out
>><>sucking up the maple tree shucks off the screens and leaves around the
>><>ponds. Saw a swimming bullfrog under the surface, so another has snuck into
>><>my yard. :( Last one I hauled off to the demon pond, so I can only hope I
>><>can catch this one by the time I take the screens off. Then I cleaned the
>><>skimmer and added water to top off the ponds.
>><>
>><>Turned out to be a pretty good days, pond-wise. Now for some Tylenol.
>><>~ jan
>><>
>><>--------------
>><>See my ponds and filter design:
>><>www.jjspond.us
>><>
>><> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
>><> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
>><> To e-mail see website

--
\\\|///
( @ @ )
-----------oOOo(_)oOOo---------------


oooO
---------( )----Oooo----------------
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
The original frugal ponder ! Koi-ahoi mates....

[Koi-Lo]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
...
> Koi-Lo wrote:
>> Moments before spontaneously combusting <Fred Hall> at
>> > was heard opining:
>>
>>> On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 21:42:33 -0600, "Koi-Lo" >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Galen Hekhuis" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>> Lo and behold some of the day lilies and cannas sprouted
>>>>
>>>>> underwater, and are still surviving today even though the water has
>>>>> receded. (I mostly planted day lilies, cannas, iris, elephant ears
>>>>> and stuff. I'd planted some last year and the deer didn't eat them
>>>>> and they seemed to thrive even with my neglect.)
>>>>
>>>> ====================
>>>> I've not had luck trying to grow daylilies in wet soil. They seem
>>>> to like damp soil with good drainage.
>>>
>>>
>>> Same here in Zone 8. Our soil is brick-hard, red clay. Fortunately,
>>> day lillies, at least here, will grow and bloom when laid directly on
>>> top of the ground. Usually though, I throw a bit of compost on top of
>>> them.
>>
>> =================
>> Brick-hard reddish brown clay is what we have as well. I've dug in tons
>> of compost we make ourselves with the help of a chipper-shredder. For
>> the flowerbeds I also added loads of "bought" cow manure, sulfur,
>> Ironite, sand, bone meal, blood meal and general fertilizers. The soil
>> here is poor droughty gladevill soil. When dry it's like concrete, when
>> wet it's like mustard.
>>
>> We had to totally redo the berm with rebar and cement around our 2000g
>> pond because the sides were collapsing and sinking. Now it looks like
>> the 800g one is next.
>
> My experience with Day Lilies is much the same as Fred's is - and my soil
> is clay as well. I add very little when planting them other than a little
> bit of compost.
===================
Daylilies are one of the few garden perennials that live for us. But
without some additions their flowers are sparse and less colorful. Some red
clay soils are fertile and some aren't. Our soil is thin, lacks topsoil
(with it's organic matter) and isn't very fertile. This was woodland over
limestone, mostly limestone. Some people had to have their septic lines
blasted out with dynamite. I sure miss that rich black sandy soil I had in
NY. It grew almost anything you planted.....
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Bill Stock]

"~ janj" > wrote in message
...
> It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
> What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
> in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
> and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
> early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
> was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to
> it.
> How about you? ~ jan

There is still ice in the Pond here. It will likely be May before the fish
go back in, more for the sake of the plants then the fish. I see major
leafage under the ice, so there will be a big cleanup ahead in any event.


> --------------
> See my ponds and filter design:
> www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website

[Wilmdale]

Well, as I look out the window right now, it is snowing again. So, I
plan to go skiing to take my mind off the fact that it is not spring yet
here in Colorado Springs. :-) . Patience, patience, patience....
W. Dale
~ janj wrote:

>It's time to come back out and play. (I hope)
>
>What are your plans for this spring? I know I want to get the out-of-pond
>in-the-ground filter put in on the lily pond. I'm planning on not draining
>and sucking the muck out. The weather hasn't been too agreeable so far. No
>early spring for us like last winter. We thought it would be, as January
>was so mild, but February turned on the cold and March is hanging on to it.
>How about you? ~ jan
>
>--------------
>See my ponds and filter design:
>www.jjspond.us
>
> ~Keep 'em Wet!~
> Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
> To e-mail see website
>
>

[[email protected]]

I inherited a the house I grew up in from my mother which we now call the "dacha"-
russian for country house. this is where our first two big ponds were dug when we
lived there. that house is now rented. but when my mother died the house needed
repairs and what I call "detailing" it, painting, cleaning and varnishing the
woodwork, fixing all the little things, putting a light in all closets, like that.
this house that my parents built 55+ year ago is now smack dab in the middle of fancy
schmancy million dollar homes so by refreshing it with new fixtures etc it could be
rented for a lot of money but they would also expect higher end stuff. anyway. on
Halloween a couple years ago a woman came by with her kid, we were handing out hot
apple cider laced with brandy for the adults and got to talking and she does house
repair. she is the one detailed the house. I made her a web page.
http://weloveteaching.com/dede/dedeshome.html
she lives on the next block west of us, we share the same alley. DeDe rented the
upper of a duplex from friends. well..... the friends wanted to sell the house and
we inherited some cash so we bought it. So now we can have ponds and grapes and
dwarf fruit trees at several locations. my experience is, the nicer something is
kept, the better people treat it. I got great renters so I want them to have a nice
backyard. Ingrid

~ janj > wrote:

>On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 02:27:48 GMT, wrote:
>>This year I have an entire new city backyard to landscape and dig a pond at our
>>rental. I am also putting in fruit trees and a grape arbor.
>
>Wow, but why would you do this at a rental? Is it close by? ~ jan
>
>
>~ jan/WA
>Zone 7a



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://groups.google.com/groups/dir?hl=en&q=puregold&qt_s=Group+lookup
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no compensation for running the Puregold list or Puregold website.
I do not run nor receive any money from the ads at the old Puregold site.

[~ janj]

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 17:18:23 GMT, wrote:

>we inherited some cash so we bought it. So now we can have ponds and grapes and
>dwarf fruit trees at several locations. my experience is, the nicer something is
>kept, the better people treat it. I got great renters so I want them to have a nice
>backyard. Ingrid

Cool. Sounds like a win-win situation. ~ jan :)
~ jan/WA
Zone 7a

[Koitoy]

Just a few minor things this year. Finish the settling pond (almost
done). Dig up the skimmer that settled and raise it back up an inch.
Then finish the waterfall, and install the new bead filter. Then
finish the landscaping behind the pond.

I have been working in 40 degree weather to get it started. I want it
done by the end of April so that I can enjoy it. I can just picture
it.........the pond all done.......me resting in the lounge chair with
a cold frosty adult beverage on a warm day. The sound of the
waterfall...... and NO MUD anywhere to be seen. My nails nicely
manicured instead of broken and dirt stained. Yes.............sigh.


--
Koitoy