Testing the waters -- new pond or three in my future

Hi everyone,

I'm across the Puget Sound from Seattle, Washington and am planning a huge
pond.

I've built a couple of ponds in my past (150 gallon and a 1500 gallon with
waterfall and steep watercourse), but now I'm on a new piece of property.
I've just spent the last week or so catching up on this group (14,000 messages
or so, but I didn't read them all because I'm lazy, hehehe)

I'm an artist by trade and am planning on setting up a 1 acre section of my
property as a sculpture park and showing my work as well as other artists.
The pond I'm planning for this area will be much larger than anything I've
done in the past (I'm going to set up some pictures of the raw land on a web
site soon if anyone here cares to see it and offer suggestions).

The pond will be approximately 25' x 35' and will have an island in the center
(for displaying sculpture with a moon bridge to it. About 20' away from this
pond will be a steep watercourse about 15' high and 20' long going to a small
'creek' that leads to the pond.

While I would love to have koi, I have every predator known to mankind around
my house and may let the frogs move in if they see fit and leave it at that.
Because it's going to be a 'gallery' type setting, nets and other deterrents
would be a little unsitely.


I have TONS of questions... some you guys and gals can answer, some I have
still have to figure out, but I'll read advice and suggestions for all of it.

How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun, but
I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as well.)
Even so, the sun will rule.

Should it be 'formal' or 'natural' looking?

Does a deeper water pond help keep algae growth down due to cooler water
temps?

Part of the pond is going to be under an existing weeping willow tree, so what
sort of skimmer should I use to help with fall leaves? (I'm going to
'containerize' the 20' high tree to keep the roots out of the pond and to help
restrict it's ultimate size... there will be a steel ring underground about
8' out from the trunk.

Should I use a rubber liner? Concrete? Clay?

So many questions, so little money. ;-)


Thanks!

James Kelsey


www.jameskelseystudios.com

"RainLover" wrote in message
...

How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun,
but
I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as
well.)

Isolate the Bamboo somehow, otherwise it'll just take over everything. It's
roots go down almost 2 feet, and it can actually also grow almost 2 feet a
day, in the right weather conditions.

We're looking at trying to remove a bamboo grove that is on our new property
here. We cut about a 5 ft by 20-30 ft swath out last fall, and it's mostly
already grown back, with 12 foot tall shoots.

That's actually on my schedule today.. web search for bamboo removal, and
see what is recommended...


--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

FYI: there are varieties of bamboo called "clumping" that do not spread.
The only way I now of to get rid of bamboo involves a shovel and lots of
sweat.

Gareee© wrote:
"RainLover" wrote in message
...


How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun,

but

I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as

well.)

Isolate the Bamboo somehow, otherwise it'll just take over everything. It's
roots go down almost 2 feet, and it can actually also grow almost 2 feet a
day, in the right weather conditions.

We're looking at trying to remove a bamboo grove that is on our new property
here. We cut about a 5 ft by 20-30 ft swath out last fall, and it's mostly
already grown back, with 12 foot tall shoots.

That's actually on my schedule today.. web search for bamboo removal, and
see what is recommended...

"Mark Bannister" wrote in message
news
FYI: there are varieties of bamboo called "clumping" that do not spread.
The only way I now of to get rid of bamboo involves a shovel and lots of
sweat.

We're not talking shovels here.. we're talking renting a small track hoe, or
some such.. otherwise it'll be growing up behind me as I clear it out! I
have almost 1/4 acre of it now, and my yard is only 1.23 acres as it is.


--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

You could wait 100 years for it to bloom. Most varieties die after that.

Gareee© wrote:
"Mark Bannister" wrote in message
news
FYI: there are varieties of bamboo called "clumping" that do not spread.
The only way I now of to get rid of bamboo involves a shovel and lots of
sweat.


We're not talking shovels here.. we're talking renting a small track hoe, or
some such.. otherwise it'll be growing up behind me as I clear it out! I
have almost 1/4 acre of it now, and my yard is only 1.23 acres as it is.

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:39:41 -0500, Mark Bannister
wrote:

FYI: there are varieties of bamboo called "clumping" that do not spread.
The only way I now of to get rid of bamboo involves a shovel and lots of
sweat.

I absolutely LOVE running bamboo!!! :-)

It's beautiful when it's thinned out properly (more forest-like than
bush-like) plus the added advantage of being able to sell some back to
nurseries for more plants!

James, Seattle




Gareee© wrote:
"RainLover" wrote in message
...


How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun,

but

I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as

well.)

Isolate the Bamboo somehow, otherwise it'll just take over everything. It's
roots go down almost 2 feet, and it can actually also grow almost 2 feet a
day, in the right weather conditions.

We're looking at trying to remove a bamboo grove that is on our new property
here. We cut about a 5 ft by 20-30 ft swath out last fall, and it's mostly
already grown back, with 12 foot tall shoots.

That's actually on my schedule today.. web search for bamboo removal, and
see what is recommended...

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 12:09:05 -0400, "Gareee©"
wrote:

"RainLover" wrote in message
.. .

How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun,
but
I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as
well.)

Isolate the Bamboo somehow, otherwise it'll just take over everything. It's
roots go down almost 2 feet, and it can actually also grow almost 2 feet a
day, in the right weather conditions.

We're looking at trying to remove a bamboo grove that is on our new property
here. We cut about a 5 ft by 20-30 ft swath out last fall, and it's mostly
already grown back, with 12 foot tall shoots.

That's actually on my schedule today.. web search for bamboo removal, and
see what is recommended...


Thanks for the advice. I'll actually be having approximately 20 different
species of bamboo on the property and proper care and feeding of the beast
already includes containing it. :-)

I use a 30" deep bamboo barrior to enclose the bamboo, plus a regiment of
yearly thinning.

I've seen a lot of people have it take over their yards and most bamboo can
actually come up through a 6" thick asphalt road.

James, Seattle

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 07:13:01 -0700, RainLover
wrote:

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 12:09:05 -0400, "Gareee©"
wrote:

"RainLover" wrote in message
. ..

How large of a filter system will I need? (currently it's in direct sun,
but
I'm planning on a hill around part of the pond and bamboo plantings as
well.)

Isolate the Bamboo somehow, otherwise it'll just take over everything. It's
roots go down almost 2 feet, and it can actually also grow almost 2 feet a
day, in the right weather conditions.

We're looking at trying to remove a bamboo grove that is on our new property
here. We cut about a 5 ft by 20-30 ft swath out last fall, and it's mostly
already grown back, with 12 foot tall shoots.

That's actually on my schedule today.. web search for bamboo removal, and
see what is recommended...


Thanks for the advice. I'll actually be having approximately 20 different
species of bamboo on the property and proper care and feeding of the beast
already includes containing it. :-)

I use a 30" deep bamboo barrior to enclose the bamboo, plus a regiment of
yearly thinning.

I've seen a lot of people have it take over their yards and most bamboo can
actually come up through a 6" thick asphalt road.

James, Seattle

Wow. I'm impressed.

I want to plant some bamboo here in GA, was planning to plant it in a
30-gallon plastic washtub separated from other plants by 4-5 feet in
all directions, do you think that setup is adequate to contain it?

TIA
Mike
Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific..."

"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 07:13:01 -0700, RainLover
wrote:

I want to plant some bamboo here in GA, was planning to plant it in a
30-gallon plastic washtub separated from other plants by 4-5 feet in
all directions, do you think that setup is adequate to contain it?

Hmm... bamboo has been known to push into garages, and push through concrete
driveways... Hmmmm.....


--
Gareee©
Homepage:
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine.../mainframe.htm
Custom Figures, Wallpapers and more!

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 11:36:33 -0400, "Gareee©"
wrote:

"Mike Patterson" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 07:13:01 -0700, RainLover
wrote:

I want to plant some bamboo here in GA, was planning to plant it in a
30-gallon plastic washtub separated from other plants by 4-5 feet in
all directions, do you think that setup is adequate to contain it?

Hmm... bamboo has been known to push into garages, and push through concrete
driveways... Hmmmm.....

Yabbut, my impression is that it exerts force seeking water sources,
I'm thinking that going sideways through an inert plastic wall it
would rather go up & over, where I'll see it. (That's how I "contain"
my Bermuda grass lawn.)

Or not... :-)

That's why I was asking the OP who seems to have some experience with
it.

Now I'm contemplating a double-walled 1/4" stainless steel drum with
hydrochloric acid in the void between the walls...and an electrified
mesh grid dome over the top so I can see the pretty plants.


Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.
"I always wanted to be somebody. I should have been more specific..."