The Art of Pond Part Three Mostly Plants-Some Irrigation Tadpoles eat mosquito larvae wild domestic Cuatro Alamos timer (DIG).

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Emery O’Brien’
5 years ago
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1 The Art of Pond Part Three Mostly Plants-Some Irrigation Toads and Frogs, both begin their lives as Tadpoles. If you live permanently (all year), wherever your pond is located, there s a good chance that you can catch plenty of these little folks in your local creeks and they re good to have around to eat mosquito larvae and later, as adults, to eat bugs. You might also want to have other critters, both wild and domestic. I would like to be able to have them too, but we live out of state (Cuatro Alamos) during summer and travel a lot during winter. I m not there to take care of all these little folks and I don t want them to die, so I don t have any. Also, this pond is on a timer (DIG). It s designed so that it fills the pond and irrigates the plants every morning but gradually empties during the rest of the day. This is because I don t want mosquitoes. And just to be sure, I leave a lot of Mosquito Dunks in the pond when we re away.

2 Meanwhile, back to Ferns and plants. You can, of course, buy them at a nursery and I often do.

3 Or, you can go back down to the creek my favorite.

4 Bring a few tools. Here is a plastic pot..from the nursery when you buy a plant. It s light and easy to carry. There s a garden trowel for digging and a cement trowel for scraping.

5 You have to get down in the creek and look close along the bank. You can find lots of little goodies. This is some kind of fern. It s small but if you read it a story at bedtime and feed it well, it will get big.

6 But beware of this monkey business! It s Poison Ivy and there are other meanies like Poison Oak.

7 You might also see other things you like. This is a Mimosa Note: While pretty, the pink blooms can get to be a mess when they fall into your pond. If your yard and pond are small, like mine, tree types should either be small (Dwarf), or you will have to learn the art of Bonsai.

8 You will probably also want aquatic plants. Things like Water Lilies need to be Dwarf. While tempting, unless you can create a separate irrigated area outside your pond (like, in the background behind the pond), Cattails will overwhelm all.

9 While you re down there, get some moss.

10 This is what the cement trowel is for. Because it s flat, you can scoot it under the moss, move it side to side and get nice big pieces intact. When you get it home, you need to keep it wet while you re deciding where to put it around the pond.

12 You can t just put the moss anywhere. This little patch died. Replace any that dies with new moss or color it with food coloring. It likes more shade than sun and must have constant; abundant water.

Also, to get it established on vertical surfaces, you will, first have to put in some headless nails. To do this, I first drill holes (small mason bit) and then put in the nails.

13 Also, to get it established on vertical surfaces, you will, first have to put in some headless nails. To do this, I first drill holes (small mason bit) and then put in the nails. As pretty as it is, I have tried to establish Irish/scotch moss Scotch/Irish Moss several times with no luck. It lived a little while and then died. With nursery consultation, you might have more luck.

14 All of the plants need water.

15 So you will eventually end up with a very complicated;

16 tangled mess of little feeder lines. You will need to find a way to, at least partially, identify, who s going where and who s doing what. I use colored, electrical tape.

17 Mine got so complicated that I striped off all the tape and I m in the process of tracing all the lines and redoing the whole tape thing.

18 This is a hole where I m about to plant something and it will need water. Sometimes you dig down through the plastic and carpet pad, underneath everything, so that the plant roots can go deep down into the soil below. This depends on the plants needs and the amount of soil on top of the carpet pad.sometimes it s too shallow.

19 All need water, so the little lines are directed to wherever they re needed. Some are above ground, like this one, and some go down into the ground to the roots.

20 Sometimes you need little metal or plastic tubes to let the water through. Both water and a line come through this one. Sometimes only water comes through like with this one,

21 and this one. Occasionally, you have to clean these out by squirting water (garden hose with nozzle) through them.

22 And, of course, you will want some vines.

23 But beware, they will eventually run all over everything. Vines need to be miniature types, and even these, will get out of hand unless constantly managed.

24 This is some kind of Mexican Vine (forgot the name). At first, I had trouble getting it started.

25 But later, after being away all summer, I came back to find it completely covering the entire pond area and had to cut it back.

26 You might also want a few kitchen herbs. This is Italian, Flat Leaf Parsley. It stays pretty well cut back because we use a lot of it.

27 Here s a little start of Basil.

28 And then, of course, you will want some flowers These are some (maybe melons..don t remember) that border a little path that goes around the pond.

29 Naturally, most will only bloom in Spring and early Summer.but real pretty when they do. I don t recommend any particular types (your region may be

30 different). I just check the nurseries to see what might be reduced for quick sale, and if any look good, I try them. Some work and some don t. Well, this is getting long again so I ll move on to Part Four.

Greenhouse Plans_Part_One Tools & Materials

Greenhouse Plans_Part_One Tools & Materials Materials: All lumber is treated. I don t know what size yours will be and I don t remember well (anything) but this is approximately what I bought for mine: