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Creating our big pond was exciting as we watched the bobcat scoop up a dozen large boulders from our yard and place them in a circle. A rubber liner and 2,000 gallons of water later we had our pond, which we have enjoyed for many years. It's not a "fussy" manicured pond...and over time it has taken on the look and feel of a natural pond.
A backyard koi pond may not be a glamorous hobby, it might be wet and messy at times, but it sure is fun...and it is great therapy.
First "Water Feature"
We wanted more...
Next Project: A Goldfish Pond
Our first water feature was a bucket in the ground, some rocks, (one with a hole in it), and a small fountain pump to give us a dripping water sound effect.
Next was a small kidney shaped goldfish pond, edged with sandstones and a huge boulder from our yard – one that our grandson and his friend heaved into place. And, we had some welcome, but unexpected, “guests” that arrived in eggs on water lettuce. (tiny goldfish)
We needed bigger and better, so a round 300 gallon goldfish pond was dug. A little waterfall, some cute pond ornaments, and pretty yellow water lilies were added. More little “guests” arrived! When huge boulders were uncovered in our yard the big pond became a fantastic surprise project.
We can’t forget to brag on our two Koi, “Double Dot and Freckles”. They were 5 inches long when we put them in the big pond. That was in 2007. Look at them now! 18 inches long. And recently, we became aware that they are the proud parents of at least two offspring. These two big ones are real “troupers”. They have been through a lot, including a house fire which impacted their pond greatly. Will post details in the Blog later on.
A carousel of our fun as backyard ponders.
Our miniature schnauzer, Sophie, adds to our pond entertainment. She dives in for a swim every chance she gets. We have lined the bottom of the two small ponds with flat rocks so it is shallow and safe for her to play in the water.
So, what are we up to right now?
Overwintering our water plants.
See tie Tips and Tales Archives (1/24).
tips & tales
TIP:
Advice or information.
TALE:
Imaginative
narration of
an event.
TALE (2/24) Our first attempt at a goldfish pond was laughable. The pond was fairly nice, but we were certainly newbies as far as mainteance of the pond and of the fish. My mother was living with us at the time, and she had stories to tell about her “Daddy’s” fish pond. While I was stressing over keeping the goldfish from freezing, she was laughing. Her claim was that her Daddy’s goldfish froze solid in the wintertime, and thawed out just fine in the Spring. (This was while I was attempting to keep the small pond thawed with an aquarium heater.)
Of course, I have since learned that the truth is somewhere in the middle. Our fish, especially the two 16 year-old-koi are tougher than nails. They have endured sub zero temperatures more than once, as well as raging fire embers crashing into their pond during our house fire. Their water has gotten out of control with green algae more than once, before we built our bog.
A pond water heater, heat wrap for the exposed pipes, an aerator, a waterfall, and a small bog waterfarll during the winter months keep the water moving and oxygenated. Sure don’t want the fish to freeze solid!!
Tips and Tales Archives
We have tips from our own experiences, as well as tales about crazy projects, stinky-fishy projects, courageous fish to be amazed by (Freckles and Double Dot), laughs and tears, catastrophes, and some surprises to tell you about.
TIP (1/24) Soon after the last freeze here in Green Country, we began a new venture of harvesting and overwintering our water plants. This adventure began as we were removing hundreds of beautiful, healthy plants from the pond and heaping them into the compost pile. What a waste! The light bulb went on with an idea that we could save the plants and put them back in our pond in the Spring … and maybe even sell some of them. It has been challenging yet enjoyable to set up our “hydroponics room” with 18 tubs filled with water lettuce and hyacinths – all of which were grown in our bog and pond. It required a lot of experimenting on how much light is needed, how close to hang the grow lights, which fertilizer to use that won’t be retained and harm the fish when the plants are placed back in the pond in the Spring, monitoring the water temperature and oxygen levels. As it turns out, the plants are not only maintaining their good health, but they are thriving and growing. Now it’s just another couple of months before we can begin one of the most enjoyable parts of ponding – bringing out the pond ornaments, slicking up the edging and the liner, adding pebbles to the bog, sprucing up the waterfall, and the icing on the cake, adding the pretty water plants.
TIP: (12/23) Well, it’s that time again. Fall used to be my favorite time of the year, restful, gorgeous colors, less yard work, cool weather. But Fall is also the time to dismantle the pond which has been beautiful with greenery and decorations for several months, and made our back yard park like and inviting. Clearing away the summer time pond and preparing for winter time ice and snow is depressing. It’s a downer to pull out all of the withering frost-bitten water lettuce and hyacinths, to store my favorite “little boy” and other ornaments, and then to watch while hundreds of dry leaves fall on the pond net. (Not to mention hickory nuts almost as big as golf balls everywhere.)
Looking on the bright side though, while I’m preparing the pond for cold weather, I’m also thinking and planning for next Spring. I’m going to do this or that a little differently. Get more of those, add to that. Put “little boy” on a different boulder next time. Repaint that metal fish. Arrange the waterfall for a better flow. Having fun already! Looking forward to Spring. Okay. Freckles and Double Dot seem ready for their hibernation. They are swimming slowly, not very hungry, and curiously watching me buzz around. I guess it is time to close the shed door, enjoy the holidays, and take a break.
Tale: (11/23) Not too long after our big pond was created, we were at Bass Pro one day and they had a full body wader in my size on sale. I thought at that time, being a newbie ponder, that the pond would need to be cleaned on a regular basis and I would do it — in this nifty wader. Well, that was 16 years ago and I’ve been in the pond in the nifty wader two times. First time was pretty fun, didn’t do any cleaning, just enjoyed walking around in the pond (carefully), and discovered the pond liner was very slick. By the time I got into the pond in the nifty wader the second time I had come to know that snakes also liked the pond, so it wasn’t quite as much fun. Plus, I lost my balance while walking around and fell in. Jim had his doubts about the whole wader idea in the first place and worried about me falling in and the wader filling up with water. Would not be a good thing. So, just as you can imagine the wader is hanging the closet where it has been for quite some time. It’s cute though.
TIP: (10/23) We definitely are not experts, but one thing we have learned is that having a bog next to your pond is a wonderful thing. We fought green water algae for many years, then within a few days after building our bog, the pond water was clear. Ours is a simple, homemade bog. There are many ways to build a bog, and many videos to teach you how to build one. Definitely worth the effort!
About Us
We’ve been backyard ponders since 2007.
Sharing our ponding experiences in this Blog is a new adventure for us. Another new adventure is the overwintering of the hundreds of water plants our pond and unbelievable bog produced during the summer months. We made the decision to attempt this venture because it pains us greatly when at the end of summer the frost ruins the beautiful plants, and we have to scoop the plants up and dump them onto the compost pile. So, we are overwintering the plants and will be placing them back in our pond in the Spring.