Since becoming pond owners, we have added a new dimension to our gardening chores.
That would be the addition of water lilies.
It began when we were having trouble keeping the pond clear of algae.
It was suggested that shading more of the surface with the addition of the water lilies might be helpful so we sent away for a few plants and began a new venture.
We followed the instructions provided and planted one plant just to see if it would be a success.
It wasn't long until the flowers came and the plant seemed quite happy in it's new home.
While the plant thrived, the algae was still a problem.
So, the next year we added two more plants.
They also thrived and we enjoyed discovering new blooms on a daily basis.
This year we decided to add two more plants.
They arrived last week and Brett spent several hours on Saturday cleaning the pond and planting the new lilies.
Sometimes these events are recorded here on the blog to remind us of exactly when the pond was last cleaned. That would be the case here. If, however, you might be interested in the process...
here we go:
It began with emptying all of the water from the pond.
But first, the fishies were re-located to a temporary home.
After emptying the water, he scrubbed down the (slimy) liner and set to work planting the newest lilies. One of the older ones had become so big it was escaping it's pot so he divided that one up into new plants.
The plants are planted into fabric bags.
Pebbles are added to the top to prevent the soil from spilling into the pond water.
Once the planting is done, it's time to re-fill the pond with fresh water.
For Brett it was also time for a (well-deserved) nap.
Glad to have that job behind us, we now get to enjoy the beauty of the flowers and keep our fingers crossed that the water stays clear.
Last night Brett made an after dinner run to PetSmart. 24 little fishies have found a new home. First thing this morning I saw him out there checking on everyone's welfare.
Once in a while he grumbles about me wanting this pond that has added more work to his load. I nod my head secretly knowing that he is finding a certain measure of enjoyment in this new "hobby".
Hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend.
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Your pond is beautiful Kim! I love water lillies!! Maintaining a pond is alot of work. We had one at our previous home. I wanted fish and water lillies, but couldn't stand the algae. So instead I went without and added 1/4 c. of bleach to it every now and then. It kept it crystal clean, but had to sacrifice the beautiful fish and water lillies. I agree, your hubby deserved a nap. We just have a pondless waterfall at our home now. Alot less work for us old folks.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Jann
How pretty, Kim! I love ponds. Do you have little toy boats floating about with the lilies?
ReplyDeleteHow pretty your Waterlilies are!! Once, when we were camping, we came to a lake full of yellow Waterlilies. That's the only time I've seen them in yellow.
ReplyDeleteHow wise of you not to say, "You know that you love it! " Ha! Do keep us filled in on the joys-difficulties of having a pond. I love sitting by them when visiting friends, but have never wanted more than a fountain for myself. The pond must thrill your grandson! Discovery: it's a good thing!
ReplyDeleteYour pond is so pretty and I love the water lilies.
ReplyDeleteWe have never cleaned ours but the pump seems to keep it clean and we don't have fish in it. Ours is a lot smaller than yours too.
Forgot to add that the yellow watermelon came from Florida.
DeleteNow that is a pretty pond. I love all the rocks and the waterlilies. It must be fun to watch the fish. I've always wanted a fish pond like yours, but gave up on the idea after we built the one acre pond. We also planted one water lily. We also planted one water iris. The water iris have take over everything, so we only saw the water lily bloom once.
ReplyDeleteThis pond is so beautiful! I know they're a lot of work. We don't have one, but several years ago my neighbor-friend did. Do you ever get frogs hanging around or living in the pond?
ReplyDeleteMelanie, Funny you should ask. Yes we do have frogs and their many, many offspring :). We even have a tree frog who makes obnoxious sounds long into the night. This might not be so bad, except the pond is located right outside our bedroom window. We run two fans during frog season to drown him out.
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