new pond

Looks great San.

thanx cinders i posted this so i can look myself and see the changes when i plant around it :o))

Looks fantastic!!!! :))))) Love ponds!

thanx pixi, me to would love one like Dawns lol and a small boat to relax and sip wine haha

Pond looking really good, Sandra. The choice of the pot at the edge is ideal. :o)

thankyou so much Terra ;o)) x

Great San....please tell me what plants you chose for in the pond. I want something that will give some height and something that will cover some of the water surface. I'm going to the specialist nursery tomorrow! Yay!

Read your blog tonight, San...what a good job Baz did - little garden-hater that he is! You have a good man there!
He has created a beautiful little haven.

I don't know if this is fact or myth...but we have a lot of herons around here...and we put ornamental herons at our ponds (apparently, herons are lone fishers and won't go to a pond where there's already a heron 'in residence').

Some people have realistic plastic herons, but mine is quite artistic (made of welded metal)...the herons don't care - they only see the shape...

...and it seems to keep them away!

There's a big bird fishing the stream, only just along the road...but he's never once come near my pond.

I'm now watching you and KS to see what your plantings are! :)

Hi San, sorry I nearly missed this...Cracking job...did it take long in the end...It is looking the ticket...well done you and Baz...x

hi sue once Baz and joe had sat the pond in the hole and packed with sand etc and made sure it was level, that was one day, then on saturday Baz topped up with topsoil around ,lay bricks to surport the edging rocks so they dont sink over time, using sprit level i might add lol
then placing all the rocks and stones, then added fish and plants took about 6 hours, but well worth it to me :o))

hi karenfrance sorry i missed you then,
i may look for a nice heron not plastic as i really dont like them lol
but as you havent had any probs it may be worth a try.
karen is making a good job of her pond and the planting has started and looking good, i have to wait till weekend then i may start a bit at a time as not 100% fit after illness yet, but i cant wait :o))
karen susan i have two water lilies and another to go in yet, also im getting water hyacinth soon for summer as it spreads and shades the water and fishies from hot sun, also it helps prevent algea,
i have marsh marigolds for spring and some grasses in a large marginal basket, also i have an iris,
there are so many to chose from karen, i got a leaflet from my aquatic centre which tells you about planting, also be carefull when you clear pond palnts out, always pout in green bin or composs not waterways as they can infect them or some are very invasive and it costa the country millions each year to keep waterways clear from invasive pond plants that have been dumped.
not alot of people know this so its good to pass info on :o))

Yes, water hyacinth is a menace down south San! It is so beautiful as well. They have it in the greenhouse at Edinburgh Botanics, and it's breathtaking...but a dreadful nuisance invading all the streams in the south of England I believe!

I went to the local GC, didn't have the energy for the drive to Perth. So just go some very ordinary things...but hopefully when I have a bit more energy I'll go and find something a bit more special for the pond.

im surprised it survives even down south karen ,amybe it does in mild winters and in summer it will go mad, they have made it illigal in parts of usa because of the trouble it causes,
people need to think and not be silly, it doesnt take much to dispose of a few plants safely.
hope you get something nice karen, thats one reason i want to stop netting my pond cause its hard to get taller plants,
always something haha

Yes, I think you would do well to invest in a brass heron...or I bet you can find something nice online. I had a plastic one at my old place but like you....not nice. Well, here's my list...I'm pleased with them now I've researched them, although the big one might get a bit too big...but time will tell.

Nuphar Lutea (Brandy Bottle) floating leaves like a water lily but flowers like a buttercup. Smells of alcohol, hence the name...interesting!

Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water Plantain or Mad Dog Weed)...interesting common names!
Typha minima (Mini Bullrush) and Pondederia Cordata (Pickerel weed).

That little lot should be plenty I think. I shan't be adding any oxygenators because the solar one is doing a good job (on and off in this horrid weather), and they get all clogged up with algae. Right, that's them in. Now I am not going to do ANY more work today! I am shattered. Wish I'd had your Baz to get my levels right! :)))

all sound great karen, iv seen a mini bullrush at aquatic centre, so nice,
heard of mad dog to,
i would send baz round but dont think he would get back intime for dinner haha,
looking forward to seeing your pond all planted out karen :o))

lol...no...and too late. There's no way I'm taking that lot out again. Hours I was San, hours. levelling, replacing, removing, levelling.....spirit level and everything and then as soon as the water was in....level off. Really annoying!! Plants will hide it.....not worth the trouble of going through all that again! Yours will be perfect though and that makes a huge difference, because even when it's hidden 'I' will still know it's off! ;))

lol karen it looks great now but i know what you mean, when we know it stands out, but no-one else will notice im sure but if they say anything.... then push them in for a closer look hahaha

I had a bog bean (sorry, I don't know its real name) in my previous pond - it had pretty white flowers like little stars and spread quickly without being too invasive... I did like it...maybe I should just ask the new owners for some of it... :)

Ha, I know what you mean, K. My pond is way off the level...mostly because N and I did it all in one afternoon (well, not the digging!)...it looks okay if it's full but even after one hot day I can see it! lol!

Oh yes, that is very pretty..here it is Karen...http://www.puddleplants.co.uk/Bog-bean.html

Yes, that's the one - it's the most successful pond plant I've ever had (along with golden club). The new owners are coming over in three weeks...I might have to organise a little raiding party!

karenf i just looked that up and its so pretty, on my list now lol,
i think you should defernatly ask for some back :o))

Yes, just pop over and grab some before they arrive! :))

Looks lovely San,as to the heron........the real one took a fancy to the plastic one.........

Ooooh....errrrr!

lol pam,,hahah bet it had a shock :o))))

San excellent, you have done so well, love those big rocks, it looks as if it has always been there, going to read the blog now....

Lol! Must've been a short sighted heron! :)))

Well done you and Baz, the pond looks great. The wildlife will love it and if you get a miniature water lily the insects settle on the lilypads and drink from the water. Also gives the fish some shade too. I had a sort of very light green reed/grass growing at the shallow side of the pond and the dragonflies used to settle on it. It was in a square pot that had small holes in all the sides.

thankyou so much Dotty :o))
lol karen should have gone to spec savers hahaha
thanx Linda, i have put my water lily back and also planted another young one in, i facy a bullrush mimiture of course :o))

You must be proud of your boys Sandra......I am sure they were keen to cheer you up. :o))

Baz and Joe did a great job and joe was sorry he wasnt there to see it through to the end Linda but i sent him a pic and he loved it.
unfortunatly my eldest Johnny is calling round at the moment but still love him :o))

What a great job your boys have done Sandra, I like the pot at the top end and yor list of plants sound lovely, wish my pond was a little bigger then I could have more plants in too;0)

thanx carole, Baz and Joe worked so hard and i know its beena nightmare last few years for Baz getting me a pond in lol, but all being well he wont have to do it again ahaha, im hoping to have a few more plants carole is i can squeeze them on thr shelves :o))

Wow, this is great San.....it reminds me of the weeny one we had in Spain......yours is much bigger though, the same urn where the water flowed out, bees would gather all round for a drink and it did bring loads of wild life to the garden then, like you we had cobbles round, which we'd gathered from the local stony beach. Did you see GW last night, Monty Don was busy with all his pond plants, telling you what to use etc. Looking forward to seeing more pics in the summer....:)) (if we get one!)

glad it brought back memories of spain janey, i was sat on my bed lastnight tuned into gardeners world as Baz and his son were watching some rubbish down stairs lol
but dont remember much after that haha feel asleep and miss it, will catch up on laptop :o))