Fall Project ?

[AgentOrange]

I have a small pond at my bridge. It has been fun for 10 years, but now is over grown and needs a redo. I used a plastic sliding board for a stream, but now you can't see it for the roses. To that end, I am thinking just pulling it out this Fall, moving it and the pump to a location I see more often. A good place might be my annual flower bed which is just off the deck, and I see it often, like right now as I type this.
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I would pull out the tiny waterfall at the rear and replace it with this stream looking thing I found on the web. At the end would be the small 100 gallon pond instead of the rock pile that is in the stock photo. The bed is 15 foot long, and as I see it, the stream with pond would be about 8-9 foot leaving plenty of room for flowers on the front and sides. The frog pond at the rear would not be effected.
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This is an interesting stream as it is 3 pieces, sold separately. You can mix and match to make up what ever you choose with just one piece or a hundred. I like the flexibility of that. I would get it in grey and use green and black Elephant ears and Calidums along the edges. My best course might be to build a frame for it with 2X4s as they are cheap. From experience I know that a big concern for a stream or waterfall is getting it level so all the water does not run to one side.

Of course by fall, who knows what new idea may come along? :redface-new:

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

Similar to mine. Each drop adds some extra "gurgling" for ambience~

I like water features; they're very calming, but make me have to pee a lot....

[elgrau]

Put in a water wheel and generate electricity for the house...:watermelon:

[AgentOrange]

I have most everything in now. I decided on a four piece stream that should work about to be about 10 feet long with the pond. The flower bed is 15 feet, so there is plenty of room. The stream is not as wide as the stock photo suggests , so I will still have plenty of room on the sides for plants.
I have assembled:

- 2 of the flat things:
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- 1 of the Reservoir things:
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- 1 of the waterfall things:
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I already had used:
- a hard shell 90 gallon pond
- a 1200gph pump
- a UV light
- a small filter.

I need to pick up plastic tubing. I saved the styrofoam blocks the stream pieces were packed in to add to the base. Those, along with the dirt from the hole for the pond should be nearly enough to build the foundation. (Much of the foundation for my frog pond is empty 5 gallon paint cans) I have an endless supply of sand on the lake shore - hauling it is a bitch as a wheel barrow filled with sand is heavy. Sand is exceptionally good to level things on. Mulch is light, easy to work with, but it decomposes. Mulch is the best choice for a larger garden bed for many reasons, but a poor choice to build a pond on.

I am eager to begin, but a couple things delay me. One, it is near a hundred here everyday right now. I enjoy sitting outside (like right now) with a cold beer and a fan, but digging is more than I am up to until it cools some. Two, I would have to dig up the flower bed where this is going, and the annuals are looking too good to do that right now. I have a lot of Winter and Spring bulbs in there, but I should be able to save and move most.
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Still, I am eager to start.

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

Sweet. I like projects around the house like that. Might have to expand mine sometime in the future, after I get a job~

[AgentOrange]

You work for years to get a bed that pleases you. I have one. After years of trial and many errors this one is now perfect. It is perfect in many ways. It produces "happy" year round. The soil is well tested and will grow flowers on a rock. I actually raised worms for a year in my pool room just to put there. After several misses, have a lock solid irrigation system there.
By any standard, this is a good bed and shows what "I" can do. All I have to do now is not disturb it, and every year it will come back better. Even the annuals will go to seed. I hate to think how much money I have in bulbs there. It is now ready for all seasons.

So today I started digging it all up.

I was sure I could wait until the first freeze, but WTF?
Months ago I started to assemble a "Branch" for this bed. I have ponds and a dry stream, but no "Branch". My goal was to put this in when the weather got cold, but today at 90 degrees, I started to dig.
I like gardens, but hate to dig. I hate to dig. It does not fit my personally as it is hard work. At 30 this was a 3 day job, but now it is a 30 day job. Too be honest, there is no way I could have done this at 30 as I did not have the experience then to do a good job of it all.

All I can say is that I am a garden idiot. That became apparent quickly as I discovered land scape timbers I had buried there. Now I have to dig below them and saw them off. That is about a week's work for an old guy like me. As lazy as I am, I now see no "Branch" running here this year. Often I amaze myself, so WTF?

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Drop by and see my garden. I don't have an audio system to lure, but if you like plants and critters, my yard is a must see. This area is all about tourists, most on a Harley.

I was just kidding about the audio. I been around and mine is the best I have heard. If it were not, I would adjust. More importantly, I have a LP, CD, collection that is very good and reflects 50 years of collecting.

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

Been there; saw that. Fantastic garden, fantastic audio setup. Ya done good~

[Douglas]

Bill, you have such a great place there. Love what you have done. :encouragement: I know all about the difference between 30 and now, and how it affects our abilities! Just do what you can each day, and it will soon come together. :triumphant: :victorious:

[AgentOrange]

As this is a hobby project I was going to start in November, I am taking it slow since days are still in the 80's here. If I get up early enough, will do a little each day. This is actually better as I tend to be impatient and will do a better job if I have more time to think on the problems that arise. :hopelessness:

Yesterday got back to digging. I hate to dig, it is damn hard work. I was fretting because I build this bed over a 3 level 25 foot landscape timber border. I had forgotten it was buried under there or I might not have started this project. It was not as hard as my dreams predicted. I dug down under it and the sawzall cut through each end, dirt and all. That saw has helped me do the impossible a few times. :witless:
You can see here how the top soil I have built up over years changes quickly as you dig to our red clay. Nothing will grow in that. All plants, even 100 year old Oaks have all roots above it.
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As you can see, saving the dirt as I will need it and a lot more later. I did haul a couple wheel barrows to another bed that needs some dirt. This red clay will make a solid foundation for the pond.
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Here is the pond. It is about a hundred gallons. It is easier to dig a hole and use rubber pond liner, but these things will last forever. They are harder to install, and cost a little more, but worth it all for small ponds. I have a 220 gallon one like this at the back of this bed 11 years old. On bigger ponds like my 4000 gallon one, you have to use the rubber pond liner. The rubber liner is also better if you need a special design, but of course more fragile.
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The trick is to get it fairly level. This is hard with preformed and no problem at all with a rubber liner. The best way is to dig the hole a little too deep and add sand to the bottom to level it on. I had a couple of tubs of rubber mulch, and I used that. The water weight will deform the pond, so you need to keep adjusting until it is uniformly supported. I filled the bottom hole in the pond with water, and then add material underneath until I have it supported and level. You can still move it some at this point.
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Here it is full and reasonably level. The weight is now around 900 pounds. In a few days the pond will settle and later on when I empty it, I can make a few more adjustments if the mood strikes me. It is muddy now, but when I finish, it will be clear as tap water, just like my other ponds.
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So, now I have the hard part done. The difficult part is ahead. I decided to go with one more flat section, and ordered that yesterday.
Today I had to go for a dentist exam (Teeth still good, Doctor amazed).
While out, I went by the nursery and looked at possible plants. This branch will end up on a big dirt hill which means I will need some roots in there to hold it in place. I am thinking keeping this light and open as I tend to over plant and under prune most places. They had a few Painted Ferns which I think will be great there, but they were 20 bucks and looked like hell so I passed. They did have some nice Plum Yew which got me thinking. I have some of that, it grows low and loves shade. I don't want much height there or it will block my view of the Frog Pond. I will also mulch and use rocks.
I bought 500 pounds of good dirt and 6 Tacos (two for the Beagles who love Tacos) --> it is a good day to be me.

[Douglas]

:congratulatory: Look'n good Bill. Lots of work to do all that. Looks like you are keeping busy, and keeping out of trouble! :congratulatory:

[AgentOrange]

You guys are my friends :adjoint:, can I cry a little?
I am hurting with real pain. :miserable:


Hauled 20 cu ft of dirt yesterday to the Branch. I know that because I paid money for the 2 cu ft bags at Lowes. I need good dirt as it is cheap in the long run. It is on sale for $6.97 a bag, and I had a coupon.

Leveled a couple sections even knowing I will have to do this again and yet again in a couple months when things settle. This is a hobby. :confused-new: My last branch section arrived last evening. This is going to take a lot more dirt than I had anticipated. Today I picked up another 30 cu ft and added it. This is enough to get the job done, but another 20 cu ft is the way I should go. So far that is about 1300 pounds I have hauled in, and my back is complaining. I have to go to the store, haul them to the truck, throw them in. Haul them home, unload and haul it down the path to the bed. I am 66 years old. 1300 pounds becomes near 4000 pounds of lifting, and it was 85 degrees here today. I know this is good for me, but it feels like it is killing me. Right now I feel similiar to a day after a really hard ten mile race, just with out the trophy and t-shirt. I am worn out, only cold beer can save me. A few here know what it is to ache like that. It is a healthy ache and it lets you know you are too soft, and improving.

My advice to all is to never grow old.

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

Two words: HOT TUB.

[Douglas]

Two words: HOT TUB.
:untroubled: Right you are Gary!! A hot tub would be a very helpful thing for you Bill!

And Bill, as far as your advice to "never grow old", it's better than the alternative!!!

[AgentOrange]

Don't own a hot tub like you rich guys.
I get over heated and just jump into the river -- nice !!

The "Branch" building is going quite well.

[AgentOrange]

Finished today.

Well, nothing in the garden is ever "finished" but the frame is now there.

I like it which is no surprise as I made what I wanted.
It was a tough haul and knowing what I know now, would not have started the project as it was more than one man can do.
The hard part was sitting up here in the CatBird seat and using imagination. Sherlock has a term for it, but it escapes me.
Lucky for me, Mr Dowd dropped by. On a scale of WTF, all the good things in my yard are due to help from Mr Dowd. Two men working together can do things one cannot.

Photos coming if even one requests them as we did good!!

[Douglas]

Finished today.

Well, nothing in the garden is ever "finished" but the frame is now there.

I like it which is no surprise as I made what I wanted.
It was a tough haul and knowing what I know now, would not have started the project as it was more than one man can do.
The hard part was sitting up here in the CatBird seat and using imagination. Sherlock has a term for it, but it escapes me.
Lucky for me, Mr Dowd dropped by. On a scale of WTF, all the good things in my yard are due to help from Mr Dowd. Two men working together can do things one cannot.

Photos coming if even one requests them as we did good!!
Ok, I'm requesting the photos showing what you accomplished. :biggrin-new:

[AgentOrange]

Even as I build it, the birds seem to think it as a good addition.
Here are two juvenile Cardinals and a Dove who approve.
My few Doves are in it all the time. It escapes me as to why, but my backyard birds seem to wash more in Winter. A flock of Cedar Wax Wings are going to be fun to watch here.
Birds really go wild in water.
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[AgentOrange]

I think it is looking OK. Time and Mother Nature will weather it and make it all fit together. Algae will grow on the rocks, and all this will look quite different (better?) this time next year.

Here it is with a few plants, a couple Snap Dragons added in a later photo for some "POP".
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I added two Plum Yew 'Prosta" as they are evergreen and will grow low to help add roots and hold the soil in place.
I added two Mahonia 'Soft Caress' to keep with the airy theme as I don't want this to look over grown like most of my beds. It is a slow growing plant that looks a lot like native Lantana, but different. It will add some Winter color with berries and like I said, all Mahonias grow slow.

There is a dwarf Elephant ear in the rear that has been there a few years and I left it. I moved a Black one to the front which looks good in ths photo but of course drooped later. It will come back strong next year. As my yard is mostly shade, I use Elephant ears in a lot of places. They multiply and are free after you buy a couple. They can handle shade or quite a lot of Sun if you keep them wet. They even grow well in my big pond, but don't come back as the roots rot over Winter.

I threw some water plants from the Frog pond in the top and bottom. They will die off at first freeze, but cheap to replace come Spring.

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I put a little variegated Ivy around the top and will train it down the sides. Unlike most people, I like Ivy, and like most people, have to cut it back all the time. This variegated one is my favorite as it shows up in shade. It grows slow compared to most Ivy. I will just keep one vine on each side going and trim as needed.

Above you can see where I added some grass. I want low vegetation around the pond. These grass pods will spread to about 10 inches in a couple years, but will stay at a height of about 3 inches. I have them in a another bed and they seem to do OK in shade.

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Above is it with my frog pond in the photo. The Frog Pond is 12 years old and has raised a lot of Frogs.

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It aint perfect and some might not approve. Now with all I learned, could do better. I will adjust as I get a noton.

Over all, I think I exceeded my expectations for the project.

[AgentOrange]

Building gave me new problems, but that is true of all hobby things. Here you can see where I added a lot of Styrofoam. The Branch pieces came packed in it, so I used it as a base to save money and effort. It will not last for ever, but longer than me."

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I got tired of hauling dirt, and added a lot (too much?) mulch. The height needed for this Branch kinda surprised me even though I did lay it all and measure.

I use a lot of mulch in all my flower beds as a base, not just on top. It rots to good compost after a couple years and you have to add some dirt, but you have a great base with good drainage that way. I reccomend all give that a try.
The Branch is on a solid base, but I know the dirt will settle and adjustments will be needed by Spring, not much of a problem. The deep mulch is off to the sides and makes planting Pansy hard for Winter, but I will figure it out.

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[Douglas]

:applouse: Look'n good Bill!! That was a lot of hard work, but looks like it was well worth it. I really like that waterfall (Branch) thing. Where did you get it?Great shot of the birds. Your photos answered a question that had occurred to me before. Would birds use a waterfall as a bird bath?? Yep! Thanks for posting the photos.

[SteveK]

OO,
Where did you get the parts to build the stream/falls? or What are they called?
TIA,
Steve

[AgentOrange]

OO,
Where did you get the parts to build the stream/falls? or What are they called?
TIA,Steve
You can find them a couple places including AMAZON. Basically you just buy as many pieces as you need and attach them. They are well made, but kinda high.

http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-Laguna-Stream-Waterfall-Aquariam/dp/B001B5DB3G/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1352830453&sr=1-1&keywords=laguna+stream

http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-PT1113-Cascade-Waterfall-Fieldstone/dp/B001B58ZOQ/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_text_z

http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-Reservoir-Spillway-Waterfall-Aquariam/dp/B001B58ZNC/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1352830453&sr=1-2&keywords=laguna+stream

Ponds can be found at Lowes and Home Depot ranging from small to over 200 gallons.

[AgentOrange]

OO,
Where did you get the parts to build the stream/falls? or What are they called?
TIA,
Steve

Steve this is a good system. My experience with it can can help. PM or email me. I can help you as to tubes and pumps to look at as well as grade.

It is sorta like the difference in being near a lake or a river.


It is working out good for me. So far I have photoed 13 different birds in there. The Gold Finches are almost constant. I am eager for my Song Sparrows to arrive as they act more like ducks in Winter.

You need just the head piece which gets water from the bottom. You can then add on to infinity (Rabbit has key on his keyboard for infinity, can't find it on mine)

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

Infinity = 8 (turn this sideways)

[SteveK]

It looks great but I don't have a place for it right now.

I was at the New York Botanical Garden this summer, in a garden, where they had a fake stream set up. The birds were going nuts (bathing) in it, I had never seen anything like it. I hike a lot but I guess in real streams the pools of water are too deep. Fun to watch.
Steve

[AgentOrange]

My first outdoor water feature was a few different size plastic pot saucers I drilled holes in and nailed to a 4X4 post. I will try to find a photo.

I put a bucket in as the pond. It was terrible, but enough to get my mind working.

Out door water features can be small. I have had a small overflowing bird bath on my deck for 10 years - total cost about $150.

I think it will be here as long as I am.

[TNRabbit R.I.P.]

My pond sits silent, forlorn & full of leaves right now:

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/Around%20the%20House/DSC05287.jpg

I shut it down before the hurricane when the leaves started to fill it; will clean & empty it later...