Goodbye lawn. Hello pond!

Hi Kindred whats the tree in the first photo with the grey leaves and purple new growth is it some form of Acacia?? Thanks Scratch that just seen the earlier photo above

 

View of pond from kitchen window.

 

What a wonderful vista . As near to heaven as you get ,
thank you for sharing that Kindredspirit,
Jenny

 

...What a view.....it's amazing Kindred

 

Rocks have arrived for new raised Juniper Bed beside one of the front ponds. They're HEAVY!

 

Rocks positioned but I've run out of topsoil. :( :(

 

Brilliant Kindred how did you move them?

 

A Mini-Digger and a scaffolding pole.

 

Do you swim in your pond, or get in it in warm weather? I have a rough sort of wildish pond that I swim mini circles in in summer. If you float peacefully the fish nibble you which gets annoying though.

 

Yesterday my terrier Jack, who is always up to something, hunting rats, having stand-offs with the bad hen or rooster, and shadowing me as I spend hours a day outside; So jack took off barking when we approached the pond and ran off a Great Blue heron who had been hunting on the bank. I hope he gave it a good scare because my goldfish are about 8 inches long, or perfect heron eating size. The pond water is muddy from rain and I have not seen the fish in weeks - I hope they are still there.

Three days ago we had a big rain, 20 hours of thunder and rain totaling over eight inches, over 20 cm - what we call a very heavy rain. Living on a saltwater bayou we have 5 kinds of heron and many kinds of fishing birds but they rarely go to the pond which is back in the woods. I have even had a alligator move into the pond. It is a wildlife magnet.

 

Hi colne...Welcome to GC Does this mean you're in Louisiana?

 

I am in Mississippi, right near Louisiana. I am from London where my parents still live but I moved to USA at 21 and have been here well over thirty years and am an American citizen - but still feel a strong part of being English too.

I bought a 90 foot by 45 foot lot in the woods across from me and had a large track-hoe dig a pond 40 ft by 45 ft and 12 foot deep at the deepest That was $1200. Wile it was empty I put in some marine pilings and built a short pier that sloped down into the water so one can sit on the end being waist deep, they slide off to swim. Then I put in a well, me and a helper did a 45 foot well in a day with $60 of materials so I keep it full easily and cheaply.

My land is so low, 3.5 to 5 foot above mean tide, and we get 3 foot tides, so is silty bog with regular salt water floods - and the spoil piles from the pond are my main gardening land because they are high and not sodden silt. I use all raised beds or terraces.

The spoil lands are crammed with fruit trees and bushes with veg and flowers squeezed in and a tiny library on the highest bit. I love my pond! I try and swim every day - being hidden in the woods it is a secret garden.

 

Well I was nearly right with my guess!

Sounds wonderful! Some photos would be nice! We like photos on here.

 

The site will not let me post photos, I have not been here long enough to be able to post links - it says that when I try.

I am considering having another bond built back in the woods further to do a bit of aquaculture - to grow giant freshwater prawns. I doubt I will do it because to is back closeish to a house with children and I would worry about liability meaning expensive fencing. I found a guy who would dig a pond for $800! Not bad, it is a huge machine like the one that did mine.