eRodent > The Garden Pond Page > September 2001.


September 2001.

Well it's pretty much the end of the season and we still haven't quite finished the flower beds but the pond is looking great still. It is finally starting to look like it has always been there rather than someone dug a hole and filled it with water. The hardy annuals at the back of the pond have gone over but the nasturtiums are still going strong. This month I've had to do some major removal of fairy moss as it attempted to take over the entire pond. I still think it was worth having though as it's provided plenty of cover and the water has stayed really clear. It also provides a vital early warning of problems with alkalinity as it starts to go orange the minute the pH starts to drift up. I have piles and piles of oxygenating weed - I even took some into work for a colleague.




We're absolutely swarming with baby fish now - hopefully we won't be overstocked next year. The snails and water skaters have also done very well and I've seen some water beetles. There's quite a few water boatmen and I've been frequently buzzed by the most enormous dragonflys. The adult fish have become a lot less tame as they have plenty of weed to hide in and don't need to food so much. In the photo below you can see two fish fry.



The flower bed at the front is filled in and I've started planting it. A lot of it will have to wait until next spring as it's going to be a cottage garden flower bed. The only thing left is the grass around the pond which is too hard to dig at the moment. We've even got rid of the large pile of earth that has been lurking on the drive all summer!!



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