Pond!

Some really cold weather moved through the area on my days off, but I bundled up and did a little work outside. I built part of the spillway, planted some lily of the valley around the rocks and spread a bag of mulch around the pond. After the plastic pond settles over the winter, I will need to level it and then we can get some fish!

I still need to finish spreading mulch and to run electricity to run the pump for the pond, but Dad's coming out in the spring. That sounds like a good project for the two of us.



After finally getting all of the unwanted plants out of the bed on the west side of the house, I added some topsoil and planted an Azalea to take the place of one that I transplanted and the others that have died. Now I need to get some mulch.


I moved the wood pile to a cool metal rack that Morgan's father gave to us, allowing me to clear out the rest of the English ivy that was growing up the fence and along the ground. The fence is badly rotted from the years of having the ivy on it, but it should be OK. And it looks so much better with all of the unwanted shrubs along here. You can see a Nandina that we planted on the left. Maybe more of those along here? Not really sure.

Making progress

I finished (finally) spreading mulch around the big flower bed near the front door and planted some Ixiolirion pallasii bulbs near the back of the bed that I purchased from a school fundraiser. These are like day lilies only half the size or so and ice blue. Very pretty. They make me anxious for spring.



Morgan, Queen of Craigslist, found this cool garden pond and pump for $20. I put it in near the front door in a shady spot beneath the eaves of the house where plants will not be able to grow very well. Next, I'll build a spillway and place rocks along the edges of the pond. We still need to run electric to the outside of the house so we can power the pump for it since there are no exterior outlets, but already I like it being there. Maybe Dick or my father can help me scout this out and figure how to get electricity to the front of the house.

During my childhood, my father installed several fish ponds around the house where I grew up — his much bigger and more elaborate than this little pond — and I always liked sitting and watching the fish or, alternatively, annoying the fish while playing with my boats and Star Wars men in the water.



I finished the stone border that Morgan and Tad started and finished digging up all of the weeds and escaped Vinca. Morgan pruned the shrub at the corner of the house. The soil that I took from digging the garden pond, I spread around the neglected Azalea along the side of the house.

Next week, we'll get a bunch more mulch and spread it around.