Thursday, July 21, 2011

Water Garden

We built a waterfall and a pond in our backyard ten years ago and it continues to delight us. 


We had a pond in our old house and I brought this water lilly with us when we moved here.


I re-pot it every couple of years and it continues to give us beautiful flowers.  I have shared pieces of it with friends and family and now it grows in their ponds too. 


Our fish are "rescues" from pet shops selling them as feeder fish and from the Del Mar Fair. We call our pond "Fishtopia" because they seem very happy.  They have reproduced many times and now we have many generations from our first fish.  We even have tadpoles.  Can you see the baby tadpoles?  They are very small and black.




We do throw some fish food in there.



It's impossible for me to sit next to our pond and feel anything but relaxed.  Listening to the trickling water and watching our fish glide smoothly by always makes me breath a little deeper.

The Water Hyacinth is blooming right now.


It floats along the top of the pond and keeps the water shaded from the hot sun. 
The fish are happy.



Here's what it looks like when it's not blooming.  The pond is very easy to maintain.  Mother nature does most of the work.  The plants create shade on the pond which keeps the algae growth down.  The plants also create oxygen, hiding places, and food for the fish.  The fish provide fertilizer for the plants.  We have a pump that recirculates the water and has a filter on it.  This keeps the water clear.  We have another pump that runs the waterfall.  We only use the waterfall pump for a few hours a day. 






Here's the proud papa or mama?  How do tell a boy frog from a girl?


Do you have a pond or water garden? 
I would love to see it.

Breath deeper, smile more, stop and sniff the flowers.

Thanks for checking it out. 


16 comments:

  1. We don't have one, but I sure wouldn't mind having that in my garden to look at! It's stunning. And boy are those lucky fish.

    ~Heather

    ReplyDelete
  2. who doesn't love the sound of a water feature out there window. i'll take one, please.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That is so lovely. If we had a water feature with fish, every raccoon in the county ... among other predators ... would be more present than they already are. That is a pitfall of country living. But, your's is so beautiful and I imagine very relaxing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. hey, just noticed you have 100 followers! celebrate. this is a big day, blogger! who hoo...next stop, nate berkus.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really really beautiful. I hope you count your blessings every day. And I hope those fish count theirs for being rescued :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have all the things I hope to have someday! I am so glad you enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful! Those flowers are so pretty. {I have no idea how to tell a mama frog from a papa frog. :)} What a nice place to retreat to, and it's in your very own backyard! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Prettiest pond I have ever seen.
    That third picture down from the top or your water lilies is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So pretty! We just fed my neighbors fish the other day and the kids loved it. How fun to have them in your own yard. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello, Shannon! First I want to thank you for stopping by my blog. I really appreciate your kind words.
    I want a pond for the front of my house. We finally cleared a spot for one. I love what you did with the waterfall..beautiful and looks peaceful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. How beautiful!!! I beat it sounds so lovely. My boys would love it and the fish!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. So happy I discovered your blog, Shannon! I'm your newest follower and looking forward to reading your future posts:)

    ~Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your pond is beautiful! I love sitting outdoors by ours too, so calming.

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a beautiful water feature. We're lucky enough to be renting a house on a lake in Mississippi. I'm not sure if that counts. =)

    Meg
    http://megshandmadelife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would die for a pond like this! Growing up we lived in a house with an abandoned house next door (creepy I know!) and there was an abandoned, decayed fish pond with fish still in it...I fed them because I thought they were magical.

    ReplyDelete
  16. wow! what a lovely pond. And yes I LOVE the sound of water falling- it puts my heart at peace in an instant! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...