|
|
|
||||||||
|
Building my Bigger Pond
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here is the "before" picture. I chose this location because it is against a south-facing wall, which protects it from most winds and creates a warmer microclimate. The location was originally an iris bed. I removed most of the iris and added the landscaping that would go behind the pond first, since working space is tight.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
I dug this hole all by myself and I am not an athlete by any means. It took me 3 days spread over a week and a half. The clay was not too bad to shovel at the beginning when it was still wet from our lengthy spring rains. Later on I had to wet it down or I never would have been able to get the shovel through. I discovered lots of gravel put in by the builder for backfill and/or drainage. The gravel, while heavy, was actually easier to dig through than the clay.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The dirt pile - about 28 wheelbarrows full of clay and gravel. Whew! I later raked it into a gentle mound and will try to grow plants over it next spring.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Me doing my Whistler's Mother imitation. Note the big grin because I'm nearly done digging (just the backfill ahead of me). I added six 50 pound bags of sand on the bottom to cushion and level the hole.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here I had to ask my better half for help. I foolishly thought we could strap the stock tank to the top of our minivan. Bad plan. So I waited at the store with my paid-for stock tank while he drove home and borrowed our neighbor's pickup truck. Much better idea. Here he is unloading the tank.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tank is finally in the ground! My husband helped me lift it in and out several times until I got it level.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Full of water and plants at last!!! It took several more days for me to order and get the pallet of rocks used to build the wall that hides the tank.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |