This is the pond in early spring of 2008, just after I burned and cut all the grasses and herbaceous perennials that made it through winter. This is just a reference point: I want to retain something of the sharpness and clean lines of the naked pond visible in this photo.
Here is the pond as it looked a couple of weeks back. Even with this partial view, it's clear the plant growth is too profuse. You can't really see the pond. When I chose to go "natural" and not use a liner or filter, I knew I'd have to learn to deal with the effects of self-seeding and high nutrient levels caused by the rich clay and decaying leaves that inevitably fall into the water.
So last weekend I put on my waiders, bought expressly for this task, and pulled out about 90% of the growth. I estimate the biomass removed at about a cubic yard, quite a lot if you think of its wet weight (several hundred pounds). Here it is in a rough compost pile.
The day after, the water is still a little cloudy, but it will clear quickly. I left two large Pickerel Weed (Pontadera cordata) because I love the blue flowers. I'd like to chop them way back, but I may just wait for the first frost to do that for me. Then next spring, when they start into growth, I'll give them each a healthy Chelsea chop.
I'd like to add some large rocks to create a clean edge that brings the pond more sharply into focus. That's still my plan, though I prefer to get someone else to transport and place the rocks (hope I can work that out). That far edge with the messy grasses (Deschampsia) is a prime candidate area for rock paving. You can see how a clean edge would create an effective and controlling contrast with the mass of naturalistic growth in the distance.
That looks great. I envy you your pond. We garden on the side of a hill and have stony free draining soil - not a good combination for a pond!
ReplyDeleteYou could, of course, use a liner. I agree with everything I've read about ponds. They contribute enormously to any garden.
ReplyDeleteHi James. I have not been here for a while: most remiss of me. I wanted to comment on your Day In The Life Of An Early Autumn Garden Post but seem to have been locked out.
ReplyDeleteIt is a staggeringly beautiful series of photographs and a perfect illustration of why September is so perfect: until, of course, it starts to rain hard (as it is here at the moment) and everything looks battered and drippy.
Also your pond is looking great: those few hours of extreme wader based activity have made a huge difference.
Although I love the crazy, lush abundance of the "before" pic, I agree that it's better once cleaned up a bit...after all, if you're fortunate to have a pond, you DO want to see it! I'll be interested to see what you do next year, it already looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteJames A-S,
ReplyDeleteThis is by far my favorite season, as evidenced by my garden, which really is a late season thing, on the cusp of decay and death, so to speak. Last week we had 9 inches of rain and heavy winds, after a summer-long drought. Fortunately, the lack of water over summer kept the more rambunctious plants in bounds, so though they are sagging from the onslaught, they prevailed. It's always a pleasure to hear from you.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to hear from you too. I think we have a lot in common, plantwise, and I look forward to your posts from lovely Portland.