Garden Pond Project Update.....

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."

~Abram L. Urban~

Last week I shared with you our on going garden pond project. I thought I would share the progress we have made so far and give you a better overview of the area. We spent most of last weekend staining our back deck and the porch on the writing cottage. I did got the planters filled with dirt and did the first phase of the planting, putting in Hostas, which will love this shady spot. I added a few Impatients to the front edge for a little color. I plan on getting some of these lacy ferns I saw at the garden center to put between each Hosta and would like three larger plants to use where each back boulder meets. A finishing touch will be to add a row of lighting along the back side of the planter to give some ambient light to this dark area at night.Between the two trees in the seating area I added a couple of Hostas and Impatients and want to add one fern to this area. Potted ferns now flank the pond with two extra ones added to cover up the heating and air unit for the writing cottage and the hoses and pipes that supply water for the plants and pond.

The seating area is outlined with natural stone gathered from our property. A thin concrete base was laid in the out lined area. Loose river rock fills in the area. We chose hardscaping in this area for easy maintenance. I purchased new cushions of all the seating and outdoor fabric for making new canopies for both swings. Both canopies have become brittle and one tore when putting it back on for the season so I decided to replace them. I still need to touch up paint the two chairs and tables as well as the outdoor lanterns.
Handy Hubby and I finished his fire pit last evening. I readily admit that I really do like it even though I did not think I would. It does fill in the huge gap in the middle of the seating and I think it will make for many cozy family evenings. To keep costs down we used a ready made cast iron fire ring kit with an adjustable/removable swing arm grill. The outside of the pit is made of decorative flagstones which were stacked and sealed together using a masonry glue that comes in a tube like caulk. It was very easy to use. Once that was set we made an inner ring to elevate and level the steel ring. Red lava rock was used to fill in the bottom of the pit and around the sides to insulate between the fire ring and the flagstone.
One thing we learned in this process is that you cannot just use the flagstone as a pit because these stones are man made and have materials in them that will burn and pop, possibly causing the stone to crack or explode. You need to use a steel or cast iron fire ring with either gravel or lava rock to insulate or you can use firebrick on the inside. If you are using hard natural stones like the ones lining our seating area you don't need anything on the inside.

We are adding a small grate to the inside to elevate the wood so it will draft and burn better. Handy Hubby is having a steel circle cut for a lid. He will grind the edges down and weld on a handle and give it a coat of high heat paint. Hopefully this afternoon or tomorrow will be able to go and get the rest of the stones we need for the pond edge and begin setting them.

The rains have gone today and it is sunny and cool. I am off to paint the trim around the door of the writing cottage. Once that is complete I will head back into my studio space to finish up the give away items. Here is a sneak peek at the second project...Have a wonderful Friday!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy

A Rocky Romance.....

"Years ago I had a house in Sussex, it was like Arcadia, with an old Victorian bridge, a pond and the Downs."
~Nicholas Roeg~

Monday I posted on my guy and it seems I stirred up a little wistfulness for romance. I also hinted that Handy Hubby had another surprise up his sleeve. Well, let me forewarn you that this tale puts romance on the rocks.

I tried to imagine what he could possibly have in store, after all, he had given me a flower, pressure washed our initials on a tree, and taken me on a picnic to the spot where we shared our first kiss. I just knew it had to top all that, after all my guy was on a roll. I very much anticipated the big reveal.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and early as we sat shoulder to shoulder on the front steps watching the world wake up. He told me to get ready we were going into town to do some shopping. This pushed me over the edge, who was this man and what happened to my real guy? My guy DOES. NOT. DO. SHOPPING. PERIOD! OK, let me clarify that, if there is a Bass Pro Shop or Tractor Supply or some boat or motorcycle place he will shop for eveah! We drove over to the west side of town where there is a huge garden outlet. My surprise was that we were going to finish a project he started almost fifteen years ago! THAT really did surprise me.

One day almost fifteen years ago I came home to find my guy standing knee deep in a huge hole he had dug next to a protruding boulder in our side yard. "What are you doing?" "I am going to make you a garden pond with fish and everything." "Do you know how to build a garden pond?" "No, I'll figure it out as I go along." "OK." Some kind of wired mesh stuff and bent rebar stuff and Redimix later we had ourselves a real honest to goodness cement pond! A pond that I might add seeped water. A coating of sealant gunk later and we had ourselves an honest to goodness cement pond that still seeped water.

The poor decrepit pond sat for years, a big hole in the ground filled up with leaves, a trip hazard for anyone who might happen upon it. One day the pond was scooped out and a new rubber liner was added along with a special sealant used around the edges and then we had ourselves an honest to goodness rubber lined cement pond that held water! Rocks were hauled from my grandmothers creek bed to use as stepping stones around the pond as well as to finish off the pond edges. They were stacked nearby ready for use. Pumps and a fountain were installed and gold fish came to live in the unfinished pond.The poor pond sat in its unfinished state for a very long time. I gave up hope that it would ever be anything more than an eyesore until Tuesday. We purchased a pump, filter, concrete, and some nasty black stuff in a spray can that makes rocks stick together to make the water feature I had always dreamed of having. I was feeling thoroughly romanced at that moment. My guy was going to give the time and attention needed to complete a project that I gave up on because he knew it was something that would make me happy. There was a compromise involved, I had to agree to a fire pit in the middle of my seating area.
Euphoric, we floated home on dreams of grandeur of working side by side creating a tranquil oasis to retreat to as we relaxed beside the trickling water of our new totally finished water feature. What happened next was anything but tranquil and romance hit the rocks!
The first part of the project went pretty smooth as the first three stones were sealed in place on the top and face of the boulder. We played with the arrangement of the stones around the ponds edge in preparation for cementing them down and laid out the stepping stones. I am not sure they will stay as they are. We may have to get larger stones to extend over the pond edge more. These will extend some when moved forward and sealed in place but don't cover as much of the liner edge as I'd like them to.

We needed to build up a cap of stones on top of the boulder so we gathered several rocks from around the ridge. I would stand in front of the pond and direct the placement of the rocks. At one point frustration set in on both our parts when he accused me of giving bad directions for fitting the rocks in place and I retorted that his dumping method was not aesthetically pleasing!

(small arched foot bridge will go in this bare spot)

I wanted to use a particular rock and we just could not make it fit. Handy Hubby was standing up on the back side of the boulder and lifted the offending rock over his head to give it a toss. I saw where it was going to land and tried to warn him but he shushed me and said we were not using that stupid rock. He looked a little like King Kong about hurl something off the empire state building as he hoisted the rock over his head and released it. It slammed to the ground and we had ourselves and honest to goodness secondary water feature right next to our rubber lined cement pond.

He hit the water line running from our old well that feeds over to the pond area. Stunned we both stood there for a minute getting soaking wet when he flew into action running over to the well and turning off the water. Tension was eased as we collapsed in fits of laughter. I finished arranging the rocks on top and he sealed them. Soaking wet with black rock sticking gunk stuck all over us we called it quits on the project for the day.The water feature works beautifully, is aesthetically pleasing to my artist eye, and exactly as I hoped it would be. It looks like a fresh water spring trickling down the boulder. The edge rocks are still not cemented in place and the gravel is not spread between the stepping stones. Yesterday I hauled and arranged rocks for two planting areas.

(front row of rock I hauled to make a planting area)

Plants of the aquatic and land nature still need to be purchased and installed. The little foot bridge still needs to be built. Large potted ferns need to be placed to hide the mechanics. A fire pit still needs to be built. And the project remains largely unfinished. At the end of the day it is all OK.

My guy sheepishly came in later that evening after repairing the water line and handed me a rather large four leafed clover. With that little boy grin of his, he said, "I picked this for you. Here, put it in water. It means I am lucky to have you." It is still floating in an old jar on the kitchen window sill where it reminds me that I am the one who is lucky to have him, rocky romance and all.

Blessings,
Miss Sandy