I don't have a bottom drain. I tried a retrofit bottom drain, but had the problem of it sucking up fish, some pretty large ones. So I did exactly what you are considering. My 2 in. pipe runs down the side of the pond and I have an elbow then a piece of 2 in. pipe laying across the bottom of the pond. I have a cap on it and have holes drilled along the pipe across the bottom. Holes are about 1/2 to 3/4 in. can't remember exactly. Spaced about 6 in. apart and staggered, so that the holes on one side aren't opposite the holes on the other side. I think it works perfectly, because I have not had any fish sucked up except the little tiny bluegills that had already died. I get a lot of crud that accumulates in the basket that I empty and wash out about once a week. This goes to the bottom of the bog filter and is forced up through the gravel and returns to the pond via a waterfall. Glenda

Those are bagworms. Unusual for them to attach themselves to roses, but not unheard of. Usually they are most common on Junipers or Arborvitaes. In my area (Tulsa) they can start gathering their bags in late April or May. They start out very small, and as they eat and gather leaves they grow much larger. My evergreen Arborvitae is prone to them so every few days when it's time for them to show up in late spring I start checking the foliage to see if the small ones are starting up. B.T. will kill the small ones, not so much the larger ones. I've supplied a link to an Oklahoma Master Gardener site about them...Hope this helps...Maryl Here is a link that might be useful: Oklahoma bagworms

Wow, I never thought about a plant cam, too funny! I found a half eaten tomato and lots of droppings and posted pics in another thread; and with helpful suggestions there, I found out it's hornworms or catepillars. Had I looked closer at the picture above I would have known right away....but the good news is, I think I've gotten rid of all of them and have beautiful tomatoes ripening! Yay!

The first thing I thought was leaf cutter bees too, based on the shape of some of the cut leaves. Have you looked under the leaves to look for caterpillars or their frass? Agree with Sheila that your leaves look fabulous :-D Do you ever see grasshoppers?