A couple of Q's for Gardengal&Mike from across the pond
houzi
7 years ago
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My Pond is Different from Most Because....
Comments (13)I am loving the descriptions of your ponds and the creative way ponders can "think outside the box". Anyone care to share pictures? Each one sounds very interesting and I would love to see pics. Pashta- thanks for the compliment. :) I do admire your stream and I have never been able to create a pretty one. Though I have tried. lol Calamity- I love pergolas. Pics pretty please! Frogman- A sand colored liner? Get out! How cool is that. Does the algae cover turn it green? If not I can imagine how pond plants would contrast nicely with the color. Serenae- A wildlife pond is definately different from the marketed water features. I love still ponds as the ones I have seen seem blessed with so many dragonflys and frogs. Your idea sounds wonderful. Cliff and Joan - We all love your pond. Your filtrations system and maintenance program is unique too. The water clarity speaks for itself. Pondmanimal-Yours I definately need pics. I picture in my mind the sights and sounds of water cascading gently into various container ponds. I have a feeling there are many interesting plants in yours. Well I have news- My daughter wants me to buy the house across the street from hers. We are as close as peas in a pod so of course DH and I are going to look at it this week. It is a smaller house- would be a downgrade. The upside is it has an acre that is next to the park and river. So the location is an upgrade. I already have an offer from a friend who will take a backhoe and dig the holes for a new pond and settling pond. Life can change so fast. We will see. :)...See MorePond newbie - Buying home with 3000 gallon pond
Comments (16)LOL, chas. You are correct, the initials do stand for Dept. of Natural Resources. As can be expected there are a lot of those alphabet agencies out there that may or may not be helpful. Which one has helpful info. in your area varies in the extreme. Some are identical to other agencies that have totally different objectives. Then there are private companies that want to sell you something. Mokitty, there is no reason in the world why a holding pond, retention pond, dew pond cannot be ornamental. From what I see in the photos, someone has tried to do that in the past and has recently let it go. Recently being totally subjective. The grasses around the pond can be cut back, the old bridge removed or replaced, wild shrubs and other plants identified and volunteer saplings removed. That should keep you busy for a while. Cutting back the grasses will help control the number of migratory ducks that use the pond.I wouldn't mention the ducks to anyone but the Extention service and would be cautious even there. They might prevent you from doing anything that might change the current function of the pond including cutting the grass. The Environmental Protection Agency is well known for that. Avoid them if possible. Here are some sites that look like they can give you decent info on the purpose of your pond. http://www.gotalgae.com/retention_ponds.htm coastalwaterwatch.com/product2121.htm http://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/61/Stormwater%20Management%20Basins.pdf Call the DNR and the Extension service and specifically ask "Do you have any material related to small retention ponds or dewponds and wildlife habitat?" This is one of those projects that may or may not require lots of planning and/or physical intervention. For now, look for traces of a previous pathway to the pond and improve that. Starting at the bridge may go faster. Observe what the weather does to the water level. Keep track of water levels for as long as you can, months are better than weeks and compare them with rainfall. See what happens to the pond and the surrounding area during and after a heavy/light rain. Locate and clear any over/outflow. Identify grasses and other plants. They may have been chosen for specific purposes such as erosion control, wildlife cover, food source, etc. Tall grasses may prevent debris from overwhelming the pond. Search for electric hookups. Do they even exist? Is there a bad odor like sewage that would indicate dredging for organic matter is needed and the pond is deficient in oxygen. Float something on the surface to see if there is any sort of water movement. You might find that overflow where your float ends up. Check the soil on the outside of the pond and on the inside of the pond to see if it is the same. Are there lots of rocks on the sides of the pond? How deep is the mulm/debris on the bottom? Did the former owners leave any pond equipment behind? Get the water tested or get a testing kit and do it yourself. No strips. They just don't give good readings. There are people out there who can do the hard work of cleaning out the pond for a hefty price. Before you hire them, know enough about what the pond does that it will be you in charge. Ask questions. There are enough posters here to answer most questions or who will send you where you can get the right answers. I hope this has not overwhelmed you....See MoreCouple general wiring Q's
Comments (1)If you are running romex across open joists in a basement, I would use a plastic conduit. It is much easier to use. The issue of running romex through conduit has come up before. IMO, if you are running a fairly straight run, I have never had any problem with running romex through conduit. On the other hand, if you have several bends, etc., it is often easier to pull/push the individual wires taped together on the end being pushed through the conduit. I personally would not run wire behind a radiator due to the heat unless you have several inches of clearance....See MoreFrench drain across center of sloped yard to help with mud/drainage?
Comments (49)I started a thread about something else here on Houzz and thought I might return to this one to provide an update/conclusion, in case anyone else comes here with the same problem. I tried to call a knowledgeable drainage company that was recommended to me. From my description over the phone they told me that I live over an underground spring and nothing could be done. They would not even come out to look. I carried on with my plumber's suggestion of redirecting the water to the front yard. This was a failure, because it looked terrible and we actually had a neighbor ring our bell late at night telling us we had a burst water main. Here is what ultimately solved the problem. First, our new sump pump has an electronic control box that let us more precisely set the discharge level, so the pump is running less often without the water rising to unsafe levels. Second, we removed that deck in the backyard (which I wanted to do, water issues notwithstanding) and replaced it with a ground-level paver patio. That means there is more grass and less mud in my yard, so that alone makes it less muddy. Finally, I had my regular landscaper hook the backyard discharge pipe to a dry well. At first this only worked "okay," but he is a very good landscaper and he came back out and made the dry well bigger, and now my yard is nice and dry. I can let the dog out after significant rain and her paws are barely dirty. We have had the enlarged dry well for about 3 months now and through some significant rains, and it seems like it is working better than we'd hoped. :)...See Morehouzi
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agohouzi
7 years agoMike
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agohouzi
7 years ago
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cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)