Tootfinder

proof of life after the first evening dip in the poolpond. 🏊
It was *chilly* getting in. 19.5°C according to the unicorn. 🦄
But once in, quite divine. Did a few "laps" which is a generous term when it is only about 2.5 body lengths long 😂
the water just feels good to be in.
#backyardProject #pondlife

It’s the first long stretch of warm weather of the spring and summer! #pandemicpond #bloomscrolling #gardening #pondlife

I completed a checklist item for the #pandemicpond this morning. Retrieving some of the rocks that had fallen into the pond over the past couple winters. Since I upgraded to the rain barrel filters I had made a larger waterfall out of a blue water carrier and the original store-bought waterfall. (See historical pics). But I really wanted to embed it into the rocks and have the water flow out onto flat stones like the ones that line the edge.
Mission accomplished. Here’s some of the evolution.
Short video in next reply.
#gardening #home #pondlife

Around the #pandemicpond today. The marsh marigolds are flowering in the filter barrels! The rhodo will pop soon. The tinker bell lilac is so pretty and the Japanese maple has finally established itself and gained some height and foliage. Providing good morning shade to the stream and top pond.
#bloomscrolling #gardening #pondlife

I like it. ❤️ 💧 🐠 🌴 🌺
#video #pandemicpond #gardening #home #pondlife

good morning!
did some early-morning ponding on the #pandemicPond this morning.
The water level was unusually low, so I started looking around for leaks or blocks. I have been wanting to cut down the vertical PVC at the top of the bog barrels to make it not stick out so much and blend in a little nicer and also because it would reduce the height for the pump, so increase flow.
Well it turns out that connection, where the black pipe goes into the white PVC in the barrel, was a little loose and some water was leaking out and adding to the evaporation budget.
So that gave me the push to do the small modifications on the top end of the pipe. It was also a good time since turning off the pump meant the top pond would drain into the bottom pond. When the system is full, that would normally cause the bottom pond to over flow, but since it was all low, no extra water was lost.
I cut the inlet down a few inches under the water in the bog barrel to move the T down and then cut another 6in from the top pipe to snug it all up.
Then I also tightened up the connections for the over flow/air valve and added an elbow to keep water from escaping out the valve outlet. Only took about 5 minutes. I have been wanting to do this for months. 😂
Result:
black pipe doesn't curl as high over the barrel ✅
no more leak from the PVC connection ✅
no more water escaping from the air valve ✅
noticeably more flow over the waterfall! ✅
Pump is back on and water is replenished from the rain barrel ✅
the fish are happy! 🐟 and me too. ✅
oh oh! did I tell you we have a new fish! The top pond fish had babies and it looks like one has survived to be big enough not to be cannibalized. 😂 It is very skittish and is still mostly black so I havent got a good picture of it yet.
#pondlife #diy #gardening #portalberni

the hasta is super happy in the bottom pond this summer. It likes that it has not been too hot and it is also getting a lot more shade now that the pussy willow and hydrangea are established and a little bigger #bloomscrolling #pandemicPond #pondlife #diy #gardening #portalberni

The water was perfectly clear… until I planted the first plants into the bog pond and intake bay! First plantings are always a little iffy because the nutrients in the pond won’t stabilize for a few months. Who knows how much nitrogen made it in with the gravel and little bit of clay or maybe it’ll be too much and the algae will come before the filter gets its compliment of “good bacteria” to start actually filtering and purifying.
I made a plant roster on our back door wall so I could keep track. 😂 🌱 🌱 🌱
A few I have never tried before. This is just the start. We will need more but hoping we can split/propagate a few from the front yard #pandemicpond to save time and money. They are all about $15-$20 a pop.
Here’s the run down:
In the Intake Bay (far corner nearest the shed where water and debris is pulled in and recirculated):
1) A big Red Abyssinian Banana. We’ll see how hardy it is, and if it likes being in the pond. It was marked as a pond plant, but says “moist soil full sun” so I made a little spot inside the liner but built up so its base is dry. It’s a very impressive plant already.
2) Standard pond lily - peach flower. They like deeper water so the bay is the place, the little bit of circulation shouldn’t bother it and it’ll have maximum sun. In time it will provide nice shade for underwater beneficial critters, and a landing pad for airborne critters too.
In the bog filter:
3) nearest in the photo is a marsh marigold, these guys are fantastic, very hardy, and very pretty when they bloom. Would like them to colonize most of the edge of the bog filter to provide a nice soft vibrant edge.
4) flat leafed tall plant is a purple iris.
5) broad leafed low plant is a water Cala lily. They should broaden out and provide nice area coverage.
6) the little guy near the edge is a pitcher plant. It eats bugs! So I put it near the edge. Muaahahaha.
7) tall plant in the back is a type of variegated ginger? It’s called Vanilla Ice…. ice. Ice. Baby.
#poolpond #portalberni #diy #gardening #bloomscrolling #home #water #pond #pondlife

Finally managed to weed eat and cut the lawn today and got the last of the gravel moved so that we can get a bobcat in here to level the yard!! Yaaayy!!
Also did some cleaning out on the pond. Turns out the moss is great… until it REALLY latches in and makes space for grass. There was so much into the stream that it was backing up into the top pond, causing it to overflow, and the whole system lose water!
When I pulled up the moss, it pulled much of the gravel with it! So lesson learned. Very light on the moss, no more gravel in the stream, keep things neat and tidy!
In all though, the pond cleared up fast thanks to the barrel filters and all is good!
#pandemicpond #gardening #pondlife #spring #portalberni #backyardPond #PoolPond

there. watering fill
#poolpond #gardening #pondlife #diy #backyardProject

achievement unlocked!
just before I got stuck on the curb, I put the trailer back around in the back!
Managed to move and level enough of the dirt to make a spot for the trailer!
Perfect little spot :)
#poolpond #gardening #pondlife #diy #backyardProject

i was just reminded that the city water is..... not warm... 😂 🥶
gonna dip anyway!?
it's nearing full, full enough for both pumps to be operating well, but family members are having a shower so filling has been halted until they're done.
The poor banana plant in the back corner got a little dry in the feet 😆 😬. Hopefully it's ok. The first plants in the pond always have the toughest job.
The others are looking ok. Marsh marigold is maybe a little too exposed. I will move it to be more under the hazelnut tree. The bug eating plant is not enjoying life. It might perish. Will do my best to nurse it back to life.
#poolpond #gardening #pondlife #diy #backyardProject

oopsie doodles!
Came outside to do some dirt moving only to find the #poolpond intake bay very nearly empty!
I have not been topping up the water since I filled it about 9 days ago? It has been cooler but windy and the last little bit of rain we got was a few days ago.
It must have just got below the level of the intake bay in the past hour or two as it was on its way to emptying. Luckily i caught it in time.
Water is being added now. I am also going to use the twirly sprinkler to water the flower and blueberry garden and it will also add to the pond at the same time in a nice aerated way.
Adding from the hose is not ideal as all that chlorine goes in at the same time
Anyways, crisis averted and information gained. It is already coming back up nicely.
hopefully it is full in time to have a dip after dirt moving!
#gardening #pondlife #diy #backyardProject

2nd #poolpond pump is back up and running!
Spliced in a new (old) extension cord.
But I actually think the previous one was OK as well and I had just misconfigured the controller and didn't know how to reset it because of the --shall we say-- less than English instruction manual 😂
all good.
Onward!!
Main job now: Finish levelling the whole backyard dirt pile and start landscaping!
#diy #backyardProject #gardening #pondlife

A little discouraged this afternoon as I spent part of the day adding extension wire into the 2nd pump as I had the first.
Two tries on both ends splicing in the cord and both times the pump fails to start with a low voltage on the pump-side error. 😢
Hate losing a day… but also unsure where the problem is. If it’s the pump, my splices, or the quality of the extension cord spliced into it (it is the other half of the same cord used to extend the first pump.) Really hope it is not the first! But the other two options suck too because it is an annoying job to do the splices.
Bummer.
Also after the foaming in, it looks like I still missed a significant gap somewhere. Only redirected about half the water. There is a lot more coming down to the end of the waterfall which is good. Still lots coming out the bottom under the flat rocks.
I think I am going to try splicing in a newer extension cord another day since that will kind of answer both the splicing and cord questions at once.
For now though, no extra bottom poolpond circulation/sprayers, just the main pump. And I still have 1.25 cans of foam to use, so I will plan for another day of foaming when I can take a super close second look at where the water is going that it shouldn’t.
Can’t all be successes. Like computer stuff 😝
Onward!
My outdoor office was fun tho. 😊
#poolpond #backyardProject
#diy #pondlife #success #failure #life