Pond Week

I'm all about making the pond beautiful now. Even when not looking its best, it's my favorite part of the gardens. I just love sitting by it, feeding and watching the fish. It's my most relaxing spot anywhere.

All the fish are looking healthy. I saw two baby koi today. That's always so exciting to find koi that were born here.

Here are Leo and Frida. Leo is the king of the pond.

The water is just starting to clear up. The whole place has been a mess since being neglected so long while the snake owned it (That's some sentence, ain't it?). I'm taking back my pond!



I worked today cleaning up the umbrella plants and pulling bermuda grass up and out of the back of the pond. (I can't tell you how much I hate bermuda grass. It's the bane of my gardening existence. Every year, it and Japanese Beetles make me question having gardens.)

You can see the black liner of the waterfall in this photo. I vow to have that waterfall rocked this summer.

I got this lotus last year. I was so excited to see it come back all healthy. I can't wait for it to bloom (Please bloom!).

The spring flush is over for most of the roses. A few of them are just starting though. 'Reve d'Or' has had its peak but still blooming a little.

The David Austin rose 'Evelyn' is just breathtaking. This bloom is huge. It's one of the roses on Pond Hill that hasn't grown much though. I'm working on them this year with lots of compost and mulch and food and water. And loving words of encouragement!

The sweet chickens. But what are they doing sitting around my eggplants?

My eggplant! Those darn chickens!

New Fish

We went to Marsha's Koi today. It's such a pretty place. It's at Marsha and her family's home way out in the country, about 45 minutes from here. Along with koi, they also sell chickens.


I fell in love with their dog. Someone said his name is Fisher, but I always have to give everything my own name (I don't know why that is). He looked like an Oreo to me, with lots of middle, so I named him Double Stuff. I wanted to bring him home with me. I miss him!

"We thought you was a toad!"

They have several ponds. This is the one in their front yard. So pretty.

These tadpoles were giant!

Big pond in back.

I really love this black and yellow koi: a Ki Utsuri (I think. I have a hard time distinguishing between Utsuri and Bekko.).




Back at home, here are my two new fish:

After I said I had learned my lesson, I named this one again after my mother, Dottie II. It's not as dark blue as the first Dottie, but I had to have another similar one. I know I'll always think it's not as pretty as the original. Oh well.

Modigliani II. I think the snake ate the first Modigliani. I have a thing for sequels.

A beautiful waterlily in my pond.

Foxgloves in the Garden of Good and Evil. I so love foxgloves. They really do look like fairy flowers.

The girls have new ankle bracelets. Everyone has a different color for quick identification. Here is Clementine in lovely blue. She is my favorite, but don't tell the others!

An artistic shot. Ha.

Henderson impersonating a gargoyle, guarding the gardens from all evil spirits.

Waterlogged

I did hardly any gardening this week. It was a week of rain and more rain. Everything is soggy. My big accomplishment was making plant labels! Sad. I will make up for it this weekend though. Somehow.

Lots of my roses are bloomed out on their big spring flush. It makes me sad. They'll be back though, right? Lots of other flowers to look forward to also. I can't wait for the daylilies.

My Antique Rose Emporium order arrived this week. Look at these beautiful plants.


Also received order from Daylily and Hosta Gardens. Big, beautiful daylily fans.


I have sooo much planting to do. The ground has just got to dry out soon.

Here's my Angel shade garden and courtyard area at end of driveway. I want to do something with that little pond thing. I may put a few goldfish in it. Definitely put water plants in it and do rocks around it. I did get white impatiens planted among the ferns.


Here's the arbor and gate in that area to back yard. Trying to decide whether to stain it or paint it white. What do you think?

'Cl. Margot Koster'

Siberian iris

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'

'Molineux'

Geranium 'Brookside'

'Jude the Obscure'
This rose has the most delicious fragrance.

'Phyllis Bide'
I so love this on the birdhouse pole, but it's already blackspotted.

'Teasing Georgia'
One of my favorites.

'Cardinal de Richelieu'
This rose is in too much shade in my Secret Garden.
It's so beautiful it deserves a better spot.

'Mrs. R.M. Finch'
One of my first roses.

'Perle d'Or'
A favorite.

'Graham Thomas'

'White Maman Cochet' and 'Graham Thomas'

For Mother's Day, I get to go to Marsha's Koi tomorrow to buy a new koi, since I lost two to the heron and who knows how many small ones to the snake. I'm still heartbroken about losing Dottie, my favorite. Lesson learned: Never name a fish after your dead mother.