Topic: New territory for me & I'm sinking fast!

[Hyacinth]

Hello Pondies!

I've just taken on a new but overgrown garden. It has a pond, a square (can't supply measurements at the mo cos I didn't go with tape measure, so I'll supply that later) in the centre of which there's a fountain. It is covered very nicely with 4 mesh 'structures' & seems to have one not-thriving lily in one corner, planted by the pond-man.

The client wants me to plant it & introduce fishes in time.

First question - can I, in all honesty, tell her that the pond project should wait til the spring (both for plants & fish) while I concentrate on the neglected terra firma I know during the next few months, or is there anything I should be doing to the pond now?

And if so.........what?!

Many thanks for any input! I've a feeling I'm going to be haunting this Board  ;D

Lishka

Back on terra firma! Taking all-sorts into consideration have telephoned the client & withdrawn from the job.

[tim k]

hi .pond job where abouts was it?

tim

[MikeB]

The fish should definitely wait until spring, they hibernate during the winter period living off their own body fat.  Fish brought at this time of the year from  aquatic centres usually don't have the body weight to survive the winter. Also the plants should be well established and have a good root system before you introduce the fish otherwise they will just kill them. With that in mind, it is better to introduce plants in the spring than just before winter, for the best possible growth and establishment in the pond. Hope this helps.

[Hyacinth]

hi .pond job where abouts was it?

tim

South Birmingham. Small but overgrown garden & pond. Client wants a lady gardener. Anyone interested?

[grawrc]

Lilies don't like running water  such as fountains?

[shirlton]

I think you would be better to just clean the pond out and wait until the spring to get really serious about stocking it. I have a fountain in my pool but the lillies are well away from it. The leaves and flowers do like to stay dry that probably why they grow on the top of the water instead of staying submerged lol. Wherabouts are you in Brum, We are in Sutton Coldfield

[Hyacinth]

Hi Shirl,

As per my amendment, I withdrew from the job - lovely garden, lousy client, but the info on lilies is coming in useful for me. Someone gave me a lily from their pond which I dumped in an urn.....think I may be drowning it :o

I'm in Bournville - George Cadbury's Garden Suburb :) Certainly he was a visionary on his time - all gardens were huge and made specifically to include a lawned area for children to play AND  a vegetable plot. They were all planted with 2 apple trees - cooker and eater. I still have one of the apple trees and there's a gooseberry somewhere there in the hawthorn hedge..

[shirlton]

I would love a huge garden. Mine is too small hence the lottie, now that is too small for me to grow everything I want to grow. I have my daughter bunjy's to have a dig at. She's having a few problems at the moment thats why she hasn't been on line but hopefully we will help her sort things out. We have just finished our plot  so will have some time to spare to get hers going. We are going to continue splitting the pool plants tomorrow. I hate that job cos the leeches and shrimps get everywhere. Idon't mind frogs or toads but its just the other things. Then Monday we will go dig some of hers to encourage her to continue with it.

[Hyacinth]

Please send bunjy our love & tell her we're missing her and her tales. Hope she gets back soon.

Lishka

[lorna]

Shirley. That goes for me as well........give bunjy best wishes please.
Lorna

[shirlton]

Thanks to you both. She needs lots of hugs at the moment.