Shady Pond
Summer 2000
(above) Here is the house in February 1999 before all the landscaping and pond building. Looking back i have to honestly say the idea of a pond or two had never occured to me. Sushi was calling, but i hadn't heard her yet.
(above) Rough layout of Shady Pond with plant shelves in. Rock ledge is shaped on the left, but no rock ledge on the right, yet. Small veggie pools are taking shape at the top left. Orange safety tape is to keep the elderly lady next door from falling in the hole (i'm not kidding).
(above) Far end of Shady Pond with bottom drain and skimmer pipe installed at center right (4" PVC). Pipes are all buried. Shows plant shelves and rock shelves installed all around.
(above) Got some free roofing scraps from local construction site, about 8 feet wide. To install seams: apply roofing cement to edges and allow to dry to a slight tack; put edges together; drive car back and forth with tire on seam to ensure good bond.
(above) Veggie Filter pools above Shady Pond starting to take shape. Liner going in.
(above) Wow, that's a big pile of dirt. You will appreciate how big this pile of dirt actually is when you learn that the pile is actually piled in a 2' deep ditch and is actually filling up the ditch and piling up on top of that! Really puts the capper on how enormously highly piled this pile of dirt is! All the dirt that came out of the Shady Pond hole is truly and accurately piled up right here in front of you! Fortunately, the neighbors went on a trip to Las Vegas for a few weeks. Helpful Hint #1: Rye grass sprouts from seed in just a few days. Grows real fast, and is really, really green until it dies when the weather gets hot. Tell the neighbors "no charge" for filling in their ditch and planting grass. They will be so grateful for your "free" landscaping job that they won't have the heart to complain when all their new grass croaks and turns brown later on in the year. Helpful Hint #2: When the rye grass dies, blame the local kids for pouring salt all over the rye grass as "teen-age hijinks" - maybe you could roll the neighbor's yard at the same time to reinforce the idea. Helpful Hint #3: Get a really enormously big puppy for the neighbor's kids at the local pound. When the rye grass dies, make some type of offhand statement about how you read somewhere that dog urine kills grass.