Our Fifth Guide - Lightweight
Concrete Picture Guide
We do three projects from beginning
to end with step by step instruction including color photos. Our first project is a step by step instruction
for a basic stone. The second project gives details for a five gallon
planter and our third project shows how to create a lettered plaque stone.
33 color photos are included. These three projects can be a valuable asset
to anyone with a pond. These projects can be produced at a fraction of
the cost if purchased direct from a supplier. The large plaque stone (below
right) may have cost a total of $20.00 and that's stretching it.
Spatterdock Lily, Cow Lily,
Yellow Pond Lily
The Spatterdock lily is also known
as the Yellow Pond Lily, Cow-Lily or Bullhead Lily. This is a herbaceous
plant and is a perennial. When mature, this plant has large elephant ear
shaped leaves and yellow flowers. These large lily pads provide cover and
shade for fish, amphibians, reptiles and other aquatic wildlife. Large floating
leaves prevents algae. Prefers partial shade to full sun. Recommended for
lakes. Excellent container plant for ornamental ponds. Unlike the water
lily flowers, spatterdock blossoms are simple yellow globes that open to
reveal reddish poppy like centers. The leaves and flowers float on or stand
above the water on thick fleshy stalks.
The leaves are large heart shaped
with a notched base. Under the right conditions, these leaves can be up to
16 inches in size with a blunt tip and leathery surface. They rise from the
root and float on or extend above the water.
The flower is a waxy yellow globe
that opens to form a bright yellow cup shaped flower and blooms from May
to August. This plant loves a fountain sprinkling down on it's leaves. We
sold a few of these to a friend and we told him to keep the water calm to
slow moving. Well, he didn't listen to us. He placed his plant right in
the middle of his fountain and called us over to look at his garden a month
later. To our surprise, this thing was thriving and growing like a weed.
Simply replant in your container and
place it in your garden or container ponds. Plant directly into large
ponds and lakes. Under the right conditions this lily can produce a 15
foot circle of pads and flowers within five years in a large natural pond.
Spatterdock lilies are restricted
in certain southern states. Please make sure you know your states laws.
You may start these plants in a one
gallon pot but bigger is better. They grow quickly and the more soil they
have the larger they will get.
On the other hand, if you control
the plant with a small pot, the smaller the plant will be.
1. Put two inches of garden soil in
a one gallon or larger pot.
2. Add fertilizer tab, following manufacturer's
guidelines.
3. Fill pot to half full with soil.
4. Gently spread roots and place plant
in pot.
5. Add enough soil to cover the roots
without covering the new foliage.
6. Top with pea gravel or sand.
7. Slowly place in your pond. The sand
will keep most of the soil from going into your pond.
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Water Hyacinths
Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes)
is a member of the pickerelweed family (Pontederiaceae).
The plants vary in size from a few
inches to over three feet in height. The glossy green, leathery leaf blades
are up to 20 cm long and 5-15 cm wide and are attached to petioles that
are often spongy inflated. Numerous dark, branched, fibrous roots dangle
in the water from the underside of the plant. The inflorescence is a loose
terminal spike with showy light blue to violet flowers (flowers occasionally
white). Each flower has 6 bluish purple petals joined at the base to form
a short tube. One petal bears a yellow spot. The fruit is a three celled
capsule containing many minute, ribbed seeds.
Water hyacinths obtain their nutrients
directly from the water. They prefer and grow most prolifically in nutrient
enriched waters and work great for clearing the water in your pond. Since
they live on the same thing algae live on they compete for the same food
source. Hyacinths will win the battle because they also block the sun light
from reaching the algae. We use water hyacinths to clear the water in our
backyard water containers along with clearing the pond.
A beautiful plant for the water garden.
It has a purple flower and is a prolific grower and helps keep pond water
clear.
These plants under the right conditions
will multiply quickly. Please keep them contained. Do not thrown them in
a waterway or stream because they will multiply and plug the streams. Hyacinths
are a problem in the southern states because of this. These plants contained
in your garden makes a beautiful addition for everyone to enjoy.
Five Guide
Package to Ponds on CD - $9.95
This 21 page guide will
take you through the steps of container gardens and in ground ponds. We
talk about plants, pumps, liners and more. We tell you how to calculate
the size pump you need, how to measure the liner and talk about the various
plants available. We give you ideas on how to install waterfalls. Should
you install a PVC or rubber liner. How big a pump do you need? What about
algae? Do I need a filter and what kind? Can I put some fish in it? It's
all covered. Once we cover the basics we take you through our steps in building
a pond. Multiple color photos from excavation to completion. We show
you how to make a filter for under $15.00. This filter serves as a biofilter/
skimmer /filter all in one unit. We install two pumps, plant lilies and show
you how we created a waterfall using stone. Total material cost to build
was around $250.00 We'll show you how
we did it. Step by step.
Our mini pond for plants guide
focuses on ways to create a beautiful mini pond in your backyard at a
nominal cost. You can create a simple 3 foot diameter pond for under $10.00
and 20 minutes of work. Fill it full of beautiful water plants such as
Hyacinths and Lilies. We take you step by step with 12 color photos start
to finish. You will dazzle your friends and impress your relatives. How'd
you do that? This photo is one of the projects you will learn to make.
