I Love My New....

...Pond! As is my constant (bad) habit, I am forever starting new garden projects only to never have them completed as timely and as grand as I'd originally planned. This project, however, has surpassed even my wildest dreams of a water feature, and it was completed in record time!

As some of you know, I've been wishing for a water feature for the past few years. This Spring, I was adamant that this was going to be THE year! With the best location sited, shrubs cleared, sod removed, I started digging by hand the few hours here and there, but, was getting nowhere fast! With the impending heat and sore wrists setting in, I was just about to give up! But Hubba Hubba came through, and as a birthday surprise, called in the professionals!

So here's our project, gettin' done in less than a week!
First, the survey~

Then setting up~

And breaking ground!

Digging to China is easy when you have one of these babies! Actually, the pond, at it's deepest, is only 34"

Imagine working with 5 tons of stones!


Hey! How come it's the girls doing all the manual digging?

Here comes the heavy duty liner~

Break time's over barked my tough little supervisor!

I learned there's an art to placing the exact stone in the right spot

Nancy saying "I need a stone yay big"...

So with my water plants in...


and the newly released family pets...

Here's the big TA-DA!
At the very top is a 6x6 bog pond and 3 little falls that streams into the main 11x16 pond

I'm halfway there with landscaping around the pond

Lucky Bandit has a new playground ;)


So thank you, Hubba Hubba, for a birthday gift that's sure to last and last...

Am I on to the next project? Not just yet...I'll be smiling and enjoying this one for a bit!
Happy First Day of Summer, friends!

Somewhere Out There...

...at house number 15, there is a garden being neglected. Is it just me or do you feel guilty when you go 4 days without pulling a wayward weed, deadhead a spent bloom, or whisper an "I love you" to your favorite flower of the day? Not only do I feel guilty but I also get a little crabby...just ask my family!

Look at this jungle of Rose Campions poor Sue has to fight through to deliver my mail.

Thousands of Feverfew have taken over 2 of my 3 vegetable beds...yikes!

With my crazy schedule, there's been no entertaining in the garden. The only visitors are these uninvited 4-legged variety.

A broader view would definitely show the neglect...so with the camera set on macro...let's just show the good stuff!


A few of my bearded iris collection...

Those bright yellow Buttercups...weeds!




And these pretty white daisies were not planted by me, so in a sense, another bed of mess, but, they look cool camouflaging another 4-legged creature...look closely!

There's my fuzzy!

Another wet forecast today so looks like it's going on day number 5. But on a more positive note, my dream of a water feature is finally coming true...YES! This is the summer of the pond...and it's only taken 3 years!
Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Wordless Wednesday....

Captured June 1, 2010
off the Garden State Parkway