Your Miscanthus is indeed gorgeous, Jenny! And the Gaillardia, too!

Thanks for sharing. :)

Brenda

very impressive!

You made my day! Gorgeous photos!

My watercress only 1/2 covered my skippy, but soon I didn't notice - now I know what I'm shooting for next year.

Thanks all for the kind comments.

Thanks Brenda for identifying my ornamental grass. I went to the nurseries a few weeks ago to try to find one that looked like it so I would know what it is called, but at this time of year everything is gone. This is the second year for it and it has gotten huge. I just love the way it blocks the view of my nosy neighbor when I am sitting on the swing.

I am planning on killing all the grass growing behind the top pond since it is such a hassle to cut the grass back there. I want to lay landscaping fabric and cover it with small stones. I don't want to spray the grass with anything though since it's so close to the pond. Do you think just laying the landscaping fabric over the grass then stones will do it? I was thinking of planting more ornamental grasses in the back along the fence too(to block more of her view). Can I dig up the clump of miscanthus and split it? Or do you suggest I buy more. I would only need about four plants once it takes root. I tried growing blueberries back there but no matter what I add to the soil it ends up being cement.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Jenny

Instead of just landscape fabric, I would first put down newspapers, Jenny. You can dampen them after putting them down, so they don't blow away before you get the fabric over it. :D You may end up getting some weed sprouts amongst the rocks eventually, but they'll be easy to pull if you catch them early. You could also try planting some hardy (for you) ground covers which will grow over and amongst the rocks for more excitement. Unless you want to walk on the rocks, in which case you could also try some "Stepables" ground covers.

The Miscanthus will probably need to be divided some day, when the center starts dying out. If it's still thriving and full at the base, you might want to wait to divide it.

To make the soil easier to work (and not so hard), it will take some time. Just adding several inches (at least 4 or 5) of good organic mulch and/or humus to the surface each season will be a big help. The weather will help work it down into the soil. My mom had to do that with a bed along the front of her house, and after a couple years, she was finally able to work the soil and actually grow things in it. :) There are also the tried and true natives which appreciate being sealed in cement-like soil. LOL

Can't wait to see more pics as your yard evolves!

Brenda

Wow, talk about your veggie filters!! That is a real show but where is your pond? In the Master Gardeners ornamental grass garden it is necessary to cut back the Miscanthus (and others) with a chain saw. In just a few short years it has grown from a single 1 gallon pot to a clump three feet across at the base and is frequently used for new starts. Unless you have a wish to grow only miscanthus, I would hesitate to add more of them. Maybe you should try for a contrasting color. Sandy

I have Red Fountain and white Fountain Grass and love it, but it has really grown a lot in one summer. Glenda

Brenda:

Thanks for your help.

I have stepables planted in between the rocks around my pond. Maybe I can divide some of them up since they have taken over the rocks. I bought them last year at the end of the season for $6 a tray. I didn't even plant them. Just threw them between the rocks surrounding the pond and they took off.

Sandy:

Bought a bunch of watercress at Giant Eagle in the spring and just plopped it in my skippy filter. Only problem: it choked out my sweet potato vines.

If you look in the third picture down in the "show before the snow pics" you can see the pond behind the bridge. It is 90% covered in wh and wl so it looks green. My poor fish have a problem finding their food. I don't want to throw any (wh/wl) out yet. Figure I'll just wait until the cold wilts them.

I can still see the painted great stuff in my waterfall so this year when I went to the nursery C3D and Mike told me about I got some azolla for free with the plants I bought. I didn't even notice it till my waterfall slowed down. I pulled mats of it off the top of my waterfall and just placed the them over the ugly painted great stuff in the waterfall and "viola" they grew over most of the ugly spots. That stuff (azolla) is amazing. It grows faster than the koi can gobble it up. I also painted some of the rocks in the waterfall with the moss/buttermilk recipe so some of my rocks are covered in moss.

Will take some pics of the actual pond tonight (azolla covered great suff and moss covered rocks too) if it's not raining. I was so proud of my other pond before I was forced to move by the developer. I couldn't imagine any pond being better that the old one. The old one being in the shade didn't give me nearly as much enjoyment as this one that's in full sun. Last year (1st year) it was "uh-huh". This year "wow." Wonder what next year will bring. I never had so many blooms on my water lilies. It seems like everything I put in this one just takes off. Of course it's not just the pond. It's the wonderful advice from everyone here on the forum.

Jenny

Beautiful garden! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Brenda's advice on the damp newspapers is on the money. That'll work.

I was able to get out last night after the rain and take some pics of the pond. I tried to get some pics of the fish. Ever since the wh/wl took over the pond they have become shy.

Never did a slide show in Photobucket before. Hope it works and you are able to view it. It worked when I tried.

My Pond:

My fish:

Jenny

Jenny, that's a great idea about using some of the groundcover you already bought last year. It sounds like it's VERY happy in your environment, too. :D

Brenda

Thanks for the slide shows! Lovely!

Absolutely beautiful!

Hope you have a great birthday today, Jenny, filled with plenty of ornamental grasses and ground covers! :)

Brenda

Your photos and pond are wonderful. I didn't realize I could post a slide show on photobucket. I'll have to check that out.

Summer of 2006 I had watercrest in hanging pots on the sides of my stock tank watergarden. Way too many goldfish babies survived. I didn't have any this year and noticeably less fry survived. I might give it a try though next summer in my skippy.