July 2011 Dry and Hot!

Signing and rest area house!



This message was edited Jul 24, 2011 10:02 AM

There is 70 % remove all the debris (I m ahead to my home) on Conn. and 20th Street

That's better than all that nasty looking gang stuff!!!

(Copied and pasted from the other thread.)

Rusty, now that is art! It sure makes a beautiful wall and it put a smile on my face!

The carvings are so neat!

Wow, an amazing amount of mess needing to be picked up. That brings it home.

Thanks for the good and bad sides.

Crit, agreed!!!

I plan on getting a pump in the pond soon for some movement. I saw Green Lantern today, crazy movie but good none-the-less!
Yes great art down there, Rusty!
I like that pool, Crit, that would be refreshing when it's 105°. Thanks happ! Sure, I'll have any plants you want to part with. I looked at the pond a while ago and the Water-Iris from you seems to be okay with being submerged.
Those Tomato plants are funny! I look at them all the time and just grimace! I'd feel bad if I waited to plant them till June or something, but I planted them plenty early! Here they are in April, thats them in the back. -
I think I'll put my waterlilies in the pond next and see how they like it.
Will

Will, I have some plants that I started by winter sowing, that have not grown another inch. They are tiny like yours. Go figure!

Another 7 days over 104* is forecast. Wed and Thur forecast is 108*. Pray it isn't so!

That is HOT. Sorry Crit, if Oklahoma isn't being about the middle of tornado alley, it is extremely hot!
My waterpond has a new inhabitant tonite. It's the Waterlily! It's pretty hideous looking right now. About half of the leaves are either upside-down, underwater or just in the wrong place. I guess they'll get used to the new place! I tried sinking the pot with the roots down to the deepest part, (the hole), and none of it was visible. So, that'll have to wait till next year I think, they just aren't on long enuff stems right now I suppose. How do you like my frog and the round plaque thing that says, "welcome to my garden"?!

Yeah, an inch tall tomato plant is a bummer! Oh well, I guess thats what the farmer's market is for! : )
Will

Will, I can't imagine what went wrong with your tomatoes.

Your's either Crit!

Will, the pond is coming right along. Next year it will look great! Even the tree reflection looks like something growing :o)

Love the ''Welcome To My Garden.'' I have a similar frog too, LOL!

It's going to be hot here too. The rain sure perked all the flowers up. Even tho I watered, the daylilies suddenly let a lot of leaves dry up. I'll need to clean those up so they look better. If it ever cools down, I can dig and share with the guy that stopped the other day to ask for some.

Here what I found this crooked squash! 2 together! lol...

Rusty, isn't that cute! Mama and baby :o)

Will, you need to join the froggie swap and crazy critter swaps next year to get some new inhabitants to your pond.

Thanks Sally, I need to clean up that little plaque that says, "welcome to my garden", or paint it too! Hehe, maybe I'll have you're typical spray of water come out of the frog's mouth..not! Actually, I'm not sure I like it, it looks like a toy, like something you'd play with in the bathtub, and I already have a yellow rubber duck! I carried maybe ten potted plants by the pond to plant them around it eventually. I'm keeping the Tropicanna in the planter so I can put it indoors this Fall. Lotsa planting to do! I can finally begin planting all the potted plants I've been hording!
Here is the waterpond tonite, it was getting dark, so the photo isn't as crisp as usual. A froggie swap eh? And crazy critters too?! That does sound interesting, thanks Crit! I hope at least one bullfrog finds the pond suitable! I think I wanna buy some little feeder goldfish for a quarter apiece.
That Persimmon tree does cast quite a reflection, the leaves in the reflection are even green!
Eeeek, that is quite a sight of two squashes connected together, Rusty!
Yeah, the stunted Tomatoes are a mystery! I watered them regularly and that is all potting soil, not topsoil. I wouldn't have even had potting soil, but I got a bunch out of a dumpster by a well known drug store (CVS) a few years ago, it was called Osco then.
Will

Will, the frog needs to peek our from under foliage. Then he'll look more like a frog than a toy. Or, paint him a darker green. Is he concrete?

I wouldn't be suprised to find a real bullfrog there some day.

You really have some neat things set around! I think you'll be glad to have trees shade the water. The maple is gorgeous!

I do love the fountain with the kids/cherubs around it too :o)

Looking good Will. I need a hole dug in my backyard for a pond. You still up for hire? ^_^

LOL!

Haha! "Me, for hire"?! Sure, I'd come down when it cools down there! Actually, I think I'd be a good pondsman! This was the first one I've dug entirely on my own, I think I've learned a couple things not to do when digging. I've yet to do alot of stuff to mine, theres plenty of time to mess it up yet! I'd like to do this one on the cheap, but I'm not sure yet thats possible. I might need to buy a UV clarifier and they sell for about $200, I need to do something to keep the water from always being green. Finding a place for all the dirt that comes out of digging a big hole like that can be a problem if there isn't anywhere to put it. It's not like the dirt here was much good, except for filling holes, it's all clayey and nasty. I'm kinda glad the pond here wasn't any bigger!
When you first put the liner in and fill it full of water, it is kinda discouraging because you can see all the folds and wrinkles in the liner, (the water is clear then) and you wanna take the liner back out and smooth it all out, (smoothing might not be possible). But, the water gets a bit more ahem.. not transparent in a few days, and it's not so bad.

I think that green frog is hollow plastic like a rubber ducky, I'm not sure if it's like a whistle toy. Maybe they'll be plenty of foliage to put it by later, I think I'll take it out till then.
Thanks Sallyp, my Dad painted that when he was all into statuaries. The paint is wearing off now, it used to be gray concrete.
Those trees are on the North, they won't be blocking any sun. That Japanese Maple is prolly the biggest money plant here. My friend got it when I wasn't living here. She didn't save, (or misplaced) the receipt and/or the label, but it's some kind of dissected cultivar of Japanese Maple, it is a beautiful red in the Fall most years. I got a photo of it from 2009 Fall I'll post. It was in the front yard then in mostly shade and it was still beautiful, now that it'll be in the sun more I hope it's even more nice in the Fall.
Will

Will, smiling over the frog.

The maple is just gorgeous! I don't know how it could be any better :o)

I walked early this morn and have the air running already. It's going to be a bad day. I hope everyone remembers their animals, here in town. I hate to think of them suffering in the heat.

LOL, we leave the garage door cracked open and the dogs come and go as they please, which has been, staying in the air...rofl. One dog leaves his nose right out the door but his butt inside the garage... ;)

Hottest day today, it takes me all night when I get home to water....have to admit it is really getting old, but glad I moved alot of the plants in the shade or I would still be out there in the morning from the night before. Being a master gardener you have to do volunteer work of x amount of hours, so I maintain two planters on the city square where I live and everynight I water them. I was watering with 2 milk jugs full of water and now I have increased it to 3 jugs a planter. Someone who didn't know about plants made the planters black, so they heat up pretty darn hot and both are against a brick building. Sorry whine whine whine...rofl.

K-State is holding their annual Open House at the Trial Gardens this Saturday, July 30. Details can be found at http://www.johnson.ksu.edu I would love to go, I went a few years ago, but it is going to be so hot and it was brutal the year we went, it is really interesting.

This message was edited Jul 27, 2011 6:35 PM

I got a closer look at that green frog, it's battery operated and does something. Maybe it kicks it's legs and goes ribbit or something. If it jumps I'm keeping it! I'll find out if it still works and what it does. It's been outside for years, it prolly doesn't work. Yes, I didn't know until I saw the news yesterday that its getting so hot here, they said it was 98° and supposed to be 101° today! If I don't water everyday some of the potted plants will go on they're way out. 99% of my plants are still potted.
Hehe.. black planters! At least they didn't paint a solid terracotta plant pedestal black like I did!
You're web address works only if you take the period . off the end of the web address after edu happ, the link would work I think if you want to edit the period out or leave a space after it so it doesn't get included in the link. I've done that too, a period does go there, so what to do, what to do! : )
Oh, all 7 cats here have plenty of water! I drink a lot too, water that is!
Here is the Purple Prince Lily Tree! Not that much purple!
Will

Sorry about the link, I knew better, that is what happens when you are messing around at work when you should be working.
Love the blooms they are really pretty.
Gotta go water. Be back.

Will .... today was our 24th day this year of 100+ temps. We were 11 in a row then dropped to 97* on Monday, now back to the triples. Not just talking barely triples, but 106, 107, 108!!!!! It is just freaking hot. Things not growing. Things dying even though they are getting watered. It is a terrible year. No rain. Everthing is brown, trees are dropping leaves, pasture is burnt up, I'm already buying hay to feed the horses. We need RAIN and COOLER TEMPS!!!!!

OK, I'm done whining. ^_^

82°/89°
Humidity: 69%
UV Index: 7 High
Record High: 104°F (1983)

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Happ, isn't that funny. We leave the garage door open for the cats. Being short, thier nose and butts fit right in the doorway, LOL! I even wet it down the other day when it was so bad. One cat laid right down.

Oh gee, any chance of the city painting those planters? Whine away. the weather is bad everywhere, LOL!!

I'm hoping the State Fair isn't blistering hot. DH won't go if it is. It has till the middle of August to cool down.

Will, laughing! You might have to clean the battery compartment. It will be interesting to see what the frog might do :o)

Not bad on the purple! It's still little. Make sure it has an acidy soil mix when you plant it out and it might color up.

Crit, you have it bad!! I'll bring my prayers a little farther North.

Odd story. Yesterday, I was sitting outside looking at the Jungs catalog and a maroon van pulled up and just sat on the side of the road. I glanced over and could see him light a cigarettte, but couldn't see him enough to identify who he might be. I sat there, he sat there. After about 5 minutes, I finished, got up and came in. In another minute, he left and we saw him go around the block and head slowly uptown. We threw on some clothes to run to the next town for a radator hose. As we got to the highway, we saw him come off the side street he left on, and enter the highway. He turned South, so we crossed the road and followed him till he went out of town instead of turning. We turned, went back uptown and left.

It didn't take long to get to West Liberty, buy the hose and get back on the road. We took the back way home, on the gravel, and guess who we met? Yep. He was heading North on the gravel towards West Liberty. Can you believe it?

It isn't uncommon for people to park on the side of our road and wait for a friend, or a tractor. A lot of times it's the wife helping in the fields. This was a bit strange. I did see he had a headset, but didn't notice his head down doing paperwork. I couldn't get his plate number from the house either.

My suspicious mind thought about people who sit and try to get info from computers, or credit card numbers from a gas station. Neither of which we were doing.

I see him again and I will get his plate just so the cops will have it.

Billy, it must of been the day for strange people and vehicles. It really kind of freaks you out when people are doing things out of the ordinary near your house. It sure makes me concerned. Last night I went to look a DH's computer when I see headlights traveling north up our property, and there isn't a road! It was about 10pm at night. I yelled at DH and he looked up just to see the vehicle leaving. Then this morning I look out about 5:30 and what do I see but a vehicle heading north on our property again. I was a little hesitant to race out there but did and low and behold it was a police vehicle, either city or sheriff! I yelled and waved my hands but they just went on flying down our property and back out on the main road. I yelled at DH but neither of us could make out the emblem on the side of the car for sure. We aren't in the city limits but the city police have been outside the city limits before. Too strange.

Crit I can't even imagine what you are going thru. It is odd no amount of watering can make up the difference of a rain shower. It is a sad day when Texas is hoping for a tropical storm or a small hurricane.....My astillbe are crispy, tomatoes are sitting on the vine not doing anything, I did soaker hose the hostas cause the trees suck out all the water. Course last night I was watering and I am so careful with the water on because we are on all well, a friend stopped by, the phone rang, and etc. when I got up this morning to check the water I had left it on! Geez I can't believe I did that, I am sooooooooooooo careful, and usually I can hear it running in the house....dang I hate that. Good thing I have a great well...

Will, your pond is really coming along. I will have more pond plants for you altho they will look really odd, I have the pond covered with screen trying to keep the water as cool as possible, so some the plants are bent over I noticed...rofl. Usually the dirt dug from the pond is what is used to make the waterfall with. The dirt is piled all in one spot, smoothed around at a slope, then sort of stair stepped, lay rubber over the dirt, then the rocks and start the water flowing down. Small ponds are harder to take care of than larger ponds. I made my own pond filter by using instructions on the net and during really hot weather if I have a big alge bloom I run the water from the pump thru a pillow. Slit open the end and the water runs thru the batting and usually cleans up everything in no time. But a pond filter of any sorts requires a pump, so there is always cost involved.

Looky what I have blooming, I am sooooooooooooo excited! I have 2 pots with 3 stems each in them, of different colors. The plumeria's are only 3 or 4 feet tall, but so excited to get these blooms. I think I will have blooms from the others also. I must say they love this hot weather.

Where is that Pepper?! I haven't seen her in awhile. That Tropicanna I got from her really is a showstopper. I forgot to look again tonite but I think there might be a third sprout in it as well.
A single Tropicanna is like $15 at the store. It's pretty, it's in the pic below. -

Really, its okay to whine! This heat is a real bummer. Even the milder high 90's to like 102° here stinks! I can't imagine what OK, TX, AZ or NM (or any SW state) must be thinking! Today, it topped out at 100°, tomorrow its only supposed to be 87° (then back up to mid to high 90's), that'll be nice if it really is 87° tomorrow.

My friend says that fake plastic frog goes "ribbit!" like a bullfrog when you walk by! I brought it in tonite to refresh the batteries and try to get it to work.

Thanks happ, I hope it stays coming along! I'd gladly have those odd plants, thanks! Odd plants for an odd man!
Thats a pretty Plumeria there, happ!

Those carousers prolly are just driving around doing nothing. My Grandma used to call them "spooners", a guy and a girl would come and park on they're property, where they thot they couldn't be seen!
I look at that Purple Prince Lily Tree every day hoping it'll be more purple than the day before, but it never is!
I'm not sure I understand, a regular pillow w/o the pillowcase will make a pond filter? It seems like a regular pillow would be too dense. I'm telling you, I'll try anything that saves money!
Will

Sorry Will!! Been busy getting ready for trip tomorrow.

Happ, I can't wait til one of mine blooms!! The other one probably won't because it has too much shade from other plants. Next year I know to move it. The other one has one full set of leaves on it. They are both in the ground for now because I got them too late for using my big pots. They will go in smaller pots for the winter then next year go in a bigger pot.

This heat is brutal!! I was out in it last weekend and it about knocked me for a loop!! At least this weekend I can cool off in the river!!

Good to see you, pepper! Yeah, the heat is brutal, some of my potted plants start drooping if I go one day without watering!
Have a good time at the river!

Have fun pepper and be careful!

Happ, I would have called th station to report the car and ask if anyone was in your area last night. If it was pseodo cop, they will want to know. I hope they don't find a meth lab on your property. That happened out in the country here. Do you have water nearby?

It's not to late to call the station and I think I'd do it.

Wow, on leaving the water running. Appatently no harm done, but it sure makes you feel unsettled to have done it. I know, been there, did something like that, LOL!

Someone else was talking about making their own filters at a fraction of the cost, but I can't remember if they used batting.

Oh, how beautiful!! Does it smell as good as it looks?

Will, it's a gift that keeps on giving!

Yeah, I'm about ready to whine too and I don't have it so bad either. Don't let those 87's fool you. It's no better unless you have a North wind and no humidity!

Smiling over ribbit!

I think she meant to take the stuffing out of the pillow.

Pepper, it's Friday and a nice long weekend for you. Stay safe!!

We got rain, not huge amounts but I will take any it wants to give, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain. It sure was noisy tho.

Will this is where I got my idea for the pillow filter, now when I want everything to look nice or the alge is gone I remove the pillow http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1004107/
I didn't have a place deep like she did for the blue box and all of that so I just slip the slitted end of the pillow over one of the rocks in the water fall, the water runs in, and I have poked a couple of holes in the other end of the pillow and the water squirts out. Now she used a pillow case and old pieces of cloth, but batting in cheap pillow works great, get them at goodwill or dollar store.

We drove down there several times last night after dark and then again this morning before sunrise looking and no one around, thank goodness.

Anyone got tomatoes? No one I know is getting any during this heat.

Love to read all the "chit chat"!

We have been on vacation. We went to Jackson Hole Wy. Wow! What a nice place. Day temps were in the upper 70's and evening temps as low as 39*! It's the first time we weren't ready to return home from a vacation--probably because we knew the temps would be in the upper 90's and heat indices in the 110's. We put all the window boxes in the center of the deck and had a timed sprinkler set on top of a plant stand watering every day. The coons knocked the sprinkler over on its side and some of the plants did not get water. They're crispy. I have to "re-plant" a lot of the plants as the coons dig around and pull them out of the soil. I thought we had caught all the coons.

billyporter: My dad welded a swing set for us kids too! It was way better than the ones you buy in the stores. He sold his horse and bought a welder with the money. I was put out with him when he sold the horse. It was a beautiful palomino. We sure did play a lot on the swing set, however, probably a lot more than we would have ridden the horse!

I enjoy the story of the progression of the "pond". It looks like a lot of work and up keep. I love them, but I don't have the energy to have a pond. We thought about it a couple of years ago but decided against it. I would like to have a small fountain. I like the kind that just "trickle"--not the noisy ones. I have looked at them for years, but that's all I do is look.

We had two tomatoes waiting on us when we arrived home--both had big holes in them. Our squash plants died. I think squash bugs as we had timed water on them. Our green beans were eaten up by bugs this year. We will plant a fall crop of beans. This has been a tough summer for gardens. We had too much rain in the Spring and every weed and tree seed sprouted. Then, terrible heat and no rain. What doesn't get watered via a soaker hose etc. doesn't get watered. It's just too sweltering to water. I don't even want to get outside to buy groceries or get the mail!! Whine!

Regarding the big house in Mo.: Real estate in Jackson, Wyoming was $1,000.00 a square foot. Many, many rich people own property there and vacation there. Prices were high for everything because the rich people could afford them. It kind of makes the pretty places in the USA off limits to people that aren't extremely wealthy. So, I personally am hoping they leave Mo. alone and go elsewhere to buy up the land. It was down right crowded in the National Parks. People were everywhere. That was the only part I did not like--you had to constantly step aside for someone else. There were a LOT of foreigners there also-many Asians and Europeans. It kind of made me wonder if the average American was going to be able to afford much in America.

One thing I wouldn't do again is stay in the Grand Teton National Park in a cabin. It was way archaic and the most expensive night we had on the vacation. It was definitely not worth the money. We did stay one night in a cabin in Yellowstone--it was much nicer.

One more thing: Our purple martins had left by the time we arrived back home. :( We enjoy them so much, and they are here, it seems, for such a short time. They are the last birds to show up in spring: May, and the first birds to leave which is usually August. I think the heat was just too much and as soon as their babies were big enough, they took off. We miss their chortles and chatter, and admire how they seem to constantly encourage each other as they swoop around eating insects in the air. They have such camaraderie!

birder, sounds as if you had a wonderful vacation! I use to live in Colorado and we figured out on really nice days not to go to the mountains cause they would be packed. We would go to the city and play and no one was around...rofl. 39 is a little cold for me, altho our weather has been miserable not as bad as tx and ok. How long were you gone? I bet it is amazingly beautiful up there. That is one direction I have never seen or lived, think I have been visiting or living in most of the other regions. Most everyone I know has green tomatoes but too hot to be ripening. They are just kind of in limbo.

It really is beautiful. I am glad Pres. Roosevelt had the forethought to make the area/s National Parks. Grand Tetons were prettier than Yellowstone and in my opinion, the Rockies. We were there a week.

Oh, I am going to the Grand Tetons someday! That lake in the front (Jackson Hole lake is what it's called I think), and the Grand Teton mountains in the back is so beautiful, I've seen pictures.
I'd wanna live there too, but I'm not rich! Maybe I'll just pitch a tent there for a few years!

The pond is coming along, birder! I hope it doesn't turn into a bunch of maintenance, but maybe it'll be worth it! I had my first "pond-like visitor" to it today! A colorful blue dragonfly!! I'll insert a photo of it, it's quite striking I say!! Geez, I hope I'm not sorry about pond maintenance, I never really gave that much thot!

Thanks happ, I'll look into the pillow filter, it looks like it might work better in a little bigger pond than mine, I don't know if I have the water surface to keep a basket-like tote over the water.
Maybe I can make a smaller setup than what I saw. The pond I made only appears to be 250 or 300 gallons, I'm just guessing, anybody else want to hazard a guess on it's gallons?

Yeah, you really can't be too suspicious when it comes to strange cars and people skulking around, they could be up to no good. Maybe there is something on you're property that they've taken a shine to. I saw a homemade sign that said "I can reach the fence in 2.5 seconds", talking about a Pitbull or some big dog on Judge Judy I think it was. Maybe a dog down there would deter them. I have seen on tv where parks and peoples' property was used to grow Marijuana and other illegal drugs.

Hehe! "A gift that keeps on giving", which one?! I am very fortunate to have so many!

That frog doesn't work, I put new batteries in it and nothing. I like the idea of having a plastic frog tho that sounds like a bullfrog and goes "ribbit", now I want one!!
Will

Heres that Dragonfly closer up! -

I cut an old garden hose down the middle to hide all those jagged edges on the sides of the metal trellises I made. They were good to catch people's clothes or they're skin before!
Hehe.. thats where the Dragonfly landed ironically! I hope she/he finds a new place to land!
Will

Since the butterflies are pretty scarce this year, I have noticed a lot of different dragonflies. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, or is coincidence. I'd never noticed so many different colored ones before

I rescued a brown butterfly out of the waterpond oddly enuff this late afternoon. It was upside down in the water, I scooped it up and put it on the ground and it looked like it had been there all the time. It folded up it's wings and just sat there like it normally would! It was prolly glad to be out of the water. Maybe butterflies will come to get on all the shrubs and flowering plants I plan enmasse around the waterpond eventually. I gotta figure out where the shade is gonna be as well as the sun around the pond now. For instance, that Sum And Substance Hosta there under the Persimmon is getting scorched leaves and it was real nice where it used to be in the shade. That pot weighs like 50 lbs. and I didn't really wanna carry it back, but I will if I must! I'm not overly worried about it, it'll be losing it's leaves in about 3 months anyway, it might be more adapting next year. Thats when I'd be moving it right away at first sign of scorch, it just is starting to look bad now tho, and I want my plants to always look nice.
Here is my pond tonite. All that dirt in the front of the photo is gone, I shoveled it all up tonite and put a screen of sorts there to catch mud and small debris since. If it rains tonite, which it just might, I could get to see how my handiwork works! But, that won't likely be good for the waterlilies, from what I read, they don't like much moving water, because of the temperature change. But, I'd really like waterlilies AND moving water, I need to have moving water to keep down the skeeters.
Will

This message was edited Jul 30, 2011 4:12 PM

Happ, rain! That's great!

Nice link, I don't think you could do it much cheaper than that.

I'm glad you didn't find anyone or anything, but I'm sure curious as to why the cops, if they were, were on your property in the first place.

I've got plenty of tomatoes, all green :o(

Birder, that sounds wonderful! Fall is not my favorite time of the year, but I think this year it will be welcome. As long as it cools down.

I've never seen so many raccoons this year! On the highway I've seen a couple of Mamas with two babies hit by vehicles. They sure are messy pests and I don't feel too bad seeing them dead. They are also getting dog distemper.

Awww, I'd have missed the horse too, but you're right. A swing set when we were kids was a luxery!

I look at other's ponds. The neighbor has one that rushes with water. That's not for me either. I like the what is that? calm sound. With all the work involved I will most likely just imagine one, LOL!

Around here, the richer folk are buying into country lots to put up fancy houses. I think they just ruin a good piece of country.

Awww, we hardly see the Martins anymore :o(

Will, a dragonfly! That's wonderful! He has the double wings with the black stripes. Nice!

The Cannas, but all flower gifts are good :o)

Crit, I have only seen 7 different butterflies, if you want to count the cabbage moth. I have to laugh, I started with 5 butterflies then remembered another, and another! I still don't think that's enough. I had many more kinds last year.

Will, if you had a saucer sled you could move the pot a little easier.

Awesome on saving the butterfly!

Your dragonfly is counting on skeeters, LOL!

It's looking good! Clear the water up and you'll have it made!

If you get mosquitos you can pour just enough oil, olive, canola etc. on the pond to smother any mosquito larvae.

The Grandkids will be waking up soon. I'm living on borrowed time, LOL!

These are the instructions I used to make my biological filter for my pond and it works great 95% of the time and all I have used for years now. These instructions are for a bigger pond than yours but if you go down to the bottom they talk about a mini filter and display pics (you will have to read the instructions on the bigger filter to understand the smaller filter). Everyone will have alge blooms in 100 degree weather. Actually ponds are not that hard to take care. I clean the pump filter whenever it get dirty by squirting it with water which isn't tough...LOL Then in the spring I really clean the pond by lowering the water using a net and cleaning the goop out of the bottom, fill it back up and it is good to go. This is the first time I have ever covered it and probably didn't need to but just worried about the fish. Then in the fall when the leaves start falling I cover it with used screen to keep the leaves out. The decaying leaves will kill the fish. Then I net up the leaves that may have fallen in before winter.

Water lilies will grow any where I think except in shade they aren't too happy and in rushing water, but mine grow close to the waterfall. I will take pics today.

Raining here and cool, YES!