Hole-in-the-Ground

By Karen Favero

Reprinted from The Understory, Nov.-Dec. 1995

I never imagined that sitting and staring into a water-filled hole in the ground could bring so much pleasure. I would have laughed to myself if someone had mentioned the countless hours that could be easily be spent pond-watching. But it has happened at our house!

Fifteen years ago water ponds for the home landscape were beginning to be mentioned in magazine articles. At that time the prices for the liners and for the plants were expensive. Today these products have not only decreased in price but have become much more readily available. Does that make a backyard pond a fad? Or are we now realizing the soothing qualities of a water garden?

We put in a pond last fall. the whole creation has been an exciting adventure. Yes, even digging the hole had its merits! We didn't stop with the easier liner method; we went the concrete route. It took several weeks to complete but was worth the extra wait.

Then began the real fun: plant shopping excursions. We had no idea of the availability of water garden plants. So we made several trips to two nurseries dealing in this relatively new market to compare prices, quality and selection. Being very novice to water plants, we wanted one of each: water lilies, horsetail, pickerel weed, canna lily, arrowhead, lizard tail, iris, as well as floating plants, oxygenators, and many, many more.

We selected only a few plants on our first outing with the idea of purchasing more in the near future. We wanted to begin the process of establishing the proper pH of the water so that fish (voracious mosquito larvae eaters) would be able to live in the pond, too. The near future quickly arrived. The pond looked so sparse. We traveled three or four more times to the nurseries until we were satisfied with the look of our water haven.

It didn't take long for the pond to be noticed by dragonflies, wasps, bees, birds, and our cat (she fell in when sleeping too soundly on the flagstone edging). The sound of tree frogs was soon louder at night. Lizards began jumping onto the greenery, enjoying the increased variety of insects attracted to the water. Dragonflies mounted the tallest greens as if eagles at the top of a flagpole. Wasps, bees, and birds began sipping the refreshment. We were pleased that Mother Nature had given her seal of approval. Our pond was a successful addition to our backyard oasis.

A year has passed since the first shovel of dirt was removed for our new project. Many blossoms have withered. Several fish have hatched. And countless moments of quiet reflection have been savored. Now I'm the one who receives odd looks when I talk so excitedly about my pond. So don't try to call me on the phone. I'll be out back, looking at a Hole-in-the-Ground!

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