When we first saw Redwall, we weren't sure what this was. A sunken pit in the ground? A sinkhole? A concrete dump? It sure didn't look cared for. It sat neglected among a tangle of overgrown yew bushes and Virginia Creeper, with about ten years' worth of leaves and dirt in it. "You know, I think that's a pond," one of us said.
This was something we had to take on faith! It also had to wait a few years for attention while the house was restored. Finally, in 2001 our attentions turned to getting this lawn feature restored.
The first thought was to rip it out and start over. I mean, there was a yew root growing through one corner of the pond, and many of the stones on the sides were loose and falling apart. It seemed impossible that this could once again be an attractive enhancement to the yard.
We cleared out as much of the vegetation as we could, then turned to Artistic Masonry of Frederick, MD. They removed the yew root, rebuilt the sides and repointed the stones. Once that was done, it started getting easier to see the possibilities.
So,
will it be a wading pond or a fish pond? Both seemed attractive options. A
wading pond would require a higher level of chemical use to keep it safe, and we
would also have to keep the water level under 36 inches -- anything over that
and county law requires a safety fence.
Besides, the county pool is just down the street, the community pool will be practically right outside the front door, and the indoor aquatic center is coming to the park nearby. Nah; it should be a fish pond.
So now we tried filling it with water. It was pretty watertight but not completely so; also, try as we might we simply could not get the pH stable. It fluctuated wildly, tending into the high numbers. We realized that the mortar was leaching into the water and causing all sorts of problems. We needed to line the pool. But how?
Enter the good people at Chesapeake Spray Liners. They came out with their equipment and in one day sprayed the entire pond with a waterproof material intended for use on truck beds! It is completely inert, isn't too slippery, and allows the texture of the original stone to come through. We chose a two-tone application, with a dark gray on the steps and sides and a lighter gray on the bottom.
Now the research started in earnest. What kind of fish? What kind of filtration system? How big a pump? We made a LOT of mistakes in the early phases (and, I'm sorry to say, lost a good deal of fish in the process) but by the time the cold weather set in we felt fairly confident that we would do all right. We ended the year with six koi from Lilypons Water Gardens, as well as a number of Gambosia, otherwise knows as mosquito fish.
In the spring of 2002 we anxiously inspected the pond to see signs that the koi had survived the winter. Finally they emerged from the muck at the bottom of the pond: all six were there!
Now that summer is in full swing we love going out to the pond to feed the koi, and have added some Shubunkin and Comets to the mix.
Here's a shot of the pond as it is now. It was taken from the same angle as the first picture. Hard to believe it's the same place!
Since this picture was taken, we changed the type of water treatment system for the pond. We don't have the blue filter cylinders anymore. Now it's just a UV sterilizer and a biofiltration tank.
The pond in winter! The pump is turned off and the only piece of equipment left running is the airstone. That is why the center of the pond is not frozen. The koi and comets survive the winter very nicely; as of Spring 2006 the koi are close to 18" long!!
Next stop: the Grounds