The Koi Pond

I tried to get the koi pond drained and refilled for Easter...I just ran out of gas. Yesterday, I had two guys over to help me weed....I have about a half acre in the front yard and once it gets ahead of me, it is like the Kentucky Derby. So the three of us did a total of24 hours of weeding, including mowing the giant front yard. It looks like someone lives here, once again.

So this morning, there was a lot of cleanup, mowing and raking that they could handle on their own, so I was in the bottom of the pond, mucking it out. This is such an icky job that I CAN'T asky anyone else to do it. I have two sump pump, draining the water, goop, sand and muck out. They are both in strainers so they don't suck up fish and leaf gunk...that is my job. Then I have a hose to keep diluting the gunk.

I spent six hours until Girlie made me get out. I have about an hour left before it is spotless. ALL of the fish and tadpoles are in buckets in the shade. ALL of the lily pads, papyrus and cat tails are dug and in water in the shade, too. I have to pressure wash the filter and drain that (ick ick ick), dump 500 pounds of salt in the filter and then fill the pond tomorrow. It will take most of the day.


The critters will go back in on Sunday, along with 1,000 new baby koi. (I have a friend who has a pond also and these are the babies that he doesn't have room for.) When he cleans his pond out, he brings his fish over to vacation in my pond.

Then I have to go hunting for more tadpoles in the river next week...Girlie has Tuesday free to drag me to the slough. These are the ones I have but I love the way hundreds and hundreds look feeding around the edges of the pond.

Right now, I am SO tired, but it's a good tired....the pond is so enjoyable and only needs to be drained and cleaned twice a year. I just have to not dilly dally and just get ON with it, so it doesn;t turn into this huge, prolonged project.

This year, I am planning on working on some bog plants on the planting ledges....and snails and turtles, just because the whole wild life thing enchants me.

I found some tiny little seed lights to go in the tree, along with some pretty bird feeders and wind chimes. We spend so much time outside during the summer....feeding the fish, sitting in the shade, eating outside and cooling off in the pool, so I like to make it as comfortable as possible.

I still have to clean up the outdoor kitchen....blow out leaves, clean up the winter debris and getting it ready for summer pizza parties. These are just the regular late spring chores; the pool house has to be hosed out and the outdoor shower needs to be swept out. There are hooks out of the way of the water, as well as a wringer for bathing suits. I save all of my ratty towels to leave out there, as well as left behind bathing suits, so we are ready at the drop of a hat for a party.