Our pond...
And how it looked on that day I discovered
our little white cottage
sitting at the bottom of the road down the hill...
Desolated and abandoned, but I saw so much potential there then. It was something like seeing without yet seeing... then one day this summer we cleaned, dug, hauled, removed, planted… and established a garden around it.
Little by little it all started taking shape...
Months later we cleaned, drained old water, removed all debris,
patched and repaired cracks, sealed, painted…
patched and repaired cracks, sealed, painted…
We wanted a darker color for our pond to give it a more natural look, but we couldn't find the appropriate fish friendly waterproof concrete paint suitable for ponds, except for this grayish one.
Then we installed the pump
...and filled it up with water
...and filled it up with water
I collected mossy sticks from a huge recently fallen tree branch and
brought them over…
We searched around our little white cottage for rocks and found some pretty substantial ones…
we dug them out and brought them to the pond...
Big pebbles... small pebbles
Added some water plants... floating plants...
pretty plants...
pretty plants...
And invited some friends over... of the make believe variety...
But always in the hope of accommodating some real ones later…
This is just a prelude to an unfinished project. Bigger decorative rocks will have to be added
later on, as well as larger ornamental grasses and some more climbers to cover bared
walls, but it certainly is a huge beginning. And I am more than happy with how much we have
accomplished by the end of the first summer.
Truly amazing...
me thinks!
“Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them-- that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
Oh Cielo, we must be on the same wavelength! I just finished posting about my pond and then I came over to your blog to see what you were up to and I found that you had blogged about your pond as well! You did a lovely job. Those smooth yellow rocks look perfect in the water. Ponds are so refreshing to look at and the sound of softly splashing water is really soothing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWe are! And I noticed that lovely chandelier you worked on lately.... I made one too around the same time, but of course not as lovely as yours... and your pond looks marvelous with that view behind. Enjoy each minute my friend!
DeleteCielo
This is magnificent, cirlo! I love all things white snd especially a cottage. Good night! Anita
ReplyDeleteHi Anita... me too, I love all things white... and I particularly love my white little cottage ;) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteCielo
It is beautiful, but isn't it close to the house or is that the garage?
ReplyDeleteYes.... both.
DeleteCielo
It's a lovely pond! So serene and a pretty as part of your garden.
ReplyDeleteThank you... and I have so much I want to do there. So much fun... and hard work. ;)
DeleteCielo
Cielo,
ReplyDeleteWOW, what a transformation, you have worked really hard!! I used to have a pond at my other house, believe me you will have real frogs in no time, but be warned, they can be amazingly loud at night. Great job!
Teresa
Oh yippee ki yay... froggies!
DeleteCielo
I can't believe how much you have done since you have moved there...my gosh you have really worked!! It is absolutely beautiful...you have great taste!! Take care and try to relax a little.
ReplyDeleteOh yes a she-work-horse for sure. But other than pulling out weeds, I think that's it for this year ;)
DeleteCielo
Cielo, you certainly have accomplished so many wonderful things in your garden - it is beautiful!. Love the pond and all the lovely plants surround it.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe all that you have accomplished inside and out on your little white cottage.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mary
Yeah, it feels wonderful to have all that accomplished.
DeleteCielo
As if your garden was not beautiful enough. The pond and sounds from the fountain add to the chorus of nature that sings continually in your garden. Such a tranquil, heavenly place to be. hopefully the terrible heat of summer is past so you can enjoy the amazing spaced you have created.
ReplyDeleteSherry
The heat and the mosquitoes... aughrrr! They love my blood I guess... maybe they're vampires in disguise? I wonder ;)
DeleteCielo
Beautiful Cielo! And it is indeed amazing what you have accomplished this summer. You inspire me always! Love the Anne of Green Gables quote too!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCielo
Oh my heavens! I knew you were up to something when you had not posted in a few days. But you always return with something to show us. Good job! Have a wonderful weekend. Jenny S.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny! You too... happy weekend!
DeleteCielo
Lovely! You must see things in your head in order to create that beauty from the original! Such a gift! And then you must be exhausted! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHow enchanting! You've made such beautiful improvements in the pond and its surroundings! I think that the best part is the many depths of the water so all sorts of creatures could get a drink there, including butterflies who need very shallow water.
ReplyDeleteBliss!
You are blessed with "Vision". You can "see" in your mind, how you want something to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd then, you are also blessed with a "Work Ethic"... Which gives you the drive and strength, to dooooooo alllllll which is necessary, to bring your dream, to reality.
You are truly blessed, with both these abilities. And you use them, to their fullest.
Which is the most wonderful thing to do, with our abilities.
Thank you for sharing with us, photos and words, of the process, of your "Vision" and your "Work Ethic"...
Gentle hugs,
Tessa~
Oh my! What a difference. You, my dear, have a most enchanted "eye". I come by this blog most every day and listen to the sweet melody playing and am just enamored by the changes you have made to your beautiful cottage in the woods. Well done!
ReplyDeleteLovely job....so nice to have a pond, I have one too, and love it, it is the focal point of the back gardens, which I am redoing in between heat-fainting spells lol. Your fake friends will definitely turn into real flesh ones, don't you worry about that, one day you'll turn around to the sound of them croaking away at night LOL......I love them too, they make magical songs at night. Those floating Water Lettuce little innocent-looking lime green lovelies also reproduce voraciously and can double their count day by day, soon your entire water pond will be covered with them if you don't scoop some out....some say this is no problem, until your water can no longer breathe due to being totally covered with them, just saying :D....
ReplyDeleteYour pond is truly magical Cielo, the pebbles soften the edges beautifully. I have a pond close to the house too but is a harsh rectangular shape so pebbles around it would help it look more natural. Thanks for the inspiration! Xo, Rachel.
ReplyDeleteYour pond looks wonderful. It must be so nice to hear the fountain and sit there. Lovely. Great job.
ReplyDeleteYour little pond is taking on a beautiful, magical shape!
ReplyDeleteCielo, what is the vine in the corner with huge leaves? I really love vines.
ReplyDeleteThat's a Moon Flower.... cousin of the Morning Glory... lovely, doesn't it!
DeleteCielo
Dear Cielo:
ReplyDeleteJust clicked on several of your photos on the right and see you have a pond! It is lovely! You did a great job on the redesign. The former owners would be amazed!