Summertime is upon us and life couldn’t be better for pond owners in Wisconsin. In the spring we have pond clean-outs. In the fall we have winter pond prep. In winter, unless your waterfall runs all winter, there is not much to do with your pond. But in the summertime the weather is fabulous, the plants are thriving, the fish are active and growing and to top it all off, there is very little pond maintenance to do.
Typically, by the time summer is here, the spring algae bloom is over, the fish are all healthy and the plants are in bloom. This is the time of the year when I spend all of my pond time just relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds of the water garden. I check the skimmer every once in a while and the kids and I feed the fish every now and then. I know that the fish don’t really need feeding, but I just can’t resist watching the surface of the pond come to life when those wonderfully colorful fish swim out of all of the nooks and crannies of the pond to grab a bite to eat. I could sit and watch the fish swimming between the water lilies and in and out of the rocks for hours on end. It is an always changing, visual extravaganza of color and movement. People can’t walk into our yard without standing near the pond and gazing into the beautiful clear water at the maze of fish movement. Our kids spend a good portion of the summer planning and implementing strategies to catch one of the ever elusive frogs that inhabit our naturally balanced, beautiful eco-system.
It is at this time of the year, with all of my peaceful relaxation time near the pond, that I tend to dream of ways to make this water garden paradise even better. Often times I find myself dreaming of what pond life would be like if I added another pond, or made this pond larger. Maybe I could add another stream and waterfall to the pond. I’m sure the many songbirds that line up on the rocks for their turn to splash and play would welcome another stream. On the other hand, maybe this part of the yard should be finished. Maybe I should move to a different part of the yard and start fresh with another completely unique and different water feature. I’ve got it; maybe I should install a pondless waterfall in that empty space on the other side of the driveway. My wife is always saying how the kids would love a pondless waterfall with nice wide areas where they could get right into the stream to play in the water. Maybe that’s it, maybe this year we should install a pondless waterfall.
This is what too much relaxation will do to a person. We may not all talk about it or act on our dreams, but you’d better watch out, eventually when you are sitting in your favorite relaxation spot near your pond, your thoughts will turn to the possibilities of more water, more fish, more beauty, more fun and more relaxation. If only your piece of the pie we call paradise was a little bit bigger. And, once you have expanded, improved, or otherwise enhanced your pond, you will once again find yourself relaxing next to your pond. It is at this time, when out of nowhere, your mind starts to wander and you find yourself dreaming of yet another possible addition to your water garden dream.