ON 20040801@1:18:42 AM at page: http://techref.massmind.org/techref/other/pond/index.htm#38200.0546412037 James Newton[JMN-EFP-786] See also: http://www.rhizomecollective.org/virtual_tour.htm ... It is an experiment combining edible water plants (rice, water celery, lotus) with green manure plants (water hyacinth, azolla), ornamental plants and animal life. The animal life includes minnows, crawfish, frogs, dragonflies and snails. The gambusia minnows and the dragonfly larvae help enormously in reducing the mosquito population. The pond creates beauty and attracts wildlife as well.

An additional part of the pond system are the chinampa gardens. Chinampas were a form of agriculture used by ancient Aztecs, where water plants and weeds would be piled onto the banks of waterways. Vegetables are planted directly into them, thus creating a highly fertile growing medium with a nearby water table. ...
ON 20040801@1:22:25 AM at page: http://techref.massmind.org/techref/other/pond/index.htm#38200.0572337963 James Newton[JMN-EFP-786] Says http://techref.massmind.org/techref/other/greywater.htm Grey-water Recovery and Treatment ON 20040816@5:07:05 PM at page: http://www.massmind.org/techref/other/pond/index.htm#37858.0220486111 James Newton[JMN-EFP-786] Replied to post 37858.0220486111 by JMN-EFP-786 |Insert 'Erich Wolf sent on some floating plants and a few more fish. All the plants seem to be getting a bit much sun, but are holding their own. The fish are breeding, eating, and loving life.

Debra, a nice local bunny lady, donated a stone sink which I will setup as a cistern for the "poopy" water siphoned from the lowest point in the pond. I have to find a way to seal it since it does leak a bit. ' at: '' James Newton Says:

The fish pond is starting to take shape. I found a graded lot near work were I can steal rocks pretty safely, and I hit uppon the idea of driving wood stakes (firewood) into the ground between my bolders to help support the smaller rocks. Then I've backed up the rocks with sod cut from the area inside the pond so that the inner wall looks sort of like a vertical lawn at the moment. Its sort of like adobe (I hope) and seems to be holding so far.

Done with the front wall, making the back wall level.

Finally filled it this last Saturday: 2004/07/10. Many thanks to Erich Wolfe and Jeff Mullens (?) for helping to spread, fill and finish the liner. Sadly, I couldn't find batteries for the power sucker I call a digital camera until after we had spread and started to fill the liner, so it is a bit hard to see what the inside looked like before we laid it out. There is a nice layer of scrap cardboard and soft play sand under it. All rocks, sticks, shards or anthing else that might puncture the liner has been removed.

Eric Wolf helped me place the liner and fill up the pond.   Eric was also kind enough to donate some more of his hair to the pond.   The pond is deepest in the center and tapers up to either end.   Scrap pallet cardboard used to help protect the liner.   Soft "Play Sand" used to pad under the cardboard and level the ground / walls   Good neighbor Jeff helped with the final filling, padding, trimming, foldeing and rocks.  Proud Pappa!  Starting to look Nice! (if the kids would pick up after themselves...  ToDo: More rocks, Figure out a way to hide that last bit of liner, Add plants and misquitoe control fish.

Still need to:

James Newton replies: One week later, mosquitoe larve started to show up so I got some of the mosquitoe eaters from the San Diego County Dept. of Environmental Health and they seem to be doing fine. We thought they had been eaten by the next day, but it turns out they are just REALLY good at hiding.

Starting to get the first "blooms" of algea so the water gets cloudy then clears up, then does it again.

Also got some floating plants from the San Diego Water Garden meeting. A VERY kind and giving host opened his home (and life) to more questions (from my 7 year old), pokes, proding and soda spilling than he probably wanted. THANK YOU!