Cold
Hardy
Bamboo
Nursery
This small pond was here when we bought the place. We built the dam up to improve the drive which also increased the size of the pond. Over the years we've planted lots of bamboo around the pond. On the extreme left you can see some limbs of Pigskin bamboo. On the dam are P.nigra(Black Bamboo), P.makinoi, and P.glauca. On the right, next to the spillway is a nice grove of P.n.Henon (Giant Gray Henon). On the back side of the dam is a huge grove of Robert Young bamboo. Not visible on the right is a grove of P.n. Bory (Snakesking Bamboo) and the picture was taken while standing in mature grove of P.vivax. We have a couple of snapping turtle living in the pond and regular visitors include a small green heron, a giant blue heron, and lots of kingfishers. My wife and I love the giant heron. He will circle the pond almost twice in order to get enough altitude to clear the trees. Often he lights in a tree after one circle. At times he doesn't fly when surprised and we get a good look at him and now the grandkids get to see him too. We also have an ocassional muskrat or beaver, along with wild ducks. And yes, we have lots of snakes. (Which we like!) |
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 This was an exciting experience. I noticed an animal playing in the pond and went closer to take a look. It wasn't shy at all and allowed me to come very near. It was an Otter! I ran to get the camera and was able to get these pictures. There was another, somewhat smaller one that stayed in the cattails and I assume they were a male and female. This one stayed in the open, diving to the bottom and bring up crayfish to eat. I could see the crayfish and hear the crunching. I sat on a small hill beside the pond and watched them for the longest time. They both stayed for a few hours and were gone sometime after dark. This was about around 2005. The pond has continured to provide a great habitat for wildlife. Several turtles now call the pond home. We've always had big snapping turtles and now we have a few "green" turtles, King Fishers dive for fish in the afternoons, and ocassionally we see wood ducks or mallards. We have a couple of dogs, Rocky and Cowboy. Both dogs love the water. In the summer they go swimming to escape the heat. Cowboy cruises the shallows, trying to catch large tadpoles. He will completely circle the pond and constantly puts his head underwater trying to bite them. I'm not sure if he ever catches one but he loves trying. I stocked the pond with 200 catfish fingerlings in 2007. I also placed 6 large goldfish in the pond. With the local herons, snakes, and other predators, I assumed they would only last a short while. They multiplied so fast we were all amazed. The first spring after placing the goldfish in the pond there was a school of at least 50 small goldfish. Next year that multiplied to about 200 and as of 2010 that's about where it stands. I see about 20 to 30 large catfish each summer, several pounds each. I feed them all summer because I feel sorry for them. I introduced 6 or 7 small (6") bass last year. That should eventually thin out the population. Last summer the otters came back. My daughter and grandsons got to see them. They stayed a couple of days and the larger one even crawled up onto the bank of the pond and sunned himself! I had high hopes they would thin out the goldfish. |
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