Observations, Spring /

I Built a Wildlife Pond In My Native Garden

A 66-gallon repurposed rigid pond featuring native Mid-Atlantic aquatic plants and a solar pump
An in-progress shot of 66-gallon repurposed rigid pond featuring native Mid-Atlantic aquatic plants
An in-progress shot of 66-gallon repurposed rigid pond featuring native Mid-Atlantic aquatic plants
We did it! After lots of research, planning and design, my wife and I built our pond last Saturday. I’m so excited to see how it matures and who comes to visit it. It’s a 66 gallon rigid pond that we trash-picked off the side of the road (So lucky!). There is a small pump submerged in there that’s attached to a solar panel. It’s already my new favorite spot, and it’s placed so that we can sit on our bench, under our squash gazebo, and look at it in the morning and evenings with coffee or something.

Plant List (so far):

Shallow Marginal:
  • Acorus americanus (American Sweetflag) Native
  • Iris versicolor (Blueflag Iris) Native
Submerged:
  • Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) Native
  • Nymphaea odorata (Fragrant water lily) Native
Part Shade:
  • Carex amphibola (Creek sedge) Native
  • Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush grass) Native
  • Heuchera villosa (Hairy Alumroot) Native
  • Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (Cinnamon fern) Native
Part Sun:
  • Eurybia divaricata (White wood aster) Native
  • Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf sage) Native
Full Sun:
  • Hibiscus moscheutos (Swamp rose-mallow) Native
 

End of May Update - Pond Visitors