A pond's summer magic
A pond makes a wonderful garden feature at any time of year, but in summer it’s where the action really is, from plants to fish, birds, insects, and other wildlife.
A sunny location allows you to grow water lilies, jewels of the summer garden. The yellow flowers of ‘Helvola,’ a dwarf lily, lie on the surface like fallen stars. A raised pond (mine is constructed from a two-foot-tall stock tank) brings them that much closer to eager eyes.
Dragonflies perform aerial acrobatics above the water, then pose tamely on taro leaf…
…or pond lily.
It’s been dry lately, so bees are regulars at the pond, drinking their fill and using water to cool their hives.
A summer pond is also a human magnet, and visitors to my garden gravitate to it to watch the goldfish and dragonflies. Somehow the water offers a coolness in the heat. It’s purely psychological, but it’s all part of a pond’s summer magic.
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Your pond is magical! Such beauty and such life being sustained by it. I love the bees drinking.
I feel refreshed and cooled off just looking at the pictures! That water lily is a beautiful specimen! ‘Helvola’ does indeed look like a jewel.
The yellow lily is so lovely~and I think there is something to water in a garden cooling a garden. gail
Those drinking bees are adorable! How did you get that shot?!
I leaned in slowly and got my lens, on its macro setting, right in their faces. They are very docile. —Pam
That is some beautiful magic.
Beautiful lilies! Are yours fragrant? I only have water poppies. They bloom all the time, but the blooms are not anything like your lilies!
They are slightly fragrant, Linda. Thank heavens they’re up in the stock tank or I’d never have known that. —Pam
I’ve been thinking about expanding my pond because the water lily isn’t getting enough sun. A stock tank would be a good solution but I’m not sure if I have room in a sunny spot.
You can get a small stock tank, only 3 feet across, and still have room for a dwarf water lily like ‘Helvola,’ Cindy. A pond that size will fit almost anywhere. —Pam
I recently made a gravel bed on the west side of my house. I want to use stock tanks and galvanized containers in the spot, planted with xeric plants and cacti. My only concern is how much the containers will heat up in our 100 degree temps here in north/central TX. What do you think? Is there any special precautions I should take?
I’ll be using agave, spineless opuntia, flame acanthus, salvia greggii and datura, plus the few cacti that are winter hardy to our area. The tanks are the size you show planted in your stock tank post. The galvanized tubs are the largest round ones that I could find. (Sorry, I’d have to walk out to the barn to get the exact size)
The bed gets full sun from about 2 o’clock until about 7pm. I appreciate any advice you can give.
Soil seems to be a pretty good insulator, Vonne, and the bigger the container, the less you have to water container plants. So I think stock tanks are a good choice. I haven’t noticed any problems with soil overheating in the ones I’ve used. Be sure to use mulch—wood-based, crushed granite, etc.—to keep the roots cool. —Pam
Water…what magic it brings. In fact, what magic it is!
They seem to cheat the heat, drawing from it to become these fantastic water stars!! Great shots!!!
I have yet to see bees drinking from the fish pond. Perhaps I am just not there when they are.
Love your new walkway and the before and after photos.
The lily pads are so pretty!
Can you let us see a photo of the whole pond?
I frequently post images of the whole stock-tank pond, Mebiggs. —Pam
I love your pond posts. All of them.
It is amazing how much activity just a little bit of water can attract, not just wildlife, but they are very attractive and entertaining to humans as well. BTW, you did a nice job on your new path.
We’re just back, from our trip to North Dakota. You all turned the heat up here, while we were gone. This was a refreshing sight.
Thank you very much, Pam! I’ll be filly my tubs and tanks with soil this evening.
Vonne
Unbelievable photos!! Truly inspiring, Pam!