Almost November and still gardening

 I can not believe it is almost November and I am still working on my pond and gardening. I still have quite a bit of blooms throughout the yard.

My pond is looking good still considering it is almost November.

 I do not know if I kneed to drop my pots of Iris' to the deepest part of the pond. In nature no one drops them to deeper water.

 I am hoping everything will winter over alright.

Enjoying the last of my roses and sedum.

 Meadow Rue is still in bloom and cotoneaster has berries on it.

 Balloon flowers had a long season this year.

 

 The pond plants really filled in this year. Next year I will thin some out.

 Added ten bluegills to the upper pond. So far I have only lost two.

 Its getting colder and windy so even my little pond gets choppy.

 Sometimes I just sit and watch the light reflect off the surface of the water.

Afew of the bluegills around the new lotus.

 Bluegills and lotus

 Bluegills and lotus

 Bluegills

 Bluegill and goldfish

 Rose

 Rose

 Gentian

 Black eyed Susan

 Next years dogwood flower buds.

 Roses

  Bluegill

 Bluegill

Bluegill

Bluegill

I know it is the end of the season, but today I stocked my pond with Bluegill, They are my favorite fish and a must have for my certified wildlife habitat. Next spring I hope to add a few darters. I got the fish from http://www.midatlanticstocking.com/ I hope that they will be well adjusted to my pond by next March or April so they will be ready for spawning.

Just Catching Up

It has been a while since I have posted. I just got so involved with my new pond and projects around the house. I will try to show the last 2 months of changes that have taken place. 

September 2016

 I am amazed with how fast everything grew in around the pond. I am anxious to see how the pond area will look over the winter. I am also anxious to see what it will look like when the sweet bay magnolia grows bigger and the trumpet vine covers the fence. I am trying to go with a natural wooded look for this area of wildlife habitat.

 I had several water lilies this year. I had several of the pink and a few of the Texas Dawn. I also planted some (Nelumbo Lutea) American Lotus from seed. I hope It had enough time to set in before it gets cold.

 You can see I have a nice selection of pond plants and they really did a good job of filling in. I even had to wade into the pond to weed because some were growing to well.

 I really have learned and enjoyed my pond this year. I am looking forward to seeing it winter over and see it come back again next year.

 One of my lily turfs growing around the pond. I have variegated and plain lily turfs. Variegated has green and white leaves with purple flowers and the plain have green leaves with a soft pinkish rose color flower.

 I had cut this plant back and it is flowering again. I did not know if this would happen but happy it did.

Cyclamen. I think this actually a florist type and will need to come inside for the winter. I am hoping to order some hardy cyclamen for next year.  

 Purple Aster

 Purple Aster

 Type of sedum ground cover.

A branch of holly I started from a cutting. It is about 3 years old. 

Chameleon plant. It has a lot of color so it must be happy here.  

Back yard area. 

Autumn Joy Sedum is starting to change color.