My pond project began in 2013; a year before I began my native garden. When I started creating my pond and its surrounding garden, I didn't know nearly as much about native plants as I do now, and made the mistake of adding nothing but non-native species. They were all garden center clearance plants. The only native specie I added was Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Orange Milkweed is what originally sparked my interest in native plants, and why I started a separate native garden in 2014. I saw one growing at the Pike River Pathway wetland and prairie restoration and looked it up as soon as I got home. It didn't take long for me to find out what it was. A few days later, I was surprised to find a packet of seeds at a local garden center and bought them. I spent much of that following Winter learning about native plants and how they're used in gardens. I realized that the non-native plants I bought for my pond area were a mistake. I was trying to make my pond area look natural, but that wasn't possible when using plants that don't naturally occur in my area. The following Spring is when I decided to add the separate native garden. The garden was quickly becoming a success, so I decided to begin the process of removing and replacing the non-native species around my pond with native plants. While my pond area is not 100% native, I have transformed it from only 10% native to nearly 95% native.
My pond is 11 feet long and 6 feet wide. It has three different depths. I have a 1' deep "shelf" around the entire edge of the pond that allows me to plant wetland plants like rushes, sedges, and irises. The east half the of the pond is 2' deep, which is where I have various waterlily varieties. The west half of my pond is 3.5' deep, which allows my goldfish and frogs to hibernate with plenty of room. I have a 1,000gph pump that sits in the 2' depth which pumps water to both my filter and to my waterfall, which is on the west side of my pond. I also have a second, smaller pump that pumps water out of a hollow log. Both the waterfall and the trickle from the log help to aerate the water which creates a healthier environment in my pond.
When looking into what kind of filter I should add to my pond, I discovered a bog filter. It's something that would both filter my pond water and also add additional wetland habitat. It uses plants to help filter water and use up extra nutrients. I knew right away that it was the route I was going to take. My bog is filled with wetland plants like Blue Flag Iris, Marsh Marigold, Horsetail Rush, and Great Blue Lobelia. I frequently see frogs and birds using my bog. The frogs sit in the shallow water and patiently wait for insects to land on the flowers. Birds drink the water as well as bathe in it.
While I initially made the mistake of using non-native plants in the garden around my pond, the success of my native garden made me quickly remove most of the non-native species by my pond and replace them with native species. Some of those native species include Stout Blue-eyed Grass, Orange Milkweed, Bush's Coneflower, Blanket Flower, and Wild Geranium.
My pond was added to my yard in an attempt to make my yard more useful to wildlife. Habitat is disappearing at a devastating rate and our backyards can become somewhat of a nature sanctuary if designed correctly. Water sources are important for all kinds of animals and insects, and if paired with native plants, it can become a small, beneficial habitat that wildlife can rely on. Wildlife has relied on my pond area. I have at least half a dozen frogs living in my pond. Dragonflies and damselflies have been seen much more frequently since I added my pond. During summer, I frequently find Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed that surrounds my pond. In Spring, I've had a Mallard Duck nest in a window well just two feet from my pond. The first year, she had twelve eggs and five hatched. Last year, she laid thirteen eggs and twelve of them hatched.
There is also a non-native animal specie living in my pond. It is because of this that it can't truly be considered a "wildlife pond", which is a term often used for garden ponds that don't include fish, which allows amphibians to lay eggs. I have about a dozen goldfish in my pond. They add to the liveliness of my creation and my pond wouldn't be the same without them.
In addition to having non-native fish in my pond, I also have a few non-native plants in and around it. While I'm not necessarily proud of it, I haven't been able to get myself to give them up. Dianthus deltoides "Arctic Fire" sits right up front between the pond and the patio. It has amazing foliage that I haven't yet been able to find with any native species. Frogs enjoy sitting in it, and it grows right up on the rocks along the edge of my pond. Near my bog, I have a variety of Coral Bells. Hummingbirds enjoy them, but these will be replaced with Wild Columbine in the future. Along the edge of my bog, I have Grape Hyacinth. This is another specie that I plan to remove in the future. In my pond, I have various waterlily hybrids. Because of the bright colored flowers they produce, I cannot get myself to replace them with the native white specie. Lastly, a specie that is native to North America, but not native to my area, is Mexican Sunflower. Mexican Sunflowers are an annual specie that is popular with hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. In fact, it attracts more hummingbirds than any other plant I grow. While it cannot replace the benefits of native species, they certainly provide a lot of nectar throughout summer and autumn.
