Spring Cleaning
As I've suggested a couple times in the brief texts that have introduced the videos in this series on the spring cleaning of ponds, the process we pursue at Pond Digger Waterscape Design & Construction (Yucaipa, Calif.) is filled with opportunities - for minor adjustments, for new additions or, in this particular case, for completely changing directions and rethinking which forms of wildlife should occupy the ecosystem. Frankly, I doubt the
The way I see it, the substantial amount of time and energy involved in a good, annual pond cleaning is definitely well spent. For one thing, it gives us at The Pond Digger Waterscape Design & Construction a chance to address any issues the homeowner may have noticed with the way the pond operates - everything from practical concerns about splashing in certain areas, for example, through to aesthetic
On an emotional level, one of the toughest things to do in giving an ecosystem pond a good spring cleaning is thinning out the plants. After all, these plants are a big part of the pond's aesthetic appeal, and reducing them as dramatically as we usually do tends to set the watershape's good looks back a notch or two. But we do so knowing it's a
Of all the tasks involved in giving a good-size pond a thorough spring cleaning, taking care of the fish is the biggest concern and, frankly, the riskiest part of the operation. It's not simply a matter of chasing them around the pond and cramming them into a net before unceremoniously dumping them in a garbage can: If the job is approached with that cruel and misguided spirit, it's fully possible that the fish and other aquatic wildlife will show their appreciation by
Many of our clients enter into pond ownership with every intention of being actively and intimately involved in upkeep and maintenance. What this often means is that, for the first year or maybe two, they'll net out leaves, clear the skimmer basket and, maybe once a year, will hold their noses (literally or figuratively) and muck out the filter. But what we've found with our clients
