I desperately need to clean out our little pond and waterfall.
It was installed by the previous owners and I’m not quite sure why they even did it.
It’s really puny and just looks like they plunked it in there with no rhyme or reason.
I have tried my best since we moved here three years ago, to blend it in by planting a cut leaf Japanese maple next to it, some mock orange around the back, and a few hydrangea around the edges.
It helps, but it’s still weird looking. Maybe when all the plant material grows in it will look better (cross fingers).
I put netting over it each fall to keep out the falling leaves, but somehow, they still seem to get in there and gunk up the bottom.
So this week, I plan on donning my Simms fishing waders and cleaning out the muck.
I hate to do it because I’m scared of puncturing the liner and causing a leak, but if I don’t do it, the pump gets clogged and the fish might claim neglect by going belly up.
The process involves:
- Pulling out the pump and its surrounding filter cage
- Hosing it off
- Using my hands to pull out all the slimy leaves and other debris
- Keeping the dogs from eating the slimy leaves and other debris!
- Cleaning the old algae from the waterfall rocks, and then ...
- Hosing myself off
It’s a big project for such a small (and weird) water feature, I sometimes wonder why I spend the time.
But my three year old really enjoys feeding the fish every day in the summer and the sound of the waterfall is quite lovely on a warm evening.
I guess we’ve become attached to our little trickling brook…despite its nonconformity.