New Water Feature

My latest addition to the Koi Pond is a spitting frog. I thought it was a nice feature and it was easy to put into place. No electricity needed, tubing attached to the frog goes up to the top waterfall doe into the weir and the force of the water from the pump powers the frog! It adds additional oxygenation to the pond for the koi. I hope to be able to add more koi but have not been successful. The last fish I purchased were too small and did not survive the skimmer and the force of the water.

African Violets

African violets are one of my favorite house plants. I have just recently transplanted this one and moved it to the kitchen table in the bay window. It has been here in this spot for about 8 weeks. Since then it has been blooming constantly. Since this one has done so well I was inspired to transplant the others and move them to the table also. I water them when the soil is almost dry, which is about every 5 days of so. Also on occasion (once a month or when I think about it) crush up chewable Flintstones vitamins and mix in the water. My newest violet was just transplanted about a week ago. I purchased it from the distressed discount plant shelf from Lowes for 50 cents. It was in good condition except the soil was very very dry and the blooms were dead and crusty. Now it has perked up and growing beautifully. The surprise will be its color!

The Frogs

Last night, as I was walking up from my plot, I noticed the frogs were out on the hunt for bugs. Surprisingly I was able to capture a quick photo before they noticed my presence (and with a camera). I am not sure how many frogs have taken up residence here because they all look the same. There is one other one that looks very different. He (or she) has green stripes around the mouth like green lipstick. If Possible I hope to get a photo if it. It"s tricky though, they dive in the water and quickly disappear.

Beautiful Blue Flowers

I just wanted to share a picture of the beautiful blue flowers that I transplanted from my mothers house. I am unsure of their name. They love full sun

but when shade comes over the blooms close. Since I divided the origional cluster they have erupted in growth. I hope to divide them again this fall as temperatures permit.

The Koi Pond

THE KOI POND

The koi and frogs are thriving this year. All of the plants survived the winter except for the iris. It was a challenge to get the eco system in balance this spring because my og pump went out and then there were some electrical problems. I hope to add some lights later on this summer but they are quite expensive and I have been unsuccessful at choosing a good quality light system.

The Greenhouse Update

Since completing the greenhouse project, I have had good success with starting seeds and reviving wilted, dehydrated plantlings. Unfortunately, I was unable to save any plants through the winter. This past winter was quite brutal, freezing temperatures for multiple days and snowy weather. Before winter returns this year, I plan to add some insulation.