sharing my bonsai display pondside

I always enjoy visiting other homes to grasp their sense of display. being a koi lover, the bonsai and pond seemed just right together...

IT looks really really nice !!! I would more than likely live out there.. good set up with a lot of work i know.. take care john

I am rural so I have critters. Racoons, Opossums, Deer, Wild Hogs, to mention a few, they would think such a pond was for their enjoyment and the coons would try for the fish.

No wild hogs here yet, but all the rest and yes they can be a problem. Especially blue heron are the worst. I live near a river and their flight path often takes them directly over. I use non organic fertilizer on the bonsai to discourage crows possums, raccoons.

No matter where we live I quess we can't get away from those pesky critters

Every time I see such a nice "back yard" setting for a japanese influenced garden I further curse the deer that infest my property and force me to locate EVERYTHING up on my deck.
-Jay

Hi Dick, What a beautiful display area and I got a few ideas for my own project, thank you very much. The fence is a big part of keeping the critters a bay I'm sure, but with my four Jack Russel terrier security team not even the birds will land, except one big red-tail hawk who just sits out there on the compost pile and dares the kids to come outside :lolI live by a river also and I've seen those Herons unload in flight, don't want to get caught under that!

Like John, I'd likely have a pallet and a bedroll right by the pond, with a little light so I could talk to the fish as I drift off into a relaxed slumber. Geez! That made me yawn! Thanks again for sharing.

From further down the coast, Rick

Dick,

Beautiful! I can only dream having one like that.

drgonzo wrote:Every time I see such a nice "back yard" setting for a japanese influenced garden I further curse the deer that infest my property and force me to locate EVERYTHING up on my deck.
-Jay

Jay, You need a fence. Come hunting season...get even! LOL

drgonzo wrote:Every time I see such a nice "back yard" setting for a japanese influenced garden I further curse the deer that infest my property and force me to locate EVERYTHING up on my deck.
-Jay

Jay, put a fence up!!! lol (I"m kidding of course ) Myself, I just wish for a larger backyard and well...the two German Shepherds don't help either. I have had to put up fencing to keep my dogs out of the growing area. I'm starting to "think" about going to one dog for the first in 25 yrs. Boy, I love two dogs, but I love my trees too

Dick, that's an excellent display/garden! I wish I could only have a fraction of that aesthetic feel to my backyard. A mighty "Congratulations" to you! Color me green hehehe
My display area is concrete blocks with cedar shelving, surrounded by condo's, with an open ugly black iron fence b/w properties. But "mark my words", lol, I will get there someday though!

Hello Dick,
Nice place.
I remember you had some storm damage if i am right,
when is see those hostas these pictures must be from last season and before the storm.
Is it a cemented pond edge?
I see a little bridge to, is the pond bigger than on the picture?
You got a sort of Japanese ladder to maintain the pines, we do not have them over here.
But what we have as well are herons with an expensive taste.
Sunip

Very nice- a very serene space to contemplate life in.

Sunup,
You have a very good eye and sense of things. the pond is a figure 8 shape with arched bridge over the center.
The picture was taken at this time last year. This year all is smashed. I tried taking pictures of the damage but it's hard to really see.
The toralousa juniper on the lower right was crushed down and trunk split along length into the ground. The aka matsu has had most of the branches broken off.
The pond is of cement. The waterfall has been damaged over the decades due to earthquakes, and no longer can be repaired.
the ladder you mentioned was a gift from my japanese garden sensei, Kyoshi Seike. What's difficult is building a scaffolding over the pond to hold the ladder and work the inside face of the pines to the pond.
To be honest I have barely started the clean up process. It seems a little too overwhelming. Good thing Bob found me some red chojubai to distract me.

dick benbow wrote:To be honest I have barely started the clean up process. It seems a little too overwhelming.

Dick,

Do the 15 minute rule. Motivate yourself to do a section and vow to at least dedicate 15 minutes on it. You cannot stop until the 15 minutes is up. After the 15 minutes, you can elect to start over but know that you cannot stop in between (and on and on). You also have to set the days you need to give it 15 minutes (weekly, twice a week, every other day, daily, etc.). In all cases, you have to set the day (and time if possible) you need to do it. You cannot claim credit for extra you did prior to any scheduled time . You would be amazed what you can accomplish once you got started.

Before you know it...that place is back to its former glory or better. Good luck!

Thanks Dario, that sounds doable.

Dick--I love the setting. I could see spending a good deal of time enjoying time near the pond and trees very much.

Jay--How big is your deck? I figure you for having a quite sizable collection as a bonsai enthusiast and gardener. I'm curious to see what kind of a setup you have going.

Hello Dick.
See what nature brings.
Is there a literati hidden in that pine?
Yes i have to build a scaffolding to for working the opposite side of one pond.
I use old iron pipes with a wooden floor on it.
I do not know your waterfall but some modern pond foil underneath could do the trick?
Sunip

Dick
Your bonsai Garden was and will be beautiful again. I feel your pain on mother natures rath, being a hurricane Katrinia survivor. I lost many treess and my house to boot. But now I have rebuilt my house and in the proccess of my rebuilding my bonsai collection better than ever. Just remember every thing you didn't like about the former garden and change it now.

Some where I have read a story about John Naka. As I remember, one day a vistitor was admiring his garden and his grandchildren were playing all about his bonsai trees. In horror the visitor said, are you not scared they will damage one of your trees. He mildly said in return, If one is damaged it probably will be a branch that is weak and needs to be replaced any way. So I will just grow back better than it was. Then he said with a snarl If they break the pot its another story.

Mitch

I also wanted to ask? If you have ever had a proplem with Owls fishing in your pond at night time. It happens all the time here.

Mitch

lovely, very mature.

it is making me smile the talk of racoons, herons, birds of prey, deer and other beasts can visit your gardens......i look at those hostas and think of the very small innocent army of snails and slugs that would decimate them in my garden!

Our actual ground is wet and pines would struggle which is such a shame as i'd love one in the ground - i'm tempted to put in a swamp cypress or dawn redwood though - before it towers above the house i will be dead and buried so no need to worry about that .

great to see, thanks

Marcus

hey mitch, love your location and appreciate the proper pronumciation of it. Big fan of the LSU tigers.....

i know we have owls around here but i never see them just find small fur and bones in small balls around the base of my cedar trees. Have not lost a koi in the evening. i feed them sinking pellets in the middle of the pond and that seems to keep them away from the edges,surface and trouble.

In the beginning as i was learning, I had a big yellow Koi that would come to my hand splashing along the pond's edge. One days as i was sitting and relaxing a group of sparrows flew in and proceeded to wade in and take a bath. Yep, my koi came over to get fed and at the last second the birds spied her and flew off in terror while the koi looked around for my hand and her treat. After i recovered from laughing i called her over and gave her a hand full of pellets. Only wished i had that on video with certain music used in shark movies to heighten the terror.

Dick
Geaux Tiiiigggggeeeerrrs. Yea u right!!!
Not to rub it in but I had my first crawfish boil of the season last week. Man dey was good fo sho.

We have great horned owls here that will snatch up a 10 lb plus fish right now. A good friend had a game camera shot of one with his prize yellow and white in grasp flying off int the moonlite never to be seen again.

Mitch

Yes, I miss my friends there and certainly eating gormet! But someone has to live up in the NW, so quess it will have to do.

Other than family the only reason I couldnt leave would be the great seafood we have here. That and not having to deal with snow. The down side no rocky mnt junis or mnt pines and larch.
Mitch

Years ago an early REBS member in Santa Rosa, CA came home to a kingfisher standing in his pond with a prized koi speared on it's bill. He ended up stringing fine piano wire in a crisscross pattern just above the water.

that's an excellent way to deal with diving birds. works well for Osprey as well. I always used 20 pound fishing line but about the second yesr the UV rays would have caused the strength to go out of the mono and it had to be replaced.