As much as I talk about gardening and my garden you'd think my happy place would be in my garden wouldn't you? You would be wrong. My happy place is next to the running trout stream at Fort Campbell's Clarksville Base. This most likely is because by the time I reach this stream I've already walked a few miles and I am sore, and tired, and just want to relax. I cannot think of a better place to relax and get happy than here by the stream on Fort Campbell. I sit down under the bridge and get lost in the serene views all around me.
The bubbling of the stream lulls me.
The water full of fish cheers me. It cheers me so much I sometimes wish to go for a swim in this clear stream.
But alas, reality sets in and I must be on my way as I still have a few miles in front of me to get back to my car and to my home. The memory of the trout stream helps to keep my feet moving, one in front of the other.
A little about Fort Campbell's waterways: There is a cooperative effort between many agencies to stock not only the running stream but the ponds in the Clarksville Base area. This area behind the above sign is more of a marshy area with ponds that is frequented by geese, turtles, otters, and fish of course. It is not the running trout stream I showed in the pictures above. In fact, I don't think the two join one another but this waterland would drain into the stream at some point I am sure. I stay on the trail so I have no idea how the water all flows together but common sense tells us it does.
Trout are stocked here and in the stream. As I read this sign I often think I should bring a fishing pole one day. It would be lovely to catch a fresh trout. Mr. Fix-it's happy place is anywhere he is fishing so I think he'd like my happy place too, but he rarely walks with me. That should change one day when he retires. Perhaps we'll both go fishing for trout. It will only be me that will eat it though because as much as Mr. Fix-it loves to fish, he does not like to eat fish.
The next picture of the gnarled tree overhanging the stream says so very much about this stream. Sometimes the stream runs so fiercely it seems as though it will sweep everything away, yet the trees hang on only to show evidence of the current that can pass through this stream in the form of exposed and gnarled roots.
Wildflowers abound all over Clarksville Base. I believe the above wildflower is Rudbeckia triloba. The wildflowers along the way to my happy place make the journey so much more interesting and bearable. The old bones and muscles don't work quite as well as they used to. I've been walking this trail for over ten years now. While in the Army we had to walk it twice and then some in order to make our 12 mile hike. I'm glad those days are behind me. Now I can stroll at a leisurely pace and enjoy the views and the flowing water.
After the long walk and a sit down in my happy place at Fort Campbell I come home to my own garden. And yes, I do have a happy place here. It is not quite so spectacular as the stream in the wild backwoods, but it does have water and fish....
in the garden....
Where is your happy place and why?
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
It is that time of the year when everything in the garden must be cleaned up in anticipation for spring time flowers and new growth. To say I have been busy is an understatement because this spring came upon me a little too fast and the garden for some crazy reason just keeps growing. And of course that means more work for me. While cutting the some two dozen clumps of Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio' grasses I found several praying mantis egg cases. Can you see the one above in the picture? This was the second one I found in a clump of the Adagio and I was fairly delighted. The clumps of grasses are not anywhere near one another so I think I am safe to assume the Adagio, and perhaps all miscanthus grasses, might be a good home for praying mantis to lay their eggs. Fortunately I did not damage any of the egg sacks while cutting back the grass clumps. I was, as usual, late in cutting back the Adagio because the grasses have already begun to put on new growth. Can you see the green in the above picture? I think February is much too late to cut these grasses back and perhaps January would be a better month. My vow is to cut all the grasses back in January of next year-but you know about good intentions.
And simply because I did not want this post to have only one picture I thought I'd show you one of my baby koi. This one was at the surface of the water on a really warm day. It really seemed like it wanted out of the pond for some reason. I took the opportunity to snap some photos of it while it was up close to the surface. The water is so clear and the fish right there that it almost looks as though the fish is floating in air. I also think the baby koi are slowly beginning to change colors. I am now seeing a bit of orange showing up in them....
in the garden....
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Last fall my friend Naomi gave me two baby koi. I was not really certain about taking the baby koi because at the time my only pond was a 50 gallon cast iron bathtub. The bathtub pond has served me well for nearly eight years and is the home of one six inch goldfish. I have loved this little bathtub so much that it gave me the courage to give a big pond a try which brings us back to the baby koi. I told Naomi all I had was the bathtub pond and I wasn't sure if the koi would survive there. Supposedly koi need a large pond and very clean water. While my bathtub pond has its own ecosystem and clean water it certainly is not a big pond. Nonetheless I put the small black koi into the bathtub pond about six months ago and did not expect much from them. I do not feed my fish and paid little attention to the now three fish in the bathtub pond. I would occasionally check the bathtub to make sure there weren't any floating fish but that was about it. Wonders of wonders the koi not only lived but even grew a few inches. They are even slowly beginning to get their colors as they grow. Naomi is very unhappy that these koi have taken so long to get their color but perhaps that is common? Maybe these koi won't get pretty colors at all but they are indeed koi as Naomi has no goldfish in her pond-only koi. Enter the new large pond and the need for a new home for the two baby koi.
Once I finished digging my big pond and found the leaky area (a low spot in the liner) in the pond I let the pond sit for a few days in order to give it time to clear up and to begin establishing itself. An important part of my large pond (and small pond too) is the fact that I have some plants growing in the ponds. I find these are the best filters for any pond and simply love the ease of care of these plants. So, before moving the baby koi into my front pond I planted some horsetail rush and native irises in mesh pots. I believe these helped to clear up the new pond just as much as the mechanical filter did. I swear by plants in a pond when, after a couple of years of pea green water I finally added some plants to my bathtub pond. After I added the plants I never had pea soup ever and have not had to add an additives to the water either. After a few more days with the plants in place it seemed like the pond was ready for the baby koi to be moved into it from the bathtub pond.
I was able to move my baby koi from the bathtub pond to the big pond mainly because the koi are already acclimated to the temperatures in both ponds; which should be the same since they are both outside. Since I do not feed my fish I knew there was no danger of the koi being full of food and being placed in cold water where the food could slowly harm the koi. If I purchased koi from a store during this time of the year the fact that the store would feed their koi and the water in the store would be warm could cause a major problem with any koi I purchased and put into my pond. You are not supposed to feed fish when the water temperatures drop to a certain level because the fish slow down their metabolism and kind of hibernate when the water is very cold. Going from a high metabolic rate in the store to a cold outside pond in the wintertime would mean the food the fish had eaten would just kind of sit in the stomachs of the koi and that would not be a good thing. Fish do not need food in the wintertime at all and in fact I usually don't feed my fish at all-winter or summer. I do plan to start feeding these koi come spring though because I'd like to be able to interact with them. The goldfish in the back is easy to see in the small pond but in the large pond I can barely see these baby koi. Coming up to feed will be essential if I wish to see them up close.
After catching the baby koi in the bathtub pond I was able to see them up close. Something I relished. In fact, I took a great opportunity to snap some photos of my baby koi up close and I also held both of them in my hands. Fish are so cool and these two are no exception. Up close I was able to see that these koi appear to be changing colors and I do hope they get some great koi colors but if not, that is okay as well. They are great additions to my big pond....
in the garden....
I have not yet named these koi and would like some suggestions. Any suggestions for names for these two koi will be considered. Thanks.
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Last Saturday, August 27th, was a day many east coast folks won't soon forget thanks to the visit of a hurricane named Irene. It is also a Saturday I won't soon forget because the day dawned with a gorgeous sun, light winds, and low humidity-a real rarity in Middle Tennessee in August! It was also the day the Montgomery County Water Garden Society chose to have its annual Pond Tour. Mr. Fix-it, much to my delight, agreed to join me on this lovely day and I must say we had a fabulous time.
It is a little known fact that folks who love water gardens also generally love gardens. This landscape designer and passionate gardener decided a pond tour was just the thing even though I only have a very small water garden of my own (a mere 35 gallons but it still rocks as far as I am concerned). Nonetheless, even while not being big into koi and water gardening the originality and creativity of all of the gardeners on the tour was a real treat. There were a total of seven water gardens on tour and I'm sad to say Mr. Fix-it and I only made it to six of them. The day was very long and the gardens very spread out but so worth visiting. Next time we do it we'll have to plan a bit better. Today's post will be a part one of two posts on the tour.
We'll start at a wonderful garden in Ashland City Tennessee. This was the longest drive (24 miles) and took us through a low lying area near the Cumberland River in Ashland City. Unfortunately this area was one of the hardest hit areas during last May's historic flooding in Tennessee. We did not realize this until we stopped for lunch next to a Wal-mart at Don Panchos and saw pictures of the beautiful building we were dining in under water. Wow on the redo but let's head on to the garden tour. P.S. I highly recommend the Don Pancho Mexican restaurant in Ashland City-it was very reasonable (under $20) for sit down dining and the food was delicious and very generous.
Back to the water garden. I am not a fish aficionado but I know there are many out there who are. I am told the owner of this garden travels to Japan every few years to hand pick his koi. The koi are then allowed to grow in mud ponds for a few more years then are shipped over here where they grace one of the two ponds located on this rural property that flowed by a wonderful natural stream. These koi were the largest koi I had ever seen. Absolutely gigantic! They were very pretty too but honestly I couldn't tell one from another. I know, I know, sacrilegious! I apologize for my views. Nonetheless these fish were special. Some of them are even champion koi because they've won awards in competitions. Very neat on that! Now that you know about the koi let's look at the ponds and the site-my favorite part!
We parked about 100 feet away and had to walk across a stream that meandered down to the larger stream behind the home. As we came to the driveway we were welcomed by a nice sidewalk leading us down to the ponds. See the gorgeous Japanese maple and beautiful arbors? The two ponds were under the arbors.
This pond held the female koi. The females are actually bigger than the male koi. The ponds are spring fed though I am not sure how this all worked.
Here is another look at the beauties. If any of you reading this understand about the markings please comment on these fish if you know anything about them. They are brightly colored and unique and I am sure there are pedigrees with koi just like with dogs and cats but I just don't know anything about them. I'd love to learn though.
Here was the upper pond and I believe this small house may have housed the pond equipment and may also be the spring house to bring in the fresh water. I'm not sure. The males swam serenely in this pond.
The wonderful arbors overhead were a recent addition to the garden. Since the sun was so bright it was hard to get good shots but the one thing the sun did do was allow us to see the great shadow patterns on the ponds below. I loved these arbors for their enclosure, pattern, and the structure they added to the garden.
Once we walked past the ponds we were told we could walk around the huge deck built over the creek. We were even able to walk down to the creek and dip our feet in the crystal clear water where little minnows swam about. The site and location were idyllic.
I took many more pictures here including some of the Japanese maples, trees, and entertaining area but will show restraint and show you this last picture of part of the entry garden. Hummingbirds were buzzing us everywhere and the rudbeckias simply stopped us in our tracks with all their color.
Do you remember when I started this post that this garden was the furthest away from Clarksville? Not only was it a good distance but in order to get to the home we had to travel down a one lane road through some of Tennessee's finest backwoods. It is here that you can truly get the feel for Tennessee and its citizens. This one lane road was filled with roadside gardens of the wild type that included such things as zinnias, ironweed and even the occasional happy cedar man we spotted on our way out. Isn't he great?
in the garden.....
Come back Monday and see the other five gardens we toured.
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden