The Happy Ducks are getting a pond and they are thrilled. This post and the other three in the series are brought to you by smartpond®
I wrote last month that we would be adding a duck pond to the Farm thanks to smartpond®. We had to wait until the weather was ready and more importantly until I was back from my vacation to visit my family in New Jersey. I am pleased to tell you that we have begun!
Like any good DIY project it starts with the first step. When it comes to adding a pond that first step is digging a hole. It doesn’t get any simpler than that, does it?
The hubby did check the boxes we had received from smartpond. They contained the pond liner, pump, waterfall, filter and other items we would need to complete the pond installation. He wanted to make sure he knew how big a hole to dig.
A very important piece of information!
He read the directions on the pump, he took some measurements and he was ready to go. He went off to get a shovel and his wheelbarrow.
It was a bit warm today but he was game to get going on installing the duck pond. We both know that the ducks are going to enjoy their new water feature. They are the most water obsessed creatures I have ever seen. They charge out of their house in the morning and waddle at high speed to get to their kiddie pool.
The pond is going to be a lovely addition to the Farm as well. Bees need a water source and we are trying to attract more bees. The pond is close to the garden so we have our fingers crossed that the honey bees will find it attractive.
The pond will have a waterfall as I briefly noted above and I love the sound of running water. I find it so calming. The pond is located so that we’ll be able to hear it from the bedroom window if it’s open.
The hubby got to work and started digging. Truth be told, there is nothing much exciting about digging a hole. It doesn’t take a special skill – it was more about getting it to be deep enough and the shape we wanted. The dirt that he pulled from the ground went to fill holes in other areas of the goat pen. The chickens are real diggers. It’s a shame I couldn’t have hired them to dig this hole!
He had a LOT of supervision. The goats were not at all sure what was going on. They just knew that there was all this activity in their pen. They stayed at a bit of a distance but kept their eyes on the proceeds. The chickens were thrilled because the digging unearthed a fair number of worms so it was buffet time for them.
The Happy Ducks were also quite interested in the happenings. I know they are going to like having a pond in which they can actually swim. Their current kiddie pool is only 6″ deep. The new pond will be about a foot and a half deep. It’s also big enough for all four of them at the same time so that should be fun too.
This public service announcement is brought to you by smartpond:
If you are considering installing a pond as part of your landscape plan I remind you to stay hydrated as you dig the hole. Especially if you are working in warmer weather.
Rest periods are a smart idea too. You don’t want to overheat yourself.
It didn’t take the hubby too long to dig the hole. We are going shopping later this week to pick up some goat snax pretty plants to put around the one side by the waterfall. It will also have a stone border all around that will work as a webbed foot scrubber to keep some of the mud and muck out of the water.
When he was finished the Happy Ducks came by for an inspection. By all accounts they gave it 8 webbed feet up! I suspect that once it gets finished they will be splashin’ and playing as soon as the water is in.
I will have two more posts in this adding a pond series so stay tuned! One will have a video of the finished pond with the Happy Ducks swimming in their new pool.
Please go to smartpond‘s website to find ideas for layouts, to ask questions and find cute DIY projects. You will find a pond calculator to make adding that pond easier.
smartpond products are conveniently found at Lowes
