kaseylib
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 28 Dec 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 545
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:19 am Post subject: floating island |
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Awhile back I posted an inquiry about bog gardening and said that I planned to make a "floating island" for my pond that would house bog plants. Well, I ended up making one from a hollowed out piece of styrofoam and then wired sheet moss around the outside.
Today was "clean out the pond day" so I got my waders on and got up close and personal with the 10+ frogs that overwintered under the ice in my pond this year. I barely had the floating island in the pond (I wanted to see if it would float before I planted it up), and a frog took up residence on it. On these pictures, you'll also see my log fountain that's in the pond as well as one of the 12 goldfish that also survived another winter under the ice. There's also a glass float from the Bering Sea that my Alaskan friend sent me. Yeah, spring has finally sprung here in Wisconsin!
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Frank
Happy Gardening
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:48 am Post subject: |
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What a great idea Kasey, it'll be interesting to see how the plants perform on it. At the very least you have impressed the frog community.
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petunia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 12:58 am Post subject: |
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very nice Kasey. Looks like your floating bog works. How long have you had your fish. I have some almost that size. I probably won't clean out my pond just yet, I'm anticipating having baby frogs & baby fish, I hope.
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Droopy
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Location: Western Norway (Map)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:19 am Post subject: |
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The styrofoam box looks wonderful all wrapped up in moss like that. I can't blame the frog for liking it, I'd like to sit there and float too.  We've got glass floats around here too but they're getting more and more difficult to find these days.
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Biita
Arctic-ally Challenged Forager
Joined: 31 Oct 2007
Location: Norway (Map)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:25 am Post subject: |
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Wow, Kasey, your pond is so nice, now that the snow is gone,,lol. (i remember the pic that said there was a pond there) The floating island is a great idea, and looks to be with the frogs,, You might have to make smaller ones incase that one gets too crowded. Nice job!
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:43 am Post subject: |
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The styrofoam block was an inspired idea and it certainly looks as though your frogs approve of it Kasey.
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Wrennie
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 21 Nov 2007
Location: Catskill Mountains NY
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:45 am Post subject: |
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Makes me want a pond!
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5
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| Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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That looks fabulous Kaseylib!
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kaseylib
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 28 Dec 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 545
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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I've got my "floating island" planted up now with bog plants, including two different varieties of carnivorous pitcher plants. They really attract the bugs, and one of my resident frogs seems to like being the center of attention here. Yeah for spring!!!
 [/img]
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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What a fantastic island you came up with, very creative. Your froggy friends obviously love it.
Besides the bug eater plants, what are the others that you planted?
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EJ
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tschnath
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 06 Mar 2008
Location: Southern Maine (zone 5)
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| Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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It's really a great pond Kasey. I long to have a pond someday, but it'd have to be a small one and right now it's just not in the budget. I'll enjoy yours for now. Keep the pics coming. Thanks for sharing.
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petunia
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Location: northern michigan
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 12:13 am Post subject: |
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Looking good Kasey. Your pond looks great. How many frogs have taken up residence in your pond?
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Sjoerd
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kaseylib
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 28 Dec 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 545
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| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 12:50 am Post subject: |
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Toni...the taller plant is called a dwarf papyrus, and the low growing wispy grass is commonly called fiber optic grass. Both of them like it wet, so I hope they hold up to the frog traffic. I've never had pitcher plants, or any carnivorous plants for that matter...but it's really interesting to see how successful they are at attracting small bugs. I think I'm going to have some pretty fat frogs this season.
Petunia...I've had about 10 frogs overwinter in my pond, as well as 12 goldfish. My pond is small, but in scale with the rest of my garden. I just love all the activity that a pond provides, always something to watch.
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