Bonkersbon's Blog
23 Apr, 2008
8 comments
Wildlife pond update an idiots guide as made by one!PART 1
This to be subtitled how NOT to do it.Whats the old saying ? Remember the 6Ps – Perfect Planning Prevents P* Poor Performance.Well I read the books dug my hole and got my shelves level . The books assume you’re going to be working on a level site. Well I knew I had to dig one end deeper than other but not by just how much!
Rule 1 – never mind shelves check your site is not sloping before marking out.
Rule 2 – If digging a hole thats likely to be able to accomodate your house hire a mini digger.Use a couple of wheelbarrows as one scoop will fill it – if you hire the man with the machine go into some serious training first as you’ll be expected to sprint with those barrows.
Rule 3 – Delivery of sand etc make sure you have somewhere to put it delivery vehicles are huge the guy in the store will tell you the drivers could put it through your letter box and not spill any.Oh and its builders soft sand not sharp sand – if it looks like it came off a beach avoid it.
Rule 4 – Order your pond liner butyl the best but in any larger size weighs a lot there are lots of calculations on offer as to how to estimate the size youll need.Easiest is use a flexible roll tape measure from a metre outside your pond both length and width .
Its quite amazing how much shelving adds to overall depth so contour tape along shelves as you measure.More to follow…
Comments
26 Apr, 2008
oh you are definitely building a pond...the level of frustration is the best symptom! lol. Sorry to laugh but I laugh out of sympathy having been where you are...I have grandiose ideas about a wildlife pond...but the realities keep altering features until you don't recognize it as what you were aspiring to...lol. my next step in my project is to add more butyl liner to the right side and put in a shallows... sand, pebbles and plants... at least that's the plan today.!...lol.
26 Apr, 2008
Cant say I laugh at the time Lori but up dating blogs and reading them back helps me see the funny side.If I ever see the word 'simply' in instructions I break out in a cold sweat. You know simply do this simply join piece a to b ..the simpler it is the more complex I seem to make it.The great thing is the wildlife seem perfectly happy however it turns out birds queueing up to drink from liner that I havent trimmed yet.Ducks mating in one end of pool while I try and sort out other end. Sorry was that a little too much information.
26 Apr, 2008
Lovely....hahaha...thanks for the laugh. Like you, I have found that if there is a way to complicate something I generally fall into it. (literally and figuratively)
I have barely started the shallows and already every sparrow for a hundred miles radius knows "surf's up!" at Lori's pond.
Sounds to me like your wildlife population has been waiting for you to start this for a long time and can't wait to enjoy the fruits of your labours... go for it...what was that line from Field of Dreams...."If you build it...he (.they) will come!"
Keep the faith!
27 Apr, 2008
Oh right yes baseball film Kevin Costner ? very apt .Thanks for sharing Ontario a big Province(not a state as know thats US) what location ? If still speaking after the Canadian approach comment!
27 Apr, 2008
Oh for Heaven's Sake....lol.hope you saw my post about that...I'm laughin...all is cool. eastern Ontario about 90km.s south of Ottawa and the same west of Montreal..
on the St. Lawrence Seaway small city called Cornwall. just below the 45th parallel...half way between the equator and the north pole..lol.
27 Apr, 2008
Halfway between Equator and north pole fantastic! So palms in your front garden ,alpines in the back . Sorry only got as far as Toronto yeah I know - probably missed the best bits but I was a tourist.You have a beautiful country a log cabin in the woods my idea of heaven!
28 Apr, 2008
We Canadians are defined by our weather...
It's not an easy environment to live green in... we need central heating in our winters...and it gets hot enough in our summers that air conditioning is necessary in our cities. Toronto (once called Muddy York) has become such a metropolis that braving the McDonald-Cartier Freeway is your rite of passage to see the place! Not too many log cabins thereabout. need to go 200 miles north of T-O, to cottage country. I live a long 5 hour drive by freeway from Toronto...Yes Ontario is HUGE.
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Joined 23 Dec, 2007
Buzzbee
24 Apr, 2008
Brilliant bonkersbon - especially the builder's delivery promises.