Mark said he would build a "bridge" over my Carexes that edged the east end of the pond. That way he could move fill material into the empty pond without harming my big sweep of this fabulous ground cover. My notes suggest I only ever planted one Carex siderosticha 'Variegata' on Oct. 1, 1997. Since that was the end of our first summer of building the pond, I may have just bought one as an accent plant.
No matter how many plants I started with or how many times I've divided it, I never tire of this plant. I also never see it for sale anymore, so I did not want to take a chance on losing any.
I told Mark they would not survive four months under a wooden structure. So he dug out a big patch of them where his bridge was going to be. I was happy with his response, but it meant I unexpectedly had another planting project that had not been on my radar at all.
While I tried to keep my Carexes alive and find new homes for them, Mark added all our concrete debris from last year's deck re-do, along with big concrete blocks discarded by our neighbor.
He smashed some of the larger pieces up to make everything fit as solidly as possible into the deep center pond area.
He screwed a board at the end of his bridge to stop the wheelbarrow and hold it in place while he tipped it up and dumped debris.
The next layer was 4 tons of washed pea gravel which was delivered in mid-June. At this point Mark had been working on the big pond or the Upper Pool since the beginning of April.
The pea gravel layer is the base for the two finishing layers.
Mark or his very able assistant, Angelo, would bring a barrow load of gravel from the pile in the driveway into the back garden. Then they would empty it into another wheelbarrow down in the pond.
Mark's main job was to then spread the loads around the pond surface.
Though we had a very dry summer, we did get enough rain at times to let us see how water was being absorbed into the ground in this area.
Almost ready for the finishing layers of fill.
The next two pictures show what the edge of the pond looked like at this point. Most of the decorative stone from the edges has been put out of the way of the work.
You can clearly see where the original water level in the pond came to on this rock which was within the pond.
Mark carefully calculated the depth of each fill layer he was putting in the pond. That way the final layer would be at the level he wanted.
Meanwhile I found places for my many bins of Carex siderosticha 'Variegata'.
I had been planting the big slope above the pond since 2019 when I replaced weedy dying grass with a swath of Hakonechloa macra across the lower part of the hill. Though I planned to use Carex pennsylvanica to fill this area, I decided it would be a good spot to add my variegated Carex as well.
I put some of the Carex along the edge of the path between the two hills and then started filling in down the slope.
I decided the Carex would bring a little visual light to the area while it functioned as green mulch. I also added a couple of my boxwood seedlings that had attained a reasonable size.
This area is where we took out one of the Scots pines on the slope last summer. Sensitive ferns (Onoclea sensibility) had seeded themselves around its trunk. They are lovely when they first show up in spring but want more moisture than they are getting in this spot. Plus they disappear early, making a very visible brown spot.
I moved a lackluster shrub — Chamaecyparis obtuse 'Hibari' — into the center of the ferns. I am hoping it will get more light here and do better. I am going to move the Sensitive ferns to a new home come spring. This photo (below) is not in the correct order of the process but it shows the areas of Penn Sedge that I planted on the left and right sides of the slope this spring.
The area with the ferns etc. is above the newly planted Carex Pennsylvanica on the left. The variegated Carexes are in a big clump behind the trunk of the Scots pine on the left. The bright greens are Penn sedge higher on the hill and Japanese forest grass across the lower part of the slope.
Next up: The finishing layers
So impressive - all of it. Finding homes for plants, putting the piece of wood at the end of the bridge to stop the wheelbarrow, emptying from one barrow into another so the fill can be put where it needs to go - you two must be exhausted.
Posted by: Barbara H. | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 11:28 AM
BARBARA — I think we just feel satisfied that it looks good and now we only have to blow the leaves off.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 12:00 PM
I'd love to have a Carex that vigorous! Have you asked Mark which project he found the most difficult: creating the pond or dismantling it?
Posted by: Kris P | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 12:39 PM
Wow, you guys are amazing. That Carex is special, indeed. Can't wait to see the finished project!
Posted by: Beth@PlantPostings | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 09:03 PM
Whether constructing or destructing, Mark's work is meticulous. Watching the work progress is fascinating! Those variegated carex are beautiful. Even in the midst of a major overhaul, your garden is lovely.
Posted by: Elizabeth | Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 08:39 AM
KRIS P. — I had not asked Mark that question. He said it was not easy to answer. Building the pond was a huge, complex job that involved much of the back yard. It was scary in the sense that he hoped he knew what he was doing. The measurements — getting the water surface even — were critical to keeping it from overflowing toward the house in a storm. Just lots of details.
This time it was easy in the sense that all that engineering work had been done and would stay the same with or without water. But it was much more physically difficult taking out the liner and carpet than it was to put them in place.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 11:44 AM
I am curious if the final "pond" (not pond) will hold any water during your heavy rains?
Posted by: danger garden | Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 12:35 PM
LOREE — Since it is filled with permeable materials (soil, gravel) and the rubber liner and carpet were removed, water should just soak into the ground through all the layers. We've had some rain since we finished, but it's been mostly slow and gentle. The biggest one was only 1.5" in a day, so that really isn't a test. But at least it won't be raining on top of a 7,500 gal. pond filled with water.
Posted by: Linda Brazill | Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 05:07 PM