See the previous water garden page (FishPond) for more information.
Creating the new Water Garden created by Larix landscaping.See for the list page for the new pond and surrounds by LARIX; and the for the photo album for the LARIX landscaping pond rebuild; also see the list page of my reno of the drystream, etc. and the the photo album of the renos to the drystream, the viewing platform and everything under the deck. The above pages are incorporated in this Create2 page mentioned above.
In early December 2024 my pond sprang a leak. Later in December the pond level went even lower and I lost the fish that I had saved out of the pond. I revised my contract with Larix Landscaping and they are to be here January 6, 2025 to begin the rebuild of the pond, pond surrounds, and the waterfall. On March 3, I finished paying Larix $11,618.56 to complete the project. The pond is about 3 feet deep, and there is an artistic waterfall that is about 3 feet high. The mermaid sits in the waterfall. The blue tubs have been raised a bit by adding pavers beneath them, and the shallow water plant pots sit on top of the blue tubs. There is a lot of masonary around the pond that has replaced all of the pond surround plants except the Lebanon cedar and the round mounding cedar, both of which I keep clipped. All of the plants that were surrounding what is now the masonary of the new pond survive. As at June 1, 2025 the pond is holding water up to its usual level (just about an inch or 2 up on the black rock beneath the mermaid, and covering the mermaids spill rock.)
The Pond Boss Spillway: Dimensions: 14.5 in. x 10.5 in. x 6 in. (L x W x H) with 8 in. spillway opening. Fits 3/4 and 1 in. ID tubing, that I found on ebay. Cost $58.80 USD - approximately $75.13 CAD that I installed in the old water garden in 2021, sits on top of the artistic waterfall, covered with the blue slate and other rocks from the old waterfall.
The new pump is an aquascape ultra 1500 water pump with filter and a 25 foot electrical cord. It is said to pump 1,500 gph. The 3 way valve system is not attached to the pump. On the old pump I had attached a 2 way valve system, where I was able to empty the pond for cleaning, on the spare valve attached to a short hose. The 3 way valve system is still in the box in case the pond is in need of such maintenance.
The electrical cord is now covered with some flexible pvc 1.5 diameter and runs to a dri-box attaching it to its extension cord. The protected cord is hidden under the landscaping where it goes down from the masonary (covered with rocks) and under the drystream, and comes out the other side of the drysteam under the mossy log and continues on over to the dri-box. I purchased the dri-box at Lee Valley for $45.50. The pvc flexible tube was 20 ft. long with 1.5 inch diameter. I only needed 14 ft to cover the electrical cord. I got it from Rona for apx. $21.00 tax included. Water Gun with Brass Nozzle $22.90 along with the dri-box plus tax of $8.21 bringing the total to $76.61. I finally got the garden hoses sorted out and repaired with some help from Pat. Besides that new nozzle, we had to repair the hose end and get the new brass splitter as they somehow managed to destroy that, too. Cost for the hose repairs: Canadian Tire: 5/8 in. hose end & washers $14.54 plus tax, and the new brass splitter also at Canadian Tire for $16.79 plus tax (apx. $18.00). So, the hose repairs would cost about $60. The old nozzle on the hose that goes to the pond they had taped up with duct tape. I might repair it or tape it again.Pat was to Canadian Tire today and got another hose end to fix the pond hose. Another $7.00. These costs do not include the electric cord covering from the old pump which they trashed. Also trashed a fish cave I had in the old pond made out of plastic pipe with a diameter of about 6 inches and maybe a foot long. I haven't found anything as yet to replace the fish caves. I have a plan to make 2 fish caves out of plant pots. I think it will work.
As at June 9 I am in the process of reconstructing the dry stream. I have scraped up about a half a pail full of the old stones, put all this stuff through my new sieve, emptied the gritty dirt onto the sides of the drystream, then washed the stones. I have the drystream lined with large round rocks up to about the lantern, and have put down a layer of old pond liner between the stone 'banks' of the dry stream. I added the washed stone on top of liner, along with a few bigger stones into the stream. I have added pea gravel over top of this layer. I am adding clay along the outer side of the stones of the 'banks'. I hope the moss can get re-established along the banks on both sides of the dry stream. I have added navvy jack to the under liner of old pond pvc and its covering of scraped off stones up to and past the lantern where the dry stream makes curve along the edge of the deck. This part of the drystream also covers the protected electrical cord that comes out under a mossy log that now forms the 'bank' on one side of the dry stream. The other side of the 'bank' is round stones up to the deck post and there after continues as just a mossy bank, to the other entry to under the deck. The drystream takes another curve around the little shrub, and goes back to where the dri-box sits near the wall of the house. As of June 9th the dry stream just needs to be finished off with more navvy jack, and finished the top layer with pea gravel.
I have a good start on the steps down to the sitting area under the deck. I am using the pavers that were around the old pond to make the new viewing platform and the steps. The viewing platform is actually the first step down, and then we still need to duck our heads to go under the deck to the next step down.
As at June 26, 2025 I have the path that goes to the seating area under the deck finished except for a few finishing touchs. I used up all the left over pavers, a few grey bricks and a few of the stones and bigger rocks that were left over from Larix's rebuild of the pond and the waterfall.
As at June 26, 2025, I also have the drystream almost finished. I have scraped the pea gravel out of the old dry stream, seived and washed them, put down a layer of old pond liner with the rocks on top. Then lined the 'banks' of the drystream with larger rocks, filled the edges of the 'banks' with clay from under the deck. I hope to get the banks to grow moss on the clay. In the stream I have the washed pea gravel and lots to smaller rocks. Where the pond takes a turn and goes along the edge of the deck, I have a liner put down most of the way, and have added navvy jack on top of the old pea gravel. From the Japanese lantern over to the entry to the deck, one side of the river bank is mossy old 'logs' and the other bank is moss that comes right down to the 'water' (being navvy jack and some small stones.) Where the drystream meets the entry of stepping stones, it takes another curve and continues on past the little variegated shrub and gets lost in the ferns. This end of the drystream should act as another entry to the seating area under the deck. I find that where I have added navvy jack the stream seems to have formed a slightly solid surface with the rocks showing through it, without adding any portland cement to it. The only cost is the navvy jack, purchased some time ago. So, any final touches and all the weeding is to be done, while the moss, ferns and any other plants revive and thrive. I am quite happy with the results of my hours of work.
As at September 10, 2025, I have cleaned up the area of the drystream under the deck, after the handyman fixed the stairs. I have one more fern to move to complete the drystream that has become the path to the sitting area. The other entry from the viewing platform is completed. There is cedar debris to remove from under the cedar hedge and clean up all the dried material. I will be moveing the chair from the cutting garden to the sitting area.
In August of 2025 I added 2 filters, with pea gravel above and below the filters, all wrapped in the old laundry bag material, to the spillway. It does not seem to be clearing up the murky water.

See The fish pond page for more information about the fish, predators, and additions or loses of Plants and Fish in the new water garden. This will be the daily addition of Fish to the new Pond and deck tub. As at June 5, 2025 I no longer have any fish, at all.

On June 14, 2025 as I sat on the deck, I saw a blue heron fly quite low over the pond. Checking for the lunch, I suppose. I haven't been to Pet Smart to get the fish yet. This is where I start to add the new Fish.

On June 24, 2025 I got 10 comets (large size) from Petsmart at 2401 Millstream Road, Phone: 250 - 391 9212 for $11.09. These fish seem to range in size and color from tiny, small, medium to large. There are all gold ones (mostly the tiny ones) partial gold and black (seem to be the medium size) and all black ones (seem to be large size). I have 2 of them in the tub - a tiny gold and a partial gold and black. When I put them in the pond they seemed to be quite active. Ran the water fall until about 9:00 at night. In the morning when I tried to feed them there were no fish to be seen in the pond or the tub. Turned the waterfall on at about 9:00 am and saw a tiny gold one on top of the pond. Not sure about the black ones.
On June 26, 2025, after turning on the waterfall and feeding the fish, I found the little gold fish floating on the top, dead. The other bigger one dived for the bottom. I have no idea what killed the little gold one. The squirell is digging holes in the other deck plant pots. But I have no idea why it would kill the gold fish. Must be that 2 footed predator again. At 7:50 p.m. on June 29, 2025 I found the other fish in the tub floating on the surface. There seems to be an oily spot on the surface. I have the screen over the tub to keep the debris from my cutting the hedge out of the tub. Very weird. So, I will need to get another fish or 2 for the tub.
On September 9, 2025 the female fish got caught on top of the iris which were above the water level and died. I seldom get glimpses of any of the black fish as the water is still murky.

The Japanese/Moss Garden

I have attempted to create a tiny Japanese style garden around the pond. I have extended this look to the include the drystream, the viewing platform and steps under the deck that lead to the sitting space under the deck.

See the previous water garden page (FishPond) for more information.
From late December 2024 to March 2025 Larix Landscaping rebuilt my water garden. See the plants in the pond before the reconstruction by Larix Landscaping. And the photo album of plants in pond at that time. See the list page for plants in the Moss/Japanese garden room. This garden room is next to the dry stream and the masonary that is the entry to the cutting garden room and then into the water garden room. See the for the photo album of the Moss/Japanese garden room. Some of these plants suffered from trampling by the Larix people while rebuilding the masonary surrounding the pond. I have reconstructed this area along the dry stream, and the entry to the water garden; and including the viewing platform and steps to the seating area under the deck. See Water gardening list page for my renovation of the viewing platform, the drystream, etc. (note: I had Larix Landscaping rebuild the waterfall, pond and surrounds after the pond sprang a leak in November and December of 2024. So the surrounding area needed renovation.) And see the photo album for my renovations to viewing platform, drystream and surrounding area of the new water garden. See the Photo albumfor the plants surrounding the old water garden. See the Plants list page for the plants surrounding the pond and now covered by the masonary. Most of the plants around the outer edges of the new pond survive; being the the bay laural tree, the little boxwood hedge backed by the yew hedge, the cedars along the new entry to the cutting garden and the cedars along the property line behind the water fall. Also the clematis, by the viewing platform, the Lebanon cedar and the little mounding cedar by the dry stream survive. The willows were moved to the woodland area. The little lily in the deck tub is surviving after a recent upset of the whole plant in the tub. I no longer have irises in the deck tub. I find that the Wulfenie (not listed on the old page) and the plant I called an arabis is actually a saxifragia called London Pride. So most of the plants actually survive. I have lost some dutch irises, a brown grass, lots of blue eyed grass, a few others that I have already forgotten. There will be a few new plants replaced along the side of the masonary from the entry to the cutting garden to the edge of the drystream to under the deck. These plants will be noted as they begin to be added.
My reconstruction of the dry stream, and the viewing platform with steps down to the sitting area beneath the deck: On the west side of the pond I have a 'dry stream' that starts in a tiny pond of pea gravel and runs back under the deck. There is a lovely, big mossy rock at the beginning of the dry stream. The lantern sits in the tiny dry pond surrounded by the edging rocks of the dry stream (the banks of the river). The Japanese lantern is backed by ferns, pink lily of the valley, astilbes, and a Japanese aralia under the deck. Between the viewing platform and the dry stream there is another lovely mossy rock, and primulas with another row of rocks covering the protected electrical cord leading to the dri-box next to the house. I hope to get moss growing on all these edging rocks (banks) of the dry stream. The protected electrical cord goes under the dry stream by the lantern and out of there under the mossy logs forming the 'bank' under the deck. At the Japanese lantern the dry stream takes a curve and continues just beneath the edge of the deck. The banks on the side under the deck is made up of mossy logs that are backed by ferns, and other shade garden plants. The plant with the white blossoms (Polygonatum) hangs its racemes over the dry stream from the other side of the mossy log. The other side of the drystream is a lovely mossy bank. This part of the dry stream continues on under the deck to where it meets the other entry to under the deck, made with field stones, where it takes another curve and ends at the dri-box next to the side of the house. Hopefully, there will be seating area under the deck adjoining the end of the drystream.
The edge of the masonary around the new pond borders on the side of the moss/Japanese garden area. (photo album). Also see the list page of the moss/Japanese garden room. Some of the plants along the edge of the masonary were trampled by the Larix guys when building the new pond and waterfall. A lily of the valley shrub, a small cut leaf, red Japanese maple, false bamboo, mountain laural (Kalmia latifolia), a mugo pine that remains small that I prune to shape it, a maiden hair fern, a pink hepatica, snow drops in the spring, and far too many violets, are reviving along this masonary and the new dry stream. I have a row of rocks that are next to the masonary and meet the beginning of the dry stream. I am trying to establish marsh marigolds right next to the big mossy rock in the drystream. In this little space next to the masonary, I have planted an aubretia, a creeping phlox, an oxalis (silver shamrock) and a green bells of Ireland. As mentioned, next to the viewing platform, I have another fine, mossy rock with an agressive primula next to it. I have another row of rocks covering the protected electrical cord. Between the clay rocky, hopefully mossy, 'bank' of the drystream and this little rocky covering, I have planted the new maidenhair spleenwort. It looks a lot like the maiden hair fern that grows across the drystream from it. I let the Welsh poppies self seed where ever they can in the moss for a fine splash of gold. The sweet woodruff (galium odoratum) is starting to grow in the deep shade, carpeting any open areas in green with white blossoms. I have 2 water hyacinths in the pond, 3 pots of water irises, the purple one is in bloom now, in two of the pots. There are buds on another one, that I think might be the white one. There is a pot of marsh marigolds that bloomed earlier this year. The water hawthorn grows out of 2 of the blue pots and seems to bloom constantly. It is slowly getting larger leaves and blossoms. I transplanted a verbena bodenaires next to waterfall and by the entry to the cutting garden. In tub on the deck I no longer have water irises. The little yellow water lily that was dumped out of its pot, with the leaves cut off, is now regrowing its leaves.

In August of 2025 Davey Tree people pruned the hedge down to under the eaves, with a higher area to the Pees side of the hedge. They also did other work around the garden.