The document summarizes the creation of two ponds in a backyard garden. Digging the holes for the ponds was easy, but lifting and placing the stones around the edges was difficult. The author then shopped for shade-loving plants like ferns and hostas to surround the ponds. One pond will house frogs and have no pump, while the other pond will contain fish and have a pump and new additions like a seahorse statue and iron bench. The hard work resulted in a sanctuary garden with two ponds for birds, fish, frogs, and the author to enjoy away from distractions.

1. Welcome to my slide show

2. A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul . Karl Foerster

3. The making of two ponds May 2009

4. Surprisingly, digging the holes was the easy part. The hardest part was lifting the stones from the front yard down to the back.

5. I placed the stones around both pools. Some of the stones had to be chipped with a hammer to fit. Laying the stones on the ground is like trying to fit a puzzle together and I never was good at puzzles! 

7. Next I went shopping for plants. As my garden does not get much sun due to very tall cedar trees surrounding the lot, I settled for shade perennials such as ferns and hostas which thrive in the shade and damp. Also got a few water plants to submerge in the pond.

8. View from the second floor! The pond on the left is reserved for frogs. The one on the right will have some fish.

9. I placed a wrought iron bench so I can sit and admire my new garden, weather permitting. The bench looked good, so off to the garden store to get another bench.

10. Pond on the left will have a pump to aerate the water because this will be for goldfish. Pond on the right is the “still” pond. Frogs like the quiet

11. Found a really neat sea horse in the garden shop. A perfect addition to the fish pond. The water will continually be aerated by a pump which will send the water spouting through the sea horse. That should make the gold fish happy.

12. Frogs like quiet so no pumps, but this pond is missing something… …of course an angel to watch quietly over those frogs!

13. All the hard work was worth the effort. Now I have my own garden sanctuary, complete with two ponds… …that I can escape to--far from the madding crowd… …and hopefully birds, fish and frogs will find sanctuary here as well.