7.0 Upper Pond as a whole
Unfortunately, many of the bushes are Bush Honeysuckle, multiflora rose and winter creeper, the three primary opportunistic invaders in this area.
One major change is that since about 2010, the pond never dries up completely any more. Used to turn to cracked dirt in the middle of the dry hot August/September, but the tree growth has kept the water in the area.
This is the maximum height of the water level, drainage is off to the right. Note the dark green bush honeysuckle that needs to be replaced with less aggressive species.
Several open areas and a path around the pond form outdoor studios.
I planted rose mallow on upper pond, two on east side, 6 on south side (not all marked with orange marker tape). water grasses coming up.
Those bushes turning green already in April are bush honeysuckle, a definate pest in terms of understory food forest. They shade out native species. I plan to replace with mostly native or at least non-aggressive bushes.
Aquatic visitors checking out the pond after a snow in late March.
10 days after a 4 inch snowfall
Once the sun comes out, the snow melts and the pond clears, to this muddy brown color. But if you stand close to this edge of the pond and the sky is clear blue, the pond will appear a very nice blue color to your camera's sensor, though not to your eyes.
I don't know if a nude deer model is cheaper than a human model or not. For one thing, the deer models eat the young pine trees. For another thing, they are very difficult to book for a shoot. And then rarely co-operative.
Pond surface is slush at this point and yet also completely clear.
Note the deer rubbed pine on the left.
The Upper Pond at Mt. Pleasant after a 5 inch or so snowfall. I suspect the drawing on the pond was made by wood ducks swimming in it when it was between slush and frozen.
Dusting of snow and deep cold.
pond project: dreary day in "normal" light.
It does look dreary, it was dreary, but also somehow both bracing and peaceful.
Most of the canopy trees on the north and northwest sides of the pond are tall spindly black locust. They break off in wind storms, and apparently don't live all that long.
The upper pond tucks itself in for winter by recieving a blanket of leaf and bald cypress needles. The nice green bushes are actually a nasty invading bush, a honeysuckle from North East Asia that shades out most native species, elminating them underneath their spread.
The upper pond tucks itself in for winter by recieving a blanket of leaf and bald cypress needles. The nice green bushes are actually a nasty invading bush, a honeysuckle from North East Asia that shades out most native species, elminating them underneath their spread.
midsummer growth spurt going on around the pond edges.
In the early spring, the naked trees show last winter's damage, making the scene kind of desolate.
The locusts are particularly tall and skinny and often have largish branches blown off their tops. Sometimes the whole tree comes down. I think this area needs sturdier trees for the canopy.
I've heard the term duckweed, but other than that I don't know what grows in a typical ozark pond, shallow pond that used to dry out in the summers but no longer does now that there are more trees around it.
Not much green in february, even though it's ofen well above freezing. But does drop below zero some years.
At this point the sycamore stands alone, with no companions except grass. The willow also stands alone, though a bunch of saplings are coming up in the unmowed area that will prove to be persimmons, walnuts and oaks.
