May 1 - john just saw on the news this morning that April set a record for the driest April in recorded history in the Kansas City area. There was only 0.65 inches of rain in April. If zenpond is to keep May flowers, nature may need some watering help.

Everything is growing well so far. The creeping phlox was quite a show in April. The delicate green fern-leaf Japanese Maple is doing well as is the red fern-leaf Japanese Maple in the front yard water garden. The beautiful grafted miniature weeping willow is the main attraction as you walk down the deck walkway to the octagon deck. It is still young enough to look like an exploding nova, with whitish green limbs shooting out in all directions. Later this year those limbs should grow heavy enough to fall earthward towards the edge of zenpond.

john recognizes the main sign of spring. It is joyce dragging him off to all the nurseries to buy annuals for the many large flower pots joyce plants each year (joyce doesn't really have to do much dragging. In fact, it is joyce that prevents john from overspending at the nurseries.)

On another page, john linked to heron_solution. john has since learned there is NO! solution to the great blue heron which often visits zenpond. Once again, the phase: "build it and they will come" is true and includes great blue herons too. john has quit looking at the blue heron as a problem. zenpond has at least 300 koi in it and john feels like the blue heron is not reducing their count, as young koi are seen all the time. It may slow down the time joyce and john see the really large koi again (they lost three 2 feet long golden koi about two years ago due to a quick freeze).

This last weekend john and his helper, Eddie, built two terraces with rock walls to the left side of the large waterfall and planted creeping phlox, silver mound and hostas there. john is anxious to get back to finishing the pump house, which will be covered by wisteria vines.

john promises some new pictures in a day or two.

Happy Spring to you and your family! Make sure to take the time to really be quiet, open your senses and see/hear/feel/taste/touch/sense "for the first time" the beauty and life that is trying to communicate with you!

May 17 - Here are some of the new zenpond pictures john promised:

		The deck looks like it is floating!
john and joyce had a Mother's Day gift from Mrs. Mallard Duck. john has since made a mulch nest and picked the egg up with gloves on and relocated it to the new nest.
		Shasta Daisies behind the small waterfall.
Here's an example of really being able to see the beauty in nature!
		Orange lilies in the P.J. Memorial Garden.
A starbust of a Weeping Willow!
		Gerber Daisies on the deck.
More gerbers in the fern and hosta patch.

May 24 - john has been designing a website for Greater Kansas City People to People, for which he and joyce have great respect.

 

 

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