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Garden journal entry

 

March 21, 2010. Today was even warmer than yesterday (our outdoor thermometer broke, so I don't know just how warm; it certainly felt like summer). With water temperatures on the rise, and decay processes about to kick into high gear, it was time to take pre-emptive measures to improve water quality in our swimming pond. The first stage, shown in the picture here, was to chop all of last year's growth down in the bog filter. Doing so removes all nutrients stored in the plant remains from the pond's chemical balance, and makes room for new growth, to take up a fresh load of nutrients from the circulating water. I'm pleased to report that a few frogs were already out enjoying spring (although they didn't much enjoy my intervention into their habitat).

While stage one was completed using the brand new rubber boots my parents gave me for Christmas, stage two involved my T-shirt and shorts as protective gear, and a good deal more trepidation: my outfit served as a make-shift wet-suit, to keep me at least somewhat warm in the still chilly water, as I retrieved scoop after scoop of algae and decaying plant matter from the bottom of the main pond. About a half hour was as much as I could take (a hot shower felt nice, but didn't stop the shivers). So there's plenty more work ahead of me, as I barely scratched the surface of the algae layer.


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Last modified: September 09, 2009
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