The Leather Oaks Garden -- Spring 2008

Turtle-Friendly Remake of the Schematic Stream!

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This Page Created on March 20th, 2009
The Schematic Stream at its second remake      Well, it was a great idea, and yet it wasn't good enough. Time was short when I rebuilt the Schematic Stream, and it never did get the proper treatment with plants, both border and aquatic. Thinking to shortcut the process, I stuck a few strands of Trailing Daisies out there. At least, I figured that would slow down the erosion.
     Bad Idea! Very BAD IDEA ! ! This is what it looked like a few months later. No wonder I didn't want to look as I walked past! Trailing Daisies take over the Schematic Stream!
Schematic Stream Third Remake      Remember that old expression, there's always time to do something over? It applies even to a second and third time, I can assure you!

The incident with my Box Turtle friend was enough to put the Schematic Stream rebuild to nearly the top priority wise. Early in March, all but the Kidney-shaped base pond, and the first cascade were removed. Since several reasonably sized fish live in the bottom pond, we left the water running on those two segments.

In this photo, the next two or three sections are placed in their approximate positions. The soil was dug out to get each segment as close to the earth as possible. When necessary, notches were cut in the plastic flanges to allow the pondlets to seat really closely with each other.
     This photo makes things a good bit clearer. Taken from the North, the two new sections can be seen fitting very closely to their already filled brethren. Once they have been weighted in place, they should be level. Next two Sections in place
It's Finished?       Well, there you have it folks, looks like all nine segments are in place. Oh, yeah, we do still have a little bit of work to do, I guess!
      The third and fourth segments have been weighted into place with scraps of pavers, and the water inlet moved up one segment. It's doing okay so far. . . . Third Segment Filled, Fourth in Place
Fourth Segment filling, Fifth in Place      A view from the North again, and the fourth segment is now flowing. We've got the fifth segment about ready, it appears.
     That fifth segment is very close to the Chinese Bamboo border. That's probably why I decided to go ahead and set the sixth segment now. I know it appears that segment six is lower than five, but the water will know which way to go, trust me! Fifth Segment Weighted, Sixth Positioned
Segments One through Six Flowing!      This is looking more like! If one looks carefully, you can see the three remaining sections. There's two more of the three-basin cascades, and that big tub. Remember it from Skeletal Stream One, how it was perched way above ground?

There's a link on the photo at left which will take you to the next exciting installment of the Schematic Stream Story!