Box Turtle Enclosure: Progression Thread

[Nanci]

I have plants! On the way to get my nails done, I stopped in at a garden center that has a little pond section, and found two really nice waterlillies and some parrot feather.

 

[Nanci]

Really, this flower is purpley blue. The other one is pink, and a night bloomer.

 

[Mrs InsaneOne]

Beautiful flower... love the color on some of the water lilies, but that one is outstanding. Makes me embarrassed about out horse trough pond with the goldies out back...

Will you be adding anymore plants or are you going to focus on the mini-deck now?

 

[tricksterpup]

Looks very Nice Nanci.. I am very happy to see the finished setup.

So what kind of fish are you planning now?

 

[Nanci]

I'm pretty sure I want to go with pygmy sunfish. Maybe Florida Flagfish? I think two waterlillies is about all it can hold. I would like some smaller floating flowery things. And I saw this stuff- some sort of floating fern thing, that was cute. Sort of like duckweed, but golden reddish and frilly and a little bigger. And I need a bunch of underwater plants to suck up nutrients. And maybe a lotus! Anyway, it needs to sit for a week or so before I can put any fish in. It _would_ be cool to have fish that liked me (or used me for food!) so I may buy a couple goldfish. I like the killies, but they are like Tanganyikan cichlids, always hiding in their caves.

I have the pergola all plotted out. I think I am going to use four 12' 4x4's for the posts, sunk three feet into the ground. I hope to build the two ends, stand them up in the ground, and then be able to put the beams on from there. It will be hard with one person.

I like how it turned out, but it's so exposed. I like being hidden away. I have to fix that.

 

[tricksterpup]

That is cool, i wish you the best of luck. I just hope the pond above ground doesn't get to hot for gold fish though. I have had whiskey barrels cook my gold fish during the summers up here. That is why I typically go with guppies in mid summer.

Heck with all this water around you might be able to introduce some tree frogs in you area. Wouldn't that be cool to get them to breed and lay eggs in your ponds.

 

[Nanci]

I've got about eight inches below ground. You know, even that shallow one in the boxie pen has been staying ok, and we've been having 90F weather. Of course, it has the nearly two feet underground reservoir...I'm hoping with tons of plants (in the water) for shade, and whatever structure I build to the west, it should stay cool enough at least for Florida natives.

The store I got the lillies at had tons of tadpoles- I bet I could buy a cup full.

 

[Dachirsuhaco]

It looks great, Nanci! When I got my pond plants, they were covered in toad eggs, I didnt have to buy any tadpoles! Unfortunately, my fish ate them all.

 

[Nanci]

I had to buy another waterlily today. You know what's weird, they come with people names. The purple one that I took a picture of is Tina. The pink one from yesterday is Mrs. George C. Hitchcock. The new pink and yellow one from today is Albert Greenburg. I think that's kind of cool- now I have something to call them! Last night, I was out sitting on my deck and saw Tina go from wide open bloom to closed up asleep for the night. She was still asleep when I left for the serpentarium this morning, but blooming when I got home! Albert has a whole bunch of buds- I hope he blooms soon.

 

[SnakesRule1234]

Oh, lovely... You did a good job, it all looks really pretty..

 

[ArpeggioAngel]

I missed the most recent posts the last few days...
All I have to say Nanci is you have to be one of the most amazing people I know. I am seriously happy to call you my friend!

 

[Nanci]

Thanks Katie! I bet you're glad you're out of my reach for asking for help, though!

So I go barefoot all the time. Lately, my feet started looking like I've been living outdoors, shoeless. I needed to cover up the dirt path out to my patio.

Before:

 

[Nanci]

Went shopping:

 

[Nanci]

After: Yeah, I know it's not done, but it's laid out, at least. About a third of them are set. I can't bust sod anymore- I've been out there three hours, and it's 91F! Maybe later this afternoon.

 

[Nanci]

Another view: And yes, although not as technical, building a patio is MUCH harder than building a deck!! I think the space in front of Terra Pen will be deck, not patio.

 

[Nanci]

Albert bloomed today!

 

[Nanci]

And Tina now has two blooms. And I saw a little skink-like stripey lizard disappear under the deck!

 

[Nanci]

At least it cooled off to 68F after the thunderstorm from hell, so I got most of the patio set in.

 

[Snake Dave]

So, so cool. You're crazy, but in an amazing way! You remind me of those crazy scientists that set out to do one thing, complete it, but branch off and do loads of other experiments as well, LOL.

It looks fantastic Nanci, you're a credit to the state of Florida with a garden like that!

 

[Mrs InsaneOne]

I turned to look at time and told him I was envious of your set up out there with the two pens and the water garden, complete with deck and patio... and do you know what Tim said in return?? He told me to shut up. =(

*sigh* I guess he doesn't to have to do all that work if I get it in my head to have a nice patio and deck in our back yard one day... when we actually have a back yard. lol