Pure Parents

Question:

Of course, nothing beats close supervision, but there are alarms that respond to someone falling into the water. A motion sensor might do as well. But remember, children have been known to drown in 5 gallon buckets and bathtubs. It is not something we should take lightly. If it is a question of aesthetics vs. safety, I’d go with the safety every time. Jeff — http://www.net-gate.com/~jeff1908/pond.htm  Paul Evad wrote in article … – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a >stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to >put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month >old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). >Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very >gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would >really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. >I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? >= paul >www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 >->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– >FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ >BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ >Have you entered our contest yet? >http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

Response:

Hi there, you can also teach small kids to swim.  They learn fast and it may save their lives. — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now).

Response:

When my son was real small I lived on Long Island.  The best thing to do besides watching your children is to teach them to SWIM very early in life.  I took my son to an inlet and off we went!! In a week or so he was drownproof (or more drownproof then he had been).  My Dad taught me to swim as a small kid too.  It saved my life I am sure as I fell off a dock one time, I fell off a bankment into a river and I was in a boat that overturned and sank off the North end of the Island.  We all swam perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 a mile to reach the shore (very frightening).  Teach your kids to swim – you’ll never regret it!     — > … > A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be > unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to

put> a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the> pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no

Response:

> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now).

Sorry to be so negative, but a little kid recently died, as someone on this group reported, from drowning in a small backyard pond.  You can’t be too careful.  Ponds are magnets for kids.  Things happen so fast. — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? > = paul > www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 > ->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– > FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ > BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ > Have you entered our contest yet? > http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

You can put a grate over your pond — they make plastic grates that would hold the weight of a small child and still allow you to have your pond.  If it were set underwater on a small lip incorporated into the edge of your pond, it wouldn’t even be visible.  You could avoid the fence and still maintain a safe yard for your child. Roxanne Daydreamer Perennial Gardens http://www.daydreamergardens.com

Response:

… > Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in > them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. > 1.Locked door of house. > 2.Fence > 3. Water motion detector > Or, just one: parenting.

I’m a parent of two boys, and I am very attentive, if I do say so myself.  SOMEtimes however, little children slip through an attention crack.  Once my husband and I were doing yard work, and our then one year old was in the back.  He thought he was in the front… suddenly we realized we didn’t know where he was.  In a second a neighbor walked him home from two doors down- I’d just given him some juice a minute earlier.  What if we’d had a pond then?  Who knows?  You’re right. Parenting is critical.  But you can’t be too safe when it comes to your precious kids.  Accidents happen.   — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

… > A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be > unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to put> a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the> pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no > business having kids.  Sheesh!  How are you going to keep them from > running out into the street?  There are millions of things that can kill> small children.  The only thing that prevents that is supervision!

Yes, a million things can kill and hurt small kids.  That’s why we should be careful in whatever ways we can.  My youngest was five when  I got my pond- One reason I didn’t do it earlier was because I had small kids.  I watched my kids like hawks, and one of them still ended up having stitches when he was 11 months old- from leaping from the hearth to the floor face first- He was trying to mind me and get down from the hearth… I was running to him, but I couldn’t get there in time… things happen fast.  Don’t take more chances than you have to.  I’m grateful it was just stitches.  SOme parents have much more to live with. > I think some parents may have more in common with the goldfish they > keep.  Being a *human* parent involves more than laying your eggs on a > pile of anacharis!  A goldfish is a good parent if it manages not to eat> any of it’s fry.  A human parent has to be more involved.

That’s not fair.   — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > : Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > : stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > : put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > : old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > : Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > : gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > : really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > : I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? > Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in > them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. > 1.Locked door of house. > 2.Fence > 3. Water motion detector

Or, just one: parenting. — |Eric A. Mercer            GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania |

Response:

Warning:  rant follows > Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond?

Yes.  It’s called keeping an eye on your child.  Note that I’m assuming we’re only talking about your children, not the neighbor’s (rug)rats. > If you build the pond correctly, you will still have it to enjoy when > the child has borrowed the car for the evening to go on a date.  Build a > proper pond and put a fence around it until the child learns to swim. > Your only regret will be that it seems like no time at all before the > fence comes down.

This is the same ridiculous conversation I had with my mother when we put the pond in her backyard.  She said we shouldn’t do it because the "baby could drown".  I asked her what she would do when the baby ran out into traffic and gets hit by a car.  She said that would never happen because she would never let her alone in the backyard… …uh, how is she going to drown if you’re keeping an eye on her? A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to put a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no business having kids.  Sheesh!  How are you going to keep them from running out into the street?  There are millions of things that can kill small children.  The only thing that prevents that is supervision! I think some parents may have more in common with the goldfish they keep.  Being a *human* parent involves more than laying your eggs on a pile of anacharis!  A goldfish is a good parent if it manages not to eat any of it’s fry.  A human parent has to be more involved. — |Eric A. Mercer            GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania |

Response:

>I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child >safe pond?

Elementary!  Put a leash on the kid, pound a stake into the ground, hook the leash up to the stake. One child-proof pond! No fence required! Roark    <— some people shouldn’t ever be parents… Ventura, CA.

Response:

You can enjoy watergardening by making a tabletop garden on your deck or patio (until your little ones grow up and take swimming lessons). Set up a sturdy table, place it close to an outside outlet. Stack stuff around it – the connection to the outlet (I use old pots and a flexible gate (to protect from a labrador puppy). Buy a large pot or galavized tub. Of whatever size and style you enjoy – the deeper the better for water temp and fish – miniature lilies like to have at least 6 inches of depth. You can divide the pot with a long, thin rock (on its side) so you can have a lilie area and a bog area. Plant right in the pot. Use a couple of inches of aquarium gravel to cover the dirt. Add water – gently. After two weeks you can add two small feeder goldfish. If you have a smaller spitter ornament going your little world should be balanced. (sink a small glass in the bog area to hold the pump). The garden should balance and you will not need to filter. The plants will filter for the fish and the fish will provide food for the plants – though you should use some watergarden tabs to give the plants extra food. The fish will do well without feeding, they will eat the algae that grows on the surfaces of the pot and the gravel and plants. Overfeeding them will cause more ammonia than your plants can filter. Make sure the garden gets some shade to keep the water temp. down. The lily will need 3ish hours of sun. Am I leaving anything out here folks? The above advice comes from my own experience and the wonderful book by Helen Nash CONTAINER WATERGARDENING or something close to that. SE WA zone 7 minder of two tub gardens, one puddle for the labrador and the pre-pond – the big hole in the ground.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a >stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to >put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month >old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). >Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very >gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would >really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. >I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? >= paul >www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 >->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– >FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ >BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ >Have you entered our contest yet? >http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

Am having the same thoughts Paul, except because of the small dogs we have and a "soon to be" first grandchild who will of course visit. I can only say that our property is divided already into three separate fully fenced sections, so where we have thoughts of a pond is already fenced. However, it is the only section where our small dogs are allowed to play, so I suppose the only available option would be a raised pond. Have seen several very nice ones in books which could easily be copied. HB

Response:

> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond?

If you build the pond correctly, you will still have it to enjoy when the child has borrowed the car for the evening to go on a date.  Build a proper pond and put a fence around it until the child learns to swim. Your only regret will be that it seems like no time at all before the fence comes down. Stephen

Response:

Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? = paul www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 ->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ Have you entered our contest yet? http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

Response:

: Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a : stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to : put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month : old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). : Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very : gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would : really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. : I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. 1.Locked door of house. 2.Fence 3. Water motion detector Chad

Response:

Of course, nothing beats close supervision, but there are alarms that respond to someone falling into the water. A motion sensor might do as well. But remember, children have been known to drown in 5 gallon buckets and bathtubs. It is not something we should take lightly. If it is a question of aesthetics vs. safety, I’d go with the safety every time. Jeff — http://www.net-gate.com/~jeff1908/pond.htm  Paul Evad wrote in article … – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a >stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to >put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month >old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). >Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very >gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would >really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. >I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? >= paul >www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 >->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– >FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ >BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ >Have you entered our contest yet? >http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

Response:

Hi there, you can also teach small kids to swim.  They learn fast and it may save their lives. — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now).

Response:

When my son was real small I lived on Long Island.  The best thing to do besides watching your children is to teach them to SWIM very early in life.  I took my son to an inlet and off we went!! In a week or so he was drownproof (or more drownproof then he had been).  My Dad taught me to swim as a small kid too.  It saved my life I am sure as I fell off a dock one time, I fell off a bankment into a river and I was in a boat that overturned and sank off the North end of the Island.  We all swam perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 a mile to reach the shore (very frightening).  Teach your kids to swim – you’ll never regret it!     — > … > A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be > unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to

put> a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the> pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no

Response:

> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now).

Sorry to be so negative, but a little kid recently died, as someone on this group reported, from drowning in a small backyard pond.  You can’t be too careful.  Ponds are magnets for kids.  Things happen so fast. — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? > = paul > www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 > ->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– > FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ > BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ > Have you entered our contest yet? > http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

You can put a grate over your pond — they make plastic grates that would hold the weight of a small child and still allow you to have your pond.  If it were set underwater on a small lip incorporated into the edge of your pond, it wouldn’t even be visible.  You could avoid the fence and still maintain a safe yard for your child. Roxanne Daydreamer Perennial Gardens http://www.daydreamergardens.com

Response:

… > Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in > them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. > 1.Locked door of house. > 2.Fence > 3. Water motion detector > Or, just one: parenting.

I’m a parent of two boys, and I am very attentive, if I do say so myself.  SOMEtimes however, little children slip through an attention crack.  Once my husband and I were doing yard work, and our then one year old was in the back.  He thought he was in the front… suddenly we realized we didn’t know where he was.  In a second a neighbor walked him home from two doors down- I’d just given him some juice a minute earlier.  What if we’d had a pond then?  Who knows?  You’re right. Parenting is critical.  But you can’t be too safe when it comes to your precious kids.  Accidents happen.   — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

… > A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be > unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to put> a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the> pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no > business having kids.  Sheesh!  How are you going to keep them from > running out into the street?  There are millions of things that can kill> small children.  The only thing that prevents that is supervision!

Yes, a million things can kill and hurt small kids.  That’s why we should be careful in whatever ways we can.  My youngest was five when  I got my pond- One reason I didn’t do it earlier was because I had small kids.  I watched my kids like hawks, and one of them still ended up having stitches when he was 11 months old- from leaping from the hearth to the floor face first- He was trying to mind me and get down from the hearth… I was running to him, but I couldn’t get there in time… things happen fast.  Don’t take more chances than you have to.  I’m grateful it was just stitches.  SOme parents have much more to live with. > I think some parents may have more in common with the goldfish they > keep.  Being a *human* parent involves more than laying your eggs on a > pile of anacharis!  A goldfish is a good parent if it manages not to eat> any of it’s fry.  A human parent has to be more involved.

That’s not fair.   — Signed- Kellie  USDA zone 7/8, Sunset Zone 33 My Karma Ran Over My Dogma.  It was a Catastrophe. Now my Dogma’s Dead and my Karma’s out of alignment. Get in KNEE DEEP!  <http://w3.one.net/~rzutt/newsletter.html>

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > : Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > : stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > : put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > : old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > : Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > : gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > : really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > : I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? > Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in > them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. > 1.Locked door of house. > 2.Fence > 3. Water motion detector

Or, just one: parenting. — |Eric A. Mercer            GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania |

Response:

Warning:  rant follows > Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond?

Yes.  It’s called keeping an eye on your child.  Note that I’m assuming we’re only talking about your children, not the neighbor’s (rug)rats. > If you build the pond correctly, you will still have it to enjoy when > the child has borrowed the car for the evening to go on a date.  Build a > proper pond and put a fence around it until the child learns to swim. > Your only regret will be that it seems like no time at all before the > fence comes down.

This is the same ridiculous conversation I had with my mother when we put the pond in her backyard.  She said we shouldn’t do it because the "baby could drown".  I asked her what she would do when the baby ran out into traffic and gets hit by a car.  She said that would never happen because she would never let her alone in the backyard… …uh, how is she going to drown if you’re keeping an eye on her? A child small enough to drown in 1.5 feet of water should NOT be unsupervised.  Lordy!  What is everyone thinking?  It’s one thing to put a fence up to keep the irresponsible neighbor’s (rug)rats out of the pond.  If you have to do it to keep your own kids out, you have no business having kids.  Sheesh!  How are you going to keep them from running out into the street?  There are millions of things that can kill small children.  The only thing that prevents that is supervision! I think some parents may have more in common with the goldfish they keep.  Being a *human* parent involves more than laying your eggs on a pile of anacharis!  A goldfish is a good parent if it manages not to eat any of it’s fry.  A human parent has to be more involved. — |Eric A. Mercer            GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania |

Response:

>I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child >safe pond?

Elementary!  Put a leash on the kid, pound a stake into the ground, hook the leash up to the stake. One child-proof pond! No fence required! Roark    <— some people shouldn’t ever be parents… Ventura, CA.

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You can enjoy watergardening by making a tabletop garden on your deck or patio (until your little ones grow up and take swimming lessons). Set up a sturdy table, place it close to an outside outlet. Stack stuff around it – the connection to the outlet (I use old pots and a flexible gate (to protect from a labrador puppy). Buy a large pot or galavized tub. Of whatever size and style you enjoy – the deeper the better for water temp and fish – miniature lilies like to have at least 6 inches of depth. You can divide the pot with a long, thin rock (on its side) so you can have a lilie area and a bog area. Plant right in the pot. Use a couple of inches of aquarium gravel to cover the dirt. Add water – gently. After two weeks you can add two small feeder goldfish. If you have a smaller spitter ornament going your little world should be balanced. (sink a small glass in the bog area to hold the pump). The garden should balance and you will not need to filter. The plants will filter for the fish and the fish will provide food for the plants – though you should use some watergarden tabs to give the plants extra food. The fish will do well without feeding, they will eat the algae that grows on the surfaces of the pot and the gravel and plants. Overfeeding them will cause more ammonia than your plants can filter. Make sure the garden gets some shade to keep the water temp. down. The lily will need 3ish hours of sun. Am I leaving anything out here folks? The above advice comes from my own experience and the wonderful book by Helen Nash CONTAINER WATERGARDENING or something close to that. SE WA zone 7 minder of two tub gardens, one puddle for the labrador and the pre-pond – the big hole in the ground.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a >stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to >put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month >old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). >Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very >gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would >really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. >I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? >= paul >www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 >->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– >FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ >BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ >Have you entered our contest yet? >http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

Am having the same thoughts Paul, except because of the small dogs we have and a "soon to be" first grandchild who will of course visit. I can only say that our property is divided already into three separate fully fenced sections, so where we have thoughts of a pond is already fenced. However, it is the only section where our small dogs are allowed to play, so I suppose the only available option would be a raised pond. Have seen several very nice ones in books which could easily be copied. HB

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> Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a > stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to > put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month > old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). > Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very > gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would > really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. > I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond?

If you build the pond correctly, you will still have it to enjoy when the child has borrowed the car for the evening to go on a date.  Build a proper pond and put a fence around it until the child learns to swim. Your only regret will be that it seems like no time at all before the fence comes down. Stephen

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Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? = paul www.kudosnet.com                            toll free: 1-888-424-7368 ->Talk to us online using Internet Phone, private group ‘kudosnet’<– FileMaker Pro ISO magazine: http://www.iso-ezine.com/ BC Renter’s Guide: http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/ Have you entered our contest yet? http://bc-renters-guide.bc.ca/mall/contest.phtml

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: Everytime I bring up the subject of making a small pond, and possibly a : stream bed… I get the response of ‘well, you know your going to have to : put a fence around it’ from my Mother-in-law and wife. (we have a 6 month : old baby, hasn’t learned to crawl yet but we’re hoping any day now). : Anyway, I figured with a shallow pond (1 1/2 feet deep max) with a very : gradual slope shouldn’t be too much of a concern… and a fence would : really destroy the estetic (sp?) value of it all. : I dunno… any thoughts? Is there such a thing as a fence free, child safe pond? Tots under 2 years old can and have drowned in buckets with 2" of water in them.  Don’t take any chances.  Use at least 3 layers of protection. 1.Locked door of house. 2.Fence 3. Water motion detector Chad

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