The Magic Pond

Remember the little frog Elliot discovered in his pond the other day?  After finishing his chores yesterday morning, he ran out to see if the frog had decided to spend the night.  A few minutes later I heard him shrieking in delight.  "MOM! Look how BIG my frog grew over night!"

 Which was really a different visitor to the pond.  Somehow the magic pond had turned a small green frog into a huge, bumpy toad!

The mini pond was such an easy, affordable addition to our garden that I'm thinking of digging a larger one. It was worth every bit of the $35.00 we spent to see Elliot's beaming smile.

Elliot does not know this, but I am also using the pond to teach the power of intention. He has been a little worried that once the frogs come to visit, they will leave and he'll be disappointed.  I explained that the reason these frogs bring delight to us is that they are visiting us on their own terms, living in their natural environment.  This fact is what makes it so exciting.  It would be completely boring to buy one at a pet store and keep it in captivity.  After a few hours or days, the novelty would wear off and then he'd have to find bugs for four years....

I taught him to use the power of intention by suggesting that he envision many creatures visiting the pond every day.  I told him to continue to imagine wildlife near the pond whenever he feels bored. 

It must have worked because after the toad left, a new frog arrived.  This one is a brand new baby "froglet."

If you are curious about how we made our pond, I'd love to share it.  First, we purchased a large round storage tub from Home Depot (the kind with rope handles on the sides).  At $6.99 this pond liner can't be beat!  Secondly, we discovered a small fountain with a pump in a kit at the garden center of Home Depot.  Our model cost $24.00.

  At home, we decided on a location that was close to an outdoor electrical outlet.  It is essential that this outlet be safe:    

All outdoor outlets should have GFCI (Ground Failure Circuit Interrupt) - protection against shock, which detects leaks from the electrical circuit and breaks it.

Third, we bought a few goldfish (.35 each).  Goldfish love cold water, so if your pond will be in full sun, it is recommended that you add aquatic plants to provide shade.

We then dug a large hole, set the bin inside and added a few bricks to support the fountain.  Once the fountain was set up, we filled it with water and added the fish.  We made sure to feed the fish a few flakes of food until algae grew on the sides of the pond.  Now, the fish are growing like crazy without any help from us.