William Donald

elderberries!!
medicinal AND edible as a berry or jam!

Im about to plant a few elderberry bushes in the shadier sections of a garden I am designing. They do well with maintenance too, so you could prune them in favor of the sun if you're shade is that limiting (they like partial shade, not full).

awesome, thanks for all the info!
I'll be planting a magnolia in the "island" (itll be more of a peninsula, a Florida with a swollen everglades, if you will) so Im gonna leave the hugel bed open and laid in the soil, with the pond liner wrapping around it almost completely.
So far I've got the design all planned out in my head and somewhat on paper, I just need to finalize my plans for the rest of the garden, get the budget approved and start digging! Ill post pictures when its done

I dont have enough clay for a natural seal, so Im going to attempt to find enough liner to cover the space needed, although I havent found out exactly that will go.

either way thanks so much for the glance at your pond!! Can you tell me what kind of grade the slope coming from the island is?

not only is that the coolest pond i've ever seen, but the most beautiful property I have ever laid eyes on!
Go you!

its.
beautiful.

awesome! that is great news for solar power, and subsequently all of us!!

no not through the liner, at the edges of the island, which the liner surrounds. Could you elaborate on the iron cross design?

I looked up chinampas, but they are a lot bigger, and the 'island' structure is only made by putting in an underwater fence and filling it with shtuff. I assume the pond lining will essentially do that, although I'll probably reinforce it with the addition of stakes -it couldn't hurt.

Im so jealous I dont have an old pool layin around!! Eggs, fish, and produce all in that tiny space?!

So far the only strategy I've developed is to criss cross the logs so that they aren't as likely to roll out to the sides and flatten into a layer.