Crude oil is an extremely profitable commodity that is created from the fossil remains of animals and plants that perished millions of years ago. The dead organism(s) sink deep into the bottom of the ocean floor where it begins to decompose and is compressed by the layers of sedimentary mud, and undergoes a chemical process that converts the dead matter into crude oil and natural gas.

Movements within the Earth begin to trap this oil and natural gas between the reservoir rock layers. These movements include:

1) Folding – Horizontal movements that compress inward.

2) Faulting – Layers of rock begin to crack, and one side shifts upward or downward.

3) Pinching out – A layer of rock is squeezed significantly upward into the reservoir rock.

The oil drilling companies are an integral part of the oil and gas industry because they engage in exploration and extraction of one of the world’s most valuable resources, energy. Bringing energy to market for retail distribution is an extremely profitable business, but a very complex process. Geologists are the professionals who carry out the exploration work to locate crude oil. The objective of the geologists is to look for regions that present the perfect conditions to trap oil, for example an entrapment in reservoir rock. Geologists can measure the minute changes in the Earth’s gravitational field which could indicate the flow of oil. Another method to locate oil and gas is by the use of 3D and 4D seismic imaging processes that create shock waves that have the ability to penetrate through hidden rock layers, and then the reflection back to the surface is measured and analyzed. When a prospective “oil strike” that can yield a substantial profit is located, the position coordinates are marked by GPS for land and/or buoys if the discovery is over a body of water.

The Oil Drilling Process Simplified

When the profitable oil drilling site has been determined, geologists survey the perimeter boundaries and conduct an environmental impact study. It is during this process that the oil company will acquire the necessary titles and drilling rights to commence oil extraction, and then the drilling operations are initiated. The process is quite complex and beyond the scope of this article, but simplified they are as follows:

1) The land is prepared for extraction by being cleared of trees and other obstructions. Access roads are built at this time to allow for the movement of machinery.

2) Water is essential to the drilling process so if there is no access point nearby, water wells are dug by the oil workers.

3) Reserve pits are dug to dispose of rock shavings and the mud excavated during the drilling process. This by-product waste material is later encased in plastic to prevent contamination of the local environment.

4) Numerous secondary holes are dug to allow for the main hole. A rectangle shaped pit called a “cellar” is dug around the vicinity of the primary drilling hole. The cellar’s purpose is to provide access around the primary hole for workers and their specialized equipment.

5) The rig starts the drilling operations from the starter hole.

To learn more about crude oil read this international best-selling book which provides insight into the industrial world’s most valuable commodity.

This review method is a new approach for me. I put this machine in the hands of Shelly, an eleven year old. I took only five minutes to give her some basic instruction on metal detector use, pinpointing and recovery techniques and turned her loose (with two other children equipped with Fisher and Garrett start-up units) on a quarter-acre play area behind a church. Before sharing the remarkable numeric finds Shelly achieved, let us examine the Titan 1000 XD.

The Titan 1000 XD is advertised as a 4 in one detector, and with good reason. First, it has automatic tuning. Second, it has automatic ground balance. Third, it has automatic tone technology and fourth, it has auto target identification. It can be used for finding all types of treasure but I feel it is best suited as a start-up coin shooting unit. The automatic preset features makes it a true turn on and go detector. It also has a user depth adjustment good for up to six inches deep in increments of two inches (2,4,6). This does not mean that the instrument will only find things up to six inches. In fact, I dug up coin sized objects up to about 10 inches. The Titan is a part of the new technology hobby machines that are very attractive, light weight, and user friendly. They are only sightly lower priced than the start-up units of the big four American manufacturers and do not have the appearance of being strong and durable machines for hunting in rough terrains. However, looks can be deceptive. This is a fine, good depth machine that will find lots of treasure. As I mentioned earlier I took three youngsters out for about an hour and fifteen minutes to a play area behind the church to field test the Titan and compare it with two other units as well.

Shelly used the Titan 1000 XD, Kevin used a Garrett Ace 150, and Cage used a Fisher 1212X. The area hunted was used for our Easter metal detecting venture with over $250.00 in US coins buried. The Easter Sunday children’s hunt turned up well over $200.00 in coins with possibly three hundred coins still buried in the quarter acre tract with most coins buried just a couple inches deep for this treasure finding venture. I gave the three the five minute pre-hunt training instruction and turned them loose. They had a blast finding the coins and I was amazed at the results. Kevin found 45 coins totalling $4.59 cents ( 11 quarters, 10 dimes, 15 nickels, 9 pennies ) using the Garrett. Cage found 65 coins totaling $7.92 ( 23 quarters, 15 dimes, 10 nickels, 17 pennies ) using the Fisher. Shelly blew both boys away finding 110 coins totaling $11.38 ( 32 quarters, 20 dimes, 20 nickels, 38 pennies) using the Titan. That is finding better than 1.5 coins per minute. All three are novices at using detectors and Kevin is the only one of the three who owns a detector. He won the Garrett 150 in January from a children’s church contest. He is a very proud 2nd grader. Any treasure finder would be proud of Shelly’s results. Finding $10.00 an hour is not shabby. She pinpointed easily with the Titan 1000 XD and found exactly double the number of coins as the boys. To assure the testing process was accurate in terms of coins found, I had spray painted one side of all 2,500 coins buried for the Easter Treasure Hunt. There are now less than 80 buried coins left from that promotion for Easter and Kevin will get the opportunity to find the rest on his own.

The Titan 1000 XD, manufactured by a Texas company, performed exceptionally in this kids venture and Shelly knew what she was digging almost every time a coin was retrieved. Some coins buried close together gave her incorrect readings. I would recommend this detector without reservation for a new hobbyist or as a fun machine for the veteran too. Here’s to “diggin it”!

The recent recession has hit most businesses especially those associated with the housing market from building supplies to the equipment that helped build those houses. The heavy machinery that moved the ground that moved the materials that dug up the earth, to transporting the workers, pretty much finding themselves in sales rooms across the country or stored in some warehouse. But not all machinery slowed down to a stop, some mini machines still had a life in recession time.

Mini excavators, diggers and similar machines still had an afterlife, because the big builders were no longer building houses, as mortgages could not accessed, but small builders soon found themselves doing extensions and renovations, as home owners found themselves making the most of their own home. Of course small builders tend not to have big equipment, but do have mini equipment such as diggers and excavators, that they can tow on a trailer behind their four by four.

Builders were now going to auction house and buying these mini excavators knowing that the parts for these machines were easy to get and cheaper than you would expect. This now meant that parts suppliers for these mini diggers and excavators were now doing OK from this downturn, but not to the level that replaced the parts for larger machines that are much more expensive.

For those new to the mini excavator market, will be surprised at the amount of manufacturers out there. In fact in some countries there is a larger choice of mini digger manufacturers than motor manufacturers, making the range of parts needed to be stocked huge, from digger idlers to excavator rubber tracks. In the UK, many part suppliers have to sock parts for over 200 machines and what’s more, because businesses come to a stop is these machines breakdown, these part suppliers need to have shipped much quicker than they would for a typical car part.

The parts most needed from a breakdown are those associated with the undercarriage and so most suppliers advertise the fact they sell undercarriage parts. Most undercarriages are simple in structure, but are held together with parts that should last sometime, so brand and reputation for strength is a major factor in deciding what part to buy. This tends to be more critical in nature in the mini excavator market than the normal car part market, which uses aftermarket spares all the time.

We can see mini diggers and excavators in all sorts of situations now, as more come on the market and the public awareness of these machines that they can be owned by small businesses and alike has increased. The good and cheap supplies of parts, completes the picture, now all we need is the building market back to give the larger machines some more work.

Plant propagation by the method of division is commonly used on plants that produce bulbs and root plant that have more than one stem or crown. Plants that emerge from the ground that have a single stem or crown can not be propagated by this method of division. This method is an asexual method of propagation.

Division is what this method is. You take a parent plant that you have dug up and divide it into two or more plants. This method can be done in more than one way. You can leave the parent plant in the ground, just expose the part of the root that you want to cut off and remove it from the parent plant. This method is good when you only want a few small plants and they can be taken from the outer edge or you don’t want a plant to get larger. Another way is to dig the parent plant out completely and then divide it into equal parts.

The best time to propagate a plant by this method is in the early spring. It can be done in the fall but you have to do it when the plant is dormant.

There are many plants that can be done by this method. Plants that produce bulbs like tulips and daffodils do this method naturally. A plant that produces more than one stem like a peony is a plant that can be divided by this method.

The method of propagation by division is a very simple method. Once you have replanted the divisions you will need to keep them watered. Care should be taken not to over water them, just keep the soil moist at all times. Over watering is no good for the roots and they can rot if left in standing water.

An outhouse is basically a lavatory outdoors. It comprises of a dug out pit over which an enclosure is built. Outhouses have evolved from the dreadful hole in the ground that an enclosure was constructed around. Many persons will,however, find the necessity for an outhouse. For example: going to an area that doesn’t have the luxury of an interior plumbing system or even having a secluded cabin set up somewhere or at camping sites may mean it is economical as well as realistic to build your personal outhouse. This guide will give someone with introductory structural knowledge to follow the step by step instructions to build an outhouse.

Planning for constructing the outhouse:

You will require the following:

Shovel

Measuring tape

Choosing the right point

An outhouse is required to be be built 300 feet or greater from water supplies or running water (rivers, lakes, springs etc.) It should also be a low traffic spot for people.

Dig the Pit

The average size for the pit is a square about 2 feet in width and approximately 5 feet deep. Excavate the pit with the shovel to these specifications monitoring the depth with the tape measure as you dig.

Building the Outhouse:

Necessary Tools and Materials

2×4″ stock

4×4″ corner post

1×4″ stock

Nails (nail gun cartridges)

Screws

Roofing paper & shingles

PVC piping and flange

Hammer (nail gun)

Circular saw/table saw

Level

Tape measure

Paper/pencil

Instructions to build the Outhouse

Step one: Construct the Footers and Frames

The outhouse will have three horizontal ribs: one at the base, the second on the seating system and the third to the ceiling. Construct the frames and nail them together.

Use the 2×4 as the feet the outhouse will stand on.

Step two: Posts

Use the 4 4×4 corner posts to finish the outside frame of the box. Drill and bolt the frames to the corner supports.

Step three: Seating

The searing rib will be based about 14″ from the ground. The hole of the seat should be rectangular and should measure between 8-10″ wide and 18-20″ long.

Cut out and place the boards for the seats and then attach them to the framing rib, then attach the seat.

Step four: Walls

If the outhouse is going to be utilized seasonally, one alternative is to use a canvas wall and attach it to the frame with a roofing line. This way it can be easily taken up and transported.

For wooden walls, use 2×4’s nailed to three sides of the frame. The side left open will be the one to be used for the door which will be constructed next.

Step five: Roof and Door

Outhouses will not necessitate much roofing support. Measure and notch the lower portion of the roof support beams and then fix the more 2×4 planks on top.

For the door, make a Z frame and affix lightweight wood stock to the exterior.

Install vertical planks between the upper frame and the base frame. Attach this to the open side of the outhouse using hinges.

Tip and Warning:

1) If you are making an outhouse in your backyard (for a woodwork project) be sure to check local construction codes and licenses. If the construction is being done for actual use, check with local land agencies to be sure there are no water sources close by.

The Northern Cape offers you unique scenery, abounded wildlife and a true refuge for lovers of the outdoors. With a long history stretching back thousand of years, it is a land with assorted cultures. We bring you a list of 10 must see places while traveling in the Northern Cape.

1. Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

This mysterious desert wilderness situated on the edge of the Kalahari covers some 102 000 ha of land. Tswalu committed to “restoring the Kalahari to itself” is the largest privately owned game reserve in South African and a conservation vision in progress. Some of the highlights include true Kalahari Lions, majestic Cheetah and Desert Black Rhino. Tswalu with more than 250 species of bird is also home to 70 species of mammal, including Sable and Roan Antelope. Tswalu provides unparalleled safari experiences including guided walks, horseback safaris and hot air ballooning over the desert landscape.Being a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux you can be sure that guests are offered luxurious accommodation and splendid cuisine.

2. The Orange River

The River stretching 2340 km is ideal for canoeing and rafting with long stretches of open flat water punctuated by rapids and weather that is warm all year round. 10% of South Africa’s vineyards are made up by the Orange River Wine Route, which will be of interest for wine lovers. The Cellars are made up of five wineries and the wine grapes of the Oranjerivier Wine Cellars originate from 794 producers along the Orange River.

3. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

This Park is a result of the unification of South Africa’s Kalahari Gemsbok Park and Botswana’s Gemsbok National Park and a truly unspoiled ecosystem. The park, at 3.7 million hectares, is one of the largest conservation areas in the world.

4. The Kimberley Big Hole

In 1871, diamonds found on a once flat-topped hill resulted in a mad scramble for fame and fortune. Now the awesome Kimberley Big Hole is the largest hand-dug excavation in the world. Dug by picks, shovels and sheer determination, measuring 215 metres deep with a surface area of 17 hectares – the mine yielded 2 722 kilograms of diamonds.

5. Augrabies Falls National Park

The world’s sixth largest waterfall is where the mighty Orange River is at its most impressive. Thundering its way through a ravine and into a pool walled by sheer granite, creating the Augrabies Falls. The name of the falls originated from the Khoi word meaning ‘place of great noise’ which describes the roar as the falls plummet 56m into the ravine.

6. Sutherland

Sutherland is known for its brilliant night skies and the world-renowned Southern African Astronomical Observatory, a site that houses 10 telescopes, one being ‘SALT’ (Southern African Largest Telescope). Distant stars and galaxies a billion times too faint to be seen with the unaided eye can be recorded.

7. Kuruman

This little town is blessed with a permanent and abundant source of water. Commonly known as the Kuruman Eye, the water flows from the Gasegonyana more densely vegetated than most oases. The Eye is a natural fountain delivering approximately 20-30 million litres of crystal clear water daily, which supplies water for the town, feeds the Kuruman River and spills yet more water into two 7km irrigation canal. It was this fresh source of water that led to the establishment of the Moffat Mission Station here in the early 1900th, naming the eye the ‘fountain of Christianity’.

8. Richterveld National Park

The Richtersveld is hauntingly beautiful, with mountains and sandy plains forming Southern Africa’s largest mountain desert park, an area covering 160 000 ha. Although harsh and dry, the Richtersveld is a botanist’s living laboratory, home to around 30% of all South Africa’s succulent plant species. With less than 50 mm of annual rainfall, the Richtersveld is an extremely fragile ecosystem. Suprisingly breathtaking, it offers rarely seen purity of an unspoilt country.

9. Kathu, “the town under the trees”

The name came into being because of Kumba’s iron ore mining activities, one of the world’s largest open-cast iron mines. The mine is also home to one of South Africa’s greatest golfing gems, Sishen Golf Course, a truly unique setting to play a round of golf winding its way through a 500 hectare Camelthorn forest on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. This par 72, 18-hole course is the last masterpiece of Robert Grimsdell and is currently rated in the top 30 best golf courses in South Africa. Being situated off the beaten track, the course is blissfully un-congested and visitors are always assured of getting a game here.

10. The Namaqua National Park

Between July and September Namakwa sheds its drab facade and showers the world with a riot of flowers of every hue, offering rich and splendid brilliance. It contains more than 6 000 plant species, 250 species of birds, 78 species of mammals, 132 species of reptiles and amphibians and an unknown number of insects, making it the world’s most diverse, arid environment. 40% or more of these species are found nowhere else on Earth.

Recently I went to Metro Parks in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Heading to the park I passed a spot on the Chagrin River that was an old dump. Years ago there was no public trash pick up so people would find a ravine or a river to throw their refuse, this way the river would carry the trash away.

My good friend Walt had found this particular dump while walking along the river bank when he noticed old bottles sticking out of it, this has to be going on at least 10 years maybe more. Walt returned a few weeks later with me and we dug up all kinds of bottles, soda, milk, perfume and an occasional piece of broken pottery and silverware. This dump was from about the late 20’s to early 30’s. We were able to date it from a few bottles that had the year embossed on them. After that first dig I went back numerous times and each hunt was successful.

I remember on one bottle hunt at this spot I brought Gary, another friend, and my faithful hound dog Bo along. Actually I sprung it on Gary, he wasn’t into searching for old junk as he would call it. Leaving the place I got us totally lost having no clue where the path was. Its a real jungle with all those plants and pricker bushes. We went to the left, to the right all the while Gary complaining his legs were getting scratched and cut and Bo tugging furiously on his leash. I yelled at Bo because this was not like him. Finally I got fed up and told him OK then you lead. Well let me tell you, I never doubted Bo after that. He put his nose down, started sniffing away and had us out of there in no time. Poor guy, I was yelling at him and all he was trying to do was help.

In subsequent hunts after that the finds became scarcer and scarcer and thought we had picked it clean. We must of dug into that bank at least 6 feet in by about 8 feet across. That was about two years ago but in this last visit I discovered there is still old bottles to be had! Through the change of seasons and erosion more bottles surfaced. Even more amazing than that is how short of a walk it really is to the river bank. When Walt first found it there was a path to the river but the park system moved the parking lot back and let the place grow wild which made locating this exact spot even more difficult. What seemed like a hike through the Amazon was actually only about a short 30 yard walk if that to the rivers edge. I was very disgusted though because what made it easy to find was that the place was cleared of all vegetation, then I suddenly realized, DUH, its still early spring and nothing has grown back yet.

I only stayed a short time because I wasn’t prepared with shovels or bags but quickly found two old pop bottles. One was called “DELICIOUS” and the other “BIG EAGLE”. Delicious is almost shaped like a “Heinz” ketchup bottle. They were bottled in Cleveland, Ohio and oddly they are both 9 ounces.. The glass on these bottles is so thick. It makes me laugh to think of the old movies where they show a fight and a bottle gets broken over someones head. Yeah right! If you tried that with these bottles you’d kill the person and no way would the bottle break.

I got to wondering about these old bottles, what flavor were they, was it a treat for some family or child, what kind of store sold them, why did they go out of business. I asked Dad if he remembered these brands. He had no recollection other than their factory was probably located downtown somewhere. Our conversation went on to other beverages of yesteryear. Dad said one of his favorites was an orange drink called Bireley’s Orange Soda. And of course pop tastes better in glass bottles. For beers his preferred choice was Ballantine. He also mentioned Cleveland brewed beers such as Leisy’s and Erin Brew. As with many other types of businesses the family or privately owned beverage company is getting harder and harder to find, even though there are some microbreweries around that make excellent beer.

I went on the Internet to research these two bottles. I wasn’t able to find anything on the “Delicious Beverage Company” but was able to on the “Double Eagle Bottling Company”. Double Eagle began production in 1909 on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio and ceased production in 1959.

If you remember either one of these pops or if this short story jogs your memory of a favorite soft drink or beer of years ago post a comment, I would love to hear about it.

Carey K. Masci

When was the last time you were able to sit and enjoy a good old fashioned game of scrolling Super Mario or Dig Dug? Probably not for years unless you have been able to keep your old game system and cartridges in good working condition. For everyone else there is a little known gem called emulation.

Emulation refers to the ability of a program or device to imitate another program or device, thus tricking the software into believing the correct device has been found. It sounds strange but it will enable you to play some of your favorite games that were originally made for systems such as Commodore, Atari, and Nintendo. It is also possible for one computer, such as an Apple Macintosh, to emulate another computer, such as a PC.

None of that means much, however, until you discover the right emulator for playing all those old favorites on your new computer. The good news is that you can download these emulators directly off the internet for free! Some of the downloads available are for Amiga, Commodore, Game Boy, PlayStation 1, and Nintendo along with all the games (ROMS) these machines play.

One of the most popular emulators recreates the old Super Nintendo console and is called the ZSNES Emulator found at http://www.zsnes.com. The ZSNES program has an extensive help file that walks you through the set up process of saving a copy to your Personal Computer. System requirements are: a 486/100 processor, 14.5MB of RAM, a VGA card, and a Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound card. However a system with a fast P200 or higher Pentium processor, 32MB of RAM, VGA card, and Sound Blaster 16 or 100% compatible sound card yields the most realistic results.

The ZSNES Emulator also allows you to maneuver around the games using either a keyboard or joystick, allowing you to really get the old feelings for the game. But enough about the emulator and let’s look at the real reason we are here – the games! These games, called ROMS, are all the ones you used to be able to play on the Super Nintendo System including:

Bomberman 5				Super Battleship

Beavis n' Butthead			Bustamove

Clue						Dragonballz

DreamTV					Final Fantasy 4

Frogger					The Great Waldo Search

Inspector Gadget			Jeopardy Deluxe

John Madden Football			Mariokart

Marvel Superheroes			Megamans Soccer

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers	Monopoly

Mortal Kombat 2				Pinocchio

Power Rangers				Race Driving

Carmen San Diego			SimAnt

SimCity					SimCity 2000

Super Mario RPG			Sonic

Space Football				Starfox

Streetfighter 2				Super Black Bass

Super Ninja Boy				Super Punch-Out!!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Themepark

Troddlers					Utopia

Vortex					Wacky Race

Wheel of Fortune			Wings 2

Wordtris					World Soccer 94

Yoshis Island				Zelda 3

And tons more!

Please be aware of a legal issue when downloading these games. Basically, you are not allowed to download and play any game if you don’t already own that cartridge. If can abide by this law, you can revisit the past, in the present, on your brand new PC.

Have you ever thought about keeping chickens? It is an odd question, I suppose, but for folks living in the country, not so unusual. After all, chickens provide eggs for breakfast, little chicks that grow into chickens, and later on in their lives, they can provide Sunday dinner! Kind of a multipurpose product, if you see what I am getting at. The only problem with chickens that I can see as a gardener, is I’m not real fond of seeing my beds all dug up, and chickens can make a mess of a garden bed in no time at all. So now, the next question is have you ever thought about keeping guineas? Guineas eat all the bugs they can find and don’t tend to make such a mess of your garden. If the answer is yes, I have some great tips for you on how to get started.

First, you must decide if you want to start with keets (the chick of the guinea) or if you’d rather start with adults. I didn’t have a choice when I started, or even if I wanted to start, with keets or adults, as the two adults I had first came and roosted on my roof, and would not leave. Therefore, I have experience with both ways of acquiring guineas. I am not sure which I’d prefer, had I been given a preference, as the two are completely different animals (sorry). 

Let us start with keets. They look very similar to chicks for the first week or two, then they start to develop their wing feathers and the chicks do not. There are a few other differences between the keets and chicks, one being in my experience that the keets will grow faster than the chicks. They have delicate legs and feet, so they should have a non-slippery surface to walk on. Then there’s the food for the keets. They need a high protein starter feed for those fast-growing little bodies and plenty of water. The keets will need a box to stay in until they’re older and this box is usually referred to as a brooder box. It need not be very large, depending on the number of keets you have. It will need to be kept clean of keet poop as the poop can stick to the keets’ feet and cause them pain, and it’s not easy to remove without hurting the feet. Best practice is keeping it clean. I prefer quarter to half-inch wire mesh. This enables the feces to drop to the ground under the box and makes for much less clean up!

If you decide on adult guineas, the process is a little simpler. First you, or someone who is better at this particular job, must catch the guineas. They are incredibly fast and won’t be caught unless they’re penned up in a small area. After catching them and putting them into an appropriately sized transport box, you just take them home. Before acquiring adult guineas, you should have your permanent home for them all ready to go. The optimum situation is that not only the coop is ready, but there is an enclosed pen for them also. Remember, guineas can fly, so you’ll want to have a cover over the area where they will be kept. Adult guineas will need to be penned up for approximately three to four weeks to allow their new home to be “imprinted” on them. After this time, if you’ve been feeding them and giving them treats in their pen they will want to return to it every evening. Guineas are blind in the dark, so they really do want to come home!

This is by no means a complete guide, but it should help you decide – keets or adults?

Every place where my family has lived has been fitted with a fish pond in the garden. These were usually dug by myself or the children and gave enormous pleasure to us all. Most important they provide atmosphere and water for the wild life. Some of the ponds we had were stocked with fish as well as tadpoles and frogs. Lying in bed at night listening to the frog calls was relaxing.

During the days, especially over summer, the water is essential for insects as well as birds, which are visit frequently. It is far more important to provide drinks than food as they will always find their own nutrition source and should not be dependent on humans.

Bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects all benefit from a pond. Keeping them stocked with fish is essential to keep down the mosquito population. A pump adds to the interest and keeps it oxygenated.

There are also beautiful water plants that can be grown in and around the feature. Some can be in pots or planted directly into the bank if it is a natural spring. Most ponds, however, are lines with either plastic, rubber, or clay and planting into those materials is not a good idea.

My ponds are usually built up into mounds on the sides making them appear deeper than they are. Beautiful Water Irises flower over summer and make a great show. Hebe and other flowering shrubs bring in the bees and wasps and they all drink from the facility.

Another great benefit to the garden is the humidity a pond offers. This allows special plants like ferns and such to be housed around the edges and even moss can be encouraged to decorate rocks strategically placed.

For me no garden is complete unless there is at least one water feature in it. At one stage my gardens had some six ponds scattered around. The bottom line is they are such a great asset that enhance the appearance of gardens that it is a shame not to include them.