The pond: too much?

You know I love my pond, right? I really do. It's just that it's getting to be a bit too much right now.

I don't mean too much work, as there's really nothing I've been doing other than adding some beneficial bacteria every couple of weeks, and righting plant pots that were tipped by raccoons. No, by "too much" I mean "too much going on visually".

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Last year I had three different water plants in large pots in the water. This year I have six, plus a few smaller ones. I got a bit carried away.

True that the old ones were all tropical or only marginally hardy here, and the new ones are all cold-hardy natives, like this "Pickerel Plant" Pontederia cordata:

I just think there's not enough "open water" here, which is probably a common problem with small ponds. In another month it will be even more crowded:

It sure is looking nice and lush though!

The elephant ears are already as tall as me:

I'm trying the papyrus in the ground instead of in the water this year (or I'd have even less room in there!)

The main surface plants are frogbit (like miniature lily pads) and water hyacinth (new this year), with a little bit of tiny-leaved duckweed -- but only where the fish can't reach it:

The Petasites is still impressive, even though the elephant ears are stealing some of their thunder:

Besides the plants being "too much", the same can be said for the tadpoles:

There will be no shortage of toads in my yard this year!

I do wonder if the frogs ever mated, and if any of these are frog tadpoles? I know there are at least two frogs that still live here, as I see two separate splashes whenever I walk toward the pond.

There's so much greenery in which to hide though, I don't know if I'll get a clear glimpse of them again this year. The same can be said for the fish.

Still, "too much" or not, I love my pond!

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