An orange WL sounds delicious, hope to see pictures of that one. Even if it is peachy rather than a darker orange it would be still be unique.

Water Hyacinths

So pretty! They're considered a noxious weed , and outlawed in the southern states, but I've bought them at local nurserys. I guess since we don't have "waterways" here, they don't worry about it.

I would think that your Zone 10 would make them hardy in your area. In our area they turn to mush each fall no problem with them getting out of hand.

They still turn to mush here. I suppose they reseed, and I've heard they choke the waterways in the gulf coast states.

Yes, I have heard that, too.

How do you keep pots with water hyacinths or water lilies from turning to green algae infested guck. I am afraid that is what would happen here. I would love to try it as they just don't do well in my pond. I don't think it is consistently warm enough for them.

Holly...that's not a begonia...it is a heuchera...and it is growing next to the pond... I'll take a picture of it in the morning.. It will be clearer as to what it is... It does look a lot like a begonia ..
Funny...in that picture the water lettuce and hyacinths cover about 1/2 the pond... A month later...today? I took a couple of square ft of them out of there and put them in a big 2 ft dia... 1/2 sphere made of aluminum..a bit of left over space program material.. And there is still a full covering of the plants in the pond...

Mary, The fountain wasn't running when I took that picture but there is a running fountain that empties into the bowl and the water runs over the sides and into the small pond below. It keeps it pretty clean.
Very pretty Gordon.
I was away for a few days and came home to see that my water lotus has started to bloom while I was away, didn't get to see it fully open. Wonder what it will look like tomorrow.

Box pond

Beautiful!!! What a nice area to relax in!

It is easily viewed from the Gazebo and just the right height for little ones to see the fish and occasional frogs that visit.

Love the box pond Holly...
Here's a better picture of not the begonia....in front is the pond...well I guess it's still there under a thick coating of the water hyacinths.. I wish they would start flowering...they would be easier to give away.....and the water lettuce..it would be hard to pick which is more invasive....I keep pulling piles of both out trying to give them away...and starting new mini ponds.. I'm not having much luck keeping a bit of open water for the fish....I bet they are getting a nice feast of mosquito larvae ..as I've not seen but one mosquito this year.. Second is the aluminum pond...

Gordon - Lovely! I can have water hyacinths or water lettuce here because they are prohibited. And you are seeing why.

Where did you get your aluminum pond? That is pretty neat looking!

Yes Becky...it is relentless grower...it and the water lettuce also... I got two plants late in the spring... And now have piles of them...if it was a food source...there would be no hunger in the world... Just a bowl of water... And you'd be making food ...
The aluminum dome... Came from the Marshal Space Flight Center. ..it was mothers watering trough for her horses for 50 years...when she had horses on Redstone arsenal... And it moved with her when the stables were closed down to make way for the Huntsville Botanical Garden.. Without water it has a perfect tone when hit... And will spin almost forever ...with the flange part always perfectly flat... It is made with such precision .....likely a 10 grand piece of space history when it was made...I did brighten it up a bit... In her memory...After 50 years of horse and dog drool..

Gordon - THAT is a piece of history!!! Very, very cool!!! Glad to hear you were smart and kept it after she passed away. Very smart!

LOL on the aluminum watering trough. My bathtub pond was our watering trough for the horse for years before it became a pond. Great pictures. Don't know why I didn't recognize the heuchera I have several of them. Guess I just had begonias on my mind at the time.

Very nice Holly!!!

Beautiful bloom and a nice photo capture of it!