I’ll start by saying that I’m not a really great gardener. I have a physical disability that keeps me from doing as much as I want with my front garden. However, for the past 4 years, I’ve had a small water feature/mini pond in my front yard. I keep it small to stay within bylaw rules. Mine is one of 2 or possibly 3 in the larger neighbourhood area.
It started as a little barrel pond, and 3 years ago, I put in a little 75 gallon mini pond, surrounded by a rock garden. It’s powered by a solar fountain that runs a small filter pump. I add a little every year, as I’m able, and was planning replacing the preformed pond next year with a new shape since I’ll have to pull it out to rebalance the foundation (it has started sinking on one side).
I put goldfish and a frog or two in every year (they overwinter in an indoor aquarium). I live in a very family friendly neighbourhood with lots of kids. Starting early April, a few regular visitors stop by and look at the pond as it takes shape and wait for the fish to come out. The fish are a BIG hit and my neighbours kid was DELIGHTED last year when he spotted the frog.
The kids are never the problem.
It’s the adults.
They frequently let their dogs run up and drink the pond water. We live within visual distance of a public park with a well maintained water fountain that includes a pet fountain. Last year a dog ended my frog. After that, I put up a sign that said “no drinking”.
The other day, two parents came and spent ~30 minutes looking at the pond with their toddler, who was delighted with the fish. But they stomped all over my freshly planted flowers and broke all but 2 of my tulips.
They let their toddler hop on my garden rocks.
It was weird.
They came back yesterday. The kid hopped all over the rocks, stepped on my freshly planted begonias, broke 2 of my tulips, came up on my porch to smell my lilacs, poked at the flower planter on my steps, and picked a tulip from the garden beside my porch.
I don’t want to stop people from enjoying the pond. It’s very small, but I take a great deal of pride in it. Seeing their joy brings me so much joy!!
But adults should know better!
I didn’t see it until later as I was having dinner. My ring camera caught it all and I was so disappointed!
I’m contemplating taking the pond out, but it will break my heart (and my back). I can replace it with a Japanese maple or something.
I’ve made a little sign that I’m thinking of laminating and putting out by the garden.
I put a cheap dollar store fence around it. I don’t know if I like it, but I think it does the job?
I’m really disappointed that I have to, though. I’m genuinely worry the kid is going to fall into the pond or otherwise hurt himself on my property and I’ll be liable.
by HannahThe_Mouse
31 Comments
I’m so sorry… I know how disappointing it is to work so hard for something that others don’t appreciate what it took to make it happen, ESPECIALLY when you have a physical disability.. we take what joy we can in the little things!! I think the little black fence is cute and the sign gets the point across without being rude.
Before I read what happened I was a bit on the side of “just let people enjoy it!” But sounds like they are actually destroying, not just enjoying. The fence is cute and not too tall. I would start with that and if it doesn’t solve the problem then add the sign.
Print out the camera view and leave the photo at the pond with a note that says “please don’t do this”
ETA- it’s sad, but people do better when they know they’re being watched. Also, if kid does fall, if you catch them on camera seeing the warning, you have proof they were aware of the danger and will have a much harder time using their stupidity and disrespect against you in court, should an injury occur to the child.
This is such a lovely pond with whimsy and I would be delighted if I came across it. It is such a shame. You really should be proud it’s everyone else ruining the fun.
My husband nearly drowned in a backyard pond when he was a toddler. I’m very wary of any amount of pooled water near kids, probably more than I need to be (I was a chaplain in a children’s hospital one summer when we had 9 drownings). While I love the pond, I worry that it is too much of a liability. Could you have someone put in a rain garden? We had one installed (for free through a grant program) and it doesn’t take a lot of work to keep it up.
Sorry to be a downer.
I spent 25 years as an Educator. I would like to say I am surprised. But I am not.
Humanity has lost all moral boundries.
I am sorry this happened.
Please post a sign like you did. The pond ia adorable!
Yes, very sad that people will trample your garden and let their dogs in your pond. I had the same problem in my yard and had to fence it. I went for a metal fence, a little taller. As you can see it almost disappears from view
https://preview.redd.it/4inllmpbuj0h1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57ea6285500d937a5bd1ed853a6feaec27cbcebc
I hate to say this, but it’s just going to keep happening since the pond is so close to public access. The best thing you could do is move it right up against your house or in your backyard. It might take you a while to move it but better now than in peak summer. If you keep it out there, it’s just going to be a continuous source of stress for you. Do what’s best for you so you can relax and enjoy your summer.
I love the sign and it’s worded in a very fun way. Sorry the adults are the problem, but maybe the kiddos will learn something from it?
I’m so sorry.
Maybe be more direct: a dog ate the frog. A toddler stomped the flowers. Please respect the pond
Your pond is very lovely, forgot to say in my original comment. Your sign is nicely worded, hope it helps!
I take a mullet approach to gardening. Business in the front, fun stuff in the back. You can’t trust people to protect it. I don’t think you need to take it out, but maybe leave it for the dogs and birds and take the critters to the back.
Also what dog owner is letting their dog drink from a random pond?!
Tulip stomping is garden defacement of the highest and most vile caliber and will not be tolerated. 😡
People are the worst. I’m sorry you’re having this experience.
I hope you keep your whimsy in the garden. And I hope folks get the hint.
Im so sorry. I dont understand what goes through some people’s heads. A private garden in my area opens to the public a few times each year for charitable fund-raising events, and some of the visitors let their kids do anything: climb trees, play IN water features, pick flowers, and trample plants. The parents don’t seem to understand that this is not okay.
Sign is too nice, most won’t even read it.
It’s ALL soul soothing! GFY! 💐
Your signage is great. If you have any other problems you may want to accompany it with a photo of the trampled plants. Show what people caused. I’m petty enough I’d make a list of everything trampled and include it.
Some have suggested posting pics of the perpetrators but I would be leery to post pictures of people. I completely believe in public shaming but you have to live amongst these people and they know where you live. But man Im so upset for you. People who don’t grow things have no concept. I have a four year old and it’s basic decency not to behave that way and to police a small child’s actions. I also don’t trust random people to be good stewards toward my animals in a similar situation. I’m surprised the kid wasn’t trying to grab fish.
I had to make a sign for Amazon drivers that said “please don’t step in garden, seeds are growing” because they would run through my huge flower bed, mind you my walk way is literally touching the boarder of my garden bed, it would take them 2 extra feet to walk on my walkway.
You should have a sign out that says “ keep your dogs away. One killed the resident frog, so no more dogs”. Also print out the photo of the family letting their toddler stomp all over and say “ the family responsible for this is no longer welcome to view. Please keep walking”.
I absolutely hate entitled parents. I hope you catch them in the act and tell them off. I know it’s uncomfortable, but people like that do not deserve to destroy the hard work of others.
Just have to write, this is absolutely beautiful and my family and I would probably visit something like this daily after school. I think is sign is very perfectly polite. Thank you for doing this for your community 💕💕💕really heart warming
That pond and garden is adorable and I’m so sorry people don’t show it (or you!) the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that the sign will do anything to curtail the disrespect as too many people are allergic to reading even the shortest of sentences. And, if the parents will allow their child to climb on rocks and stomp on your plants, I fear they’ll allow their child to climb over the fence as well.
IANAL and IANYL, but I do think you should reconsider the placement of this garden because (depending on which state you’re in) it may constitute an “attractive nuisance” and if a child injures themself on it you can be held liable. Even if your state doesn’t have attractive nuisance laws, do you really want to risk a child injuring themself on your property because of their parents’ disrespect?
If something is available to the public it will be damaged…. No matter how many signs you put up. Parent let their kids climb and walk across the tops of playground structures and fences because they’re too busy playing on their phone to watch their kids. So, the kids become accustomed to clumping and jumping on everything and the parents let them, especially when it’s perceived as public.
Sorry. It sucks. But looks real nice!
Give the sign a try – If anyone has a problem with such a kindly-worded request, the problem’s with them and not you.
Bad news: the abuse of your delightful little corner garden will likely never end. Best you can hope for really is to put a bit of a fence around it or something prickly to deter people allowing their kids and pets direct access to it so often.
Worse: if someone gets hurt or a pet gets sick from drinking you can be held liable.
Interesting stuff should be backyard or else away from the sidewalk. Anything close to the sidewalk needs to be durable and you willing to put up with some unintended interaction.
I’m so sorry that people aren’t respecting your hard work!! I seriously don’t understand some people’s audacity and entitlement. What parent lets their kid do that on someone else’s property?!?!
I like the fence and the sign idea. I hope it changes people’s behavior so you can continue to enjoy your wonderful little pond space.
Also, I had an idea that’s more work but may be nice: you could paint rocks with little fish, frogs, and flowers. Then say to leave the live animals and flowers alone but feel free to take a little pocket rock? Like a trapper crop, but the pests are other humans.
Plain from the front, gorgeous and relaxing in the back.
Make your front yard underwhelming because even that Japanese maple will attract 4 legged pee’ers who may even want to poop and since their owner lacks the couth to keep them from drinking from your pond and ending your frog I wouldn’t expect them to discourage their dogs from pooping.
It’s your home, your hard work, why put all of that out there for others to take for granted?
If you have a backyard make that beautiful then hand pick your garden guests.
My dream home looks so plain and uninviting from the front.
Sadly I don’t think that fencing looks as nice as it does without it, but I’m not sure that can be helped. Even if you out signage around people are still going to behave badly and treat your private property like it’s a public space. It looks lovely either way though.
We literally made our pond with the rocks so kids could climb on the rocks and the neighborhood kids could enjoy it. We created pathways and didn’t put finicky plants by the pond so we wouldn’t worry about it. We enjoy seeing the kids delight in the pond and don’t worry about it at all.
Many people are making the (probably reasonable) assumption that I’m American and subject to American laws.
I’m Canadian.
Water features are governed by municipal bylaws. Ponds and water features must be less than 0.6 metres deep, or less than 23”.
My little pond is currently holding just about 10” of water.
It’s well within the safety limits for a legal water feature. Pond chemicals are wildlife safe, as it attracts birds and pollinators to the garden.