The Pond

I put the final touches on my pond this week...the fountain.  This pond has been through so much in the past five years, you wouldn't believe it.  This is it's third incarnation.  The reason for this is raccoons.

(This photo is not from my pond, but from Google images.)

The original pond had a pond liner and koi.  Raccoons dug their pointy little nails into the liner and we had to replace it.  Then we replaced the second liner.  Then I said, "No more liners!"  A few months ago we came up with the idea of getting very sturdy tubs that the raccoons could not possibly destroy and surrounding them with rocks and plants.  We have small goldfish in the back pond and plants (see the water lily blooming) and a fountain in the front pond.  Raccoons still come and want to destroy it, but at least for the present moment I have a beautiful pond.  The answer is complicated: the tub/pond has to be deep enough so that raccoons don't want to get in.  You cannot make it easy for them to step in by keeping rocks or plants in the pond that are stepping stones for them.  And, most importantly, you need to create the illusion that their worst predator is nearby: immitation coyote urine powder!...surrounding the pond.  And you have to be constantly vigilant.