when we bought our house almost nine years ago, we inherited a small back yard pond.  the kind that needs a little pump to keep the water circulating and fresh. the pond sits under a copse of oak trees. so each fall, it fills with leaves. each spring i rake it out, top it off, and pretty much ignore it for the rest of the summer. the kids love the pond, and so do the wildlife who come to drink from it. this spring, due to the general busyness of preparing to leave for france, i didn’t rake the pond. so we now have a very dense, very lush aquatic weed garden.  my son, the budding naturalist, has counted no less than 7 resident frogs, of four different breeds–wood frog, pickerel frog, leopard frog, and green frog.  he is convinced the weeds are the draw. now what do i do next spring?

naiad pondweeds from our backyard pond

saint paul, minnesota