When we made a committment in 2001 to growing lines of species Victorias in addition to those we need to grow to make hybrid seeds, we realized we needed more space for some of those plants. We decided to build "Dune", literally on the dune of the Atlantic Ocean, separated from the beach by some vegetation and a seawall.

Dune needed to be large! The natural contour of the land and landscape dictated an irregular shape. An existing low stone wind wall had to be incorporated in the design. We wanted a substantial sand bottom for the roots to roam in and disposal of extra dirt from the hole was a problem. The answer was to build the pond partly in the ground and partly above ground and to build it in sections.

Running level lines between grade stakes was the first step and placing a concrete block edge was the second. The edge blocks were joined with plastic coated steel cable and cells were filled almost full with concrete. The blocks were simply placed and leveled -- there was no footer under them. Once the upper edge was in place, we began to dig at the west end. This excess dirt was spread in the surrounding area.

Once the west one-third was set, we dug the middle one-third, stacking the dirt back in the western part. As the middle third was completed, dirt from the eastern third was stacked in the middle. The big pile in the middle was spread back to the east when that part was finished. The stakes in the center mark the deeper depressions for installing Victorias in the future.

The morning after Dune's concrete was finished and the added-back dirt was spread and leveled, we grafittied the sides and filled it. Even as big as it is, it was nearly level! The end to end adjustment with concrete and mortar mix was less than an inch. We added the first fish, snails and plants the next day. We built Dune in April of 2001 and in the fall of 2001, Rich Sacher captured this image. >>

<< By fall 2002, Dune looked like this.