This did NOT go as Planned...

In this week’s video, we take you through the exciting process of building a pond in our garden for our running ducks! 🦆🌿 We’ve designed a system featuring a main pond and a filter pond, all kept in perfect harmony by a circulation pump. Join us as we dive into the research, challenges, and hard work that goes into creating this serene space. Not everything goes as planned, but that’s all part of the journey! 🛠️💦
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#DuckPond #DIYGarden #PondBuilding #RunningDucks #GardenPond #FilterPond #BackyardProjects #Homesteading

[@Maddie.taylor]

Any tips or questions about pond building? Hit me🦆

[@Kyra_Skye]

I love all the flowers in your garden! 🥰💐 That's one of the beautiful things about having an older property where the flowering bushes have been growing for decades. You just can't replicate it with newer places (or at least, not until they've had decades of their own). I think you have some of the same flowers as the house I grew up in, lilacs, snowballs, old roses. Really makes me miss them! ❤

[@itsmeelli]

I love that too about the property ✨

[@dwighthalliburton2742]

❤

[@Maddie.taylor]

So true! we're so lucky here with those :')

[@nvasavhomoeo6271]

Love ❤ you alot😘💕🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@luluofweston]

so happy the duckies have a pond! they look so happy 😊

[@Truongthikimcuong92]

❤❤

[@keyarawveg]

Melted my heart to see the ducks enjoying their new pond that you worked so hard on. Nice work ladies!

[@cadence9055]

The delight of the sweet ducks with their new pond was exciting to see!! You’ll tweak it over time. Great job!!

[@teresamartin9773]

It is amazing! Every thing you do turns out beautiful! You are such an artist with a great eye. Those ducks have a wonderful life!

[@Katarina-ds5mj]

You both never cease to amaze me. You tackle projects most people would shy away from, rising to the occasion and achieving impressive end results. I am so enjoying watching your progress. I always learn something new along the way! 🩷 You created a beautiful duck pond for your feathered babies! They seem very happy with it.

[@Maddie.taylor]

This is so sweet, thank you so so much :') It really means so much to me!

[@Katarina-ds5mj]

@@Maddie.taylorYou are most welcome! 😊

[@dorothypaul4642]

I'm late to this vid, but what a perfect way to start my morning! All your hard work is paying off and seeing those sweet ducks enjoying their new pond is the cutest thing ever!

[@Valerygallery]

Those little duckies are so spoiled! They have gotten so grown up! You did it beautiful job of the pond.❤

[@Aco747lyte]

What a wonderful duck pond! You and Ellie never cease to amaze me with your ever-growing skills and determination. Your land is so large that one day you can build a kitchen garden; saving money on vegetables and fruit. Do consider getting a spud bin. Ours was made from a 100 litre dustbin with barrel-drilled holes around the sides. Last summer we grew over 50 kilos of potatoes, yet, the bin took up little space. We used coir compost, also growing strawberries in bags on poles: keep the slugs off! You may find raspberry canes growing again, if so then let them to grow more controlled and next year you'll enjoy free fresh raspberries - yum! Much love you both and take care, Wendi 🌻🌻🌻 PS. love your garden garden flowers

[@Maddie.taylor]

that is absolutely incredible! 50 kilos?! So cool! Thank you for the awesome suggestion and for all the sweet words, Wendi! Wishing you well :) ❤️

[@Aco747lyte]

@@Maddie.taylor Yep, using just a standard 100 litre dustbin costing about €15 is all you need. Using a barrel cutter, drill holes around the dustbin to encourage leaf growth as the leafs poke out the sides. As the potato plant grows, add compost to barely cover any new leaf inside the bin, encouraging the plant to put down more roots. More roots = More tubers. Remember that nitrogen is vitally important for leaf and tuber growth. This means adding weekly, plant fertilizer containing nitrogen plus phosphate, potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese - all these have been proven to affect potato tuber size. The bigger the tubers, the bigger the potato. 😋

[@jeffreyskinner6281]

Great job on the pond Maddie! Some lucky ducks those are!

[@RCandMORE4Fun]

It turned out great, Maddie! And remember, it will always be a work in progress!

[@mshonka7]

Maddie, You did a beautiful job with the pond. The ducks look so happy! I appreciate how patient you are with your roommate on all of your projects.

[@sos6121]

Love your pond. Happy ducks.

[@offairhead]

5:23 - this transition was so unusually placed that I thought it was an ad and kept waiting for the skip button to come up! 😂

[@Maddie.taylor]

keep you on your toes ;)

[@offairhead]

@@Maddie.taylor I always love your videos!!! I love that you have ducks!! What is the winter climate like there?

[@kimmetcalfe6408]

Great job on the duck pond!! They look so happy❤️

[@marcialovejoy9926]

Maddie you did a good job with the pond. It is so cute how the ducks r part of the family and future on your videos. Maddie always be your beautiful self. The way your care and love others is such a great gift.

[@Maddie.taylor]

:') ❤️

[@user-no7lp5sv7k]

Super video, Thank You for sharing your progress. So much to do and so little time. Wonderful duck pond. Stay Safe!!🙏👍

[@marcl5048]

Pond looks fantastic and ducks look very happy in it. Fantastic work!

[@lyricalgypsy]

Spoiled rotten, ducks! I LOVE it!! 😍🦆🦆🦆

[@Maddie.taylor]

hahaha only the best for our duckies

[@pk4243]

I love fountains and ponds, so enjoying your videos on all the things you are doing.....Those ducks!!!!! AND Eliza too

[@Maddie.taylor]

yay thank you for sticking around and leaving this sweet comment :)

[@the1andonly]

Those ducks are so cute! Good job on this pond, even if it didn't go as planned. The result is awesome!

[@cheta4949]

Really impressed at how you guys tackle all the upgrading & beautifying your home & the surrounding area.It's refreshing to watch!! Great job!! Love the duckeronies!!

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much! This is so sweet :')

[@antoniafoster8264]

Your ducks love their pond. I could watch them play in there all day. Good job. I can see that they are happy and healthy.

[@James-n4u]

Hello

[@davidlipski863]

Your coming along well with your garden plans, really good to see you happy and enjoying your new home.

[@l.h.9194]

You did so well! It must be such exhausting work figuring out all the problems with the plumbing (all behind the camera, so none of us can truly appreciate how tiring it was). Really commend your hard work on all the house renovations, and so happy to see your progress uploaded here. Your ducks are so adorable!

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much this is so kind! :)

[@p.a.u.l.555]

Awesome duck pond, great little waterfall Maddie, have a great week 😊

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much!

[@XMissCupCakejeee]

16:34 - girl stop it! It looks amazing, I'm so impressed by all the things you are figuring out and building and demolishing! Holy crap, so proud of you. Also I can see your confidence growing, the demolishing of the fireplace looks professional😜 Your videos help me so much, first to easy my anxiety and second, you give me the inspiration to follow my dream of building out a van in the near future. I'm aiming for the end of the summer🥰 So scary, so exiting😊

[@kelnorton478]

Oh wow! Love the duck pond. Nice life you guys are building!!

[@LSChestersMom]

OMG I LOVE your DUCKS! well done! I am absolutely in love with these ducks.

[@Maddie.taylor]

Aren't they just the cutest lil' things :')

[@jimmyjenkins9240]

The place is looking great! You can keep working on the pond while your ducks have the benefit of using it. So nice that Eliza gets along with the ducks!

[@katlynncok2]

I love the ducks . Good work pulling out the fireplace . Eliza is so adorable . Yall keep up the good work !!❤

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much!! :)

[@reesebender6756]

Another great job that you mostly designed as you went along. The ducks seem to be very happy with your project. The pond water should clear up with time. I'm still amazed at the amount of energy that you guys have. Thanks for sharing!

[@megaira86]

The house and the outdoor areas are going to look amazing. You guys have so many beautiful ideas and are so hard working and very talented. As always, quite an inspiring content for my future life in my own house in a few years.

[@aslanenlisted]

20 seconds in... Making a Duck Pond! I am all about the duck content! (Also I really enjoy these videos, im sorry im so fixated on your adorable duckies!)

[@AstartesP]

Love the ducks, they are the best, Joy and Sunshine for who ever has one, Bliss for who ever has a flock.

[@itsmeelli]

☀️🦆

[@MOTrav]

Your dog looks content and comfy in your new home. Are the ducks and dog being tolerant of each other? You would think they would fight once in awhile over the backyard area. Your progress with remodeling and changes seems to be going fast, even if there is no hard deadline for completion. Enjoy!

[@Maddie.taylor]

Yes! Eliza is so comfy and so far the ducks get along great, but we think it might be a little more touch and go when they are more matured, especially having two males. thanks for the comment!

[@waynemeeks6889]

One thing Maddie no one can't call you lazy

[@maryverhoeff50]

The ducks are so cute, I love them. Clear to see that they are very happy especially now they can swim in their pond which they clearly enjoy very much. Well done Maddie and Elly 👍.

[@itsmeelli]

They love it 🦆✨

[@PeterKNoone]

Those ducks are so adorable. Nice pond dude.

[@Maddie.taylor]

thanks Peter!! :)

[@moinmollie]

I love following your journey. Thanks so much for bringing us along on these wonderful projects 😊

[@bryans8656]

You spoil those ducks the way I spoil my cat. Which is to say "good job".

[@Maddie.taylor]

lol thank you very much!

[@pamelataylor412]

Oh, Maddie, I’m so jealous of you! Doing all the fun things in life imo. Thanks for the enjoyable distraction, I love watching it all happen❣️

[@nelliebriggs6320]

Ooooh I really got "Pride & Prejudice" vibes of the scene with you walking through the long grass. Great little cut scene 👍 also, the ducks are just too cute splish splashing in their new pond!

[@aslanenlisted]

You did a fabulous Job! There is an old Military saying that is essentially "No plan survives contact with the enemy" (I googled it and found it was German in origin) In 1871 Helmuth von Moltke wrote an essay about military strategy that included a lengthy statement that was essentially equivalent to the concise adage. Here is an excerpt in German followed by an English translation. Kein Operationsplan reicht mit einiger Sicherheit über das erste Zusammentreffen mit der feindlichen Hauptmacht hinaus. Nur der Laie glaubt in dem Verlauf eines Feldzuges die konsequente Durchführung eines im voraus gefaßten in allen Einzelheiten überlegten und bis ans Ende festgehaltenen, ursprünglichen Gedankens zu erblicken. No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the main enemy forces. Only the layman believes that in the course of a campaign he sees the consistent implementation of an original thought that has been considered in advance in every detail and retained to the end. Over time Moltke’s statement was condensed to yield the currently popular adages. All of this to say: Make Plan, Action Plan, Adjust plan!

[@gregganderson1454]

Looks like you’re doing great, Maddie. It’ll come together. You’re a hard worker!

[@Wildworld-s1n]

the pond is so beautiful! well done !

[@offairhead]

I love your precious feathered babies and all the love you are giving them!!

[@lhollybow]

Talk about 'getting your ducks in a row' - excellent job for a first timer. Everyone is happy on Maddie's Farm. Sweet.

[@Maddie.taylor]

:) love this. Thank you!

[@sarahyak_]

I love the sweet lil duckies 🥹💗

[@Tassie85]

Maddie and Elli, you are unstoppable! I am so impressed by you both. Love to you, Eliza and your ducks from Toronto!

[@itsmeelli]

🫶🏼🦆✨

[@itsmeelli]

Woow! You did amazing on the pond!!😍✨🦆

[@ManikandanMani-do7vh]

Yas

[@Maddie.taylor]

[@TheSwedishCef]

The pond was nice and things are progressing slowly but surely in the living room, it will be nice to follow the continued renovation and don't forget to take time for each other

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you for the sweet words, and for sticking around! :)

[@TheSwedishCef]

@@Maddie.taylor You are welcome

[@warmbreeze43]

Everything looks so good. You even make demoing look good. Another great video

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much!! :)

[@PrplAngl]

You both do amazing things. 👍 I have really enjoyed watching the progress 🦆🦆🦆

[@jornguhl5236]

Maddie you will need more fittings and cut the straight pipes shorter to be able to hide these 40mm guys. Nice contemt and video !!!

[@marionk995]

What a bunch of happy ducks 😀

[@itsmeelli]

🦆🫶🏼

[@olebloom1641]

Those are some happy ducks.

[@sacredstonecards9051]

I am so surprised that Ellie let you demo the fireplace. After all, she loves to demo. ❤❤❤

[@Maddie.taylor]

LOL for real

[@monicamestas7566]

Wow! Impressive... ambitious... scientific! Sounds like you have a great model for this bio pond. If anyone can pull it off, I'm sure you can. And amazing that you got the pond for 20 bucks. Super Happy Duck Story. Now that they're flying, will they stay home? Or do you need to clip their wings? Or? What predators do you have to watch out for?

[@Raider_MXD]

Watching other people work turns out to be very relaxing 😅

[@Irishprana]

woww! you did a great job with the pond Maddie💪🏻❤️

[@itsmeelli]

She really did 🥺 I miss gardening with youuu

[@davidravenhill6920]

You did a great job on the duck pond Maddie , even if things didn't go as planned lol . The ducks are enjoying at least 😊

[@mtcklc]

Maybe it didn’t go as planned but it looks great and the ducks love it!

[@veeemit9719]

I think the pond is adorable😊

[@oceandreams6081]

It looks great! Those ducks are living their best life

[@maartenblokdijk]

What a switch moving to Germany. Live and love!

[@marcussmith1768]

Haha Maddie. That kind of rain is just normal everyday life in the UK :) Loving the duck pond and I love the idea of the waterfall pump cleaning system. Great work. Hope Eliza is now fully settled in. xx Keep up the great work :)

[@itsmeelli]

I try to convince her that German summer is usually really sunny, but it’s been really bad this year 🌈

[@Maddie.taylor]

oh man, when will i evolve to suit this kind of weather? 29 years in California... so maybe by the time I'm 60? lol

[@Maddie.taylor]

p.s. eliza is loving life here! :) thanks for the comment!

[@marcussmith1768]

@@Maddie.taylor you are more than welcome :)

[@Banagal]

I had ducks and a cement pond without a filter system when I was about 8-10 years old. I would clean it manually with a high-powered water flow, a shovel, and a heavy broom. It worked, and the ducks would all jump in when I finished cleaning it. Looking back, I did a pretty good job as a child. My sisters would disappear each time I gathered the tools. All the better because it saved arguments from starting. I did it my way.

[@Maddie.taylor]

that is so hardcore! you were a rockstar as a kid!

[@Banagal]

I loved animals.

[@jtdo1622]

Looks great!!! Nice job!!!! Happy ducks!!!!

[@LiveFree123]

You’re doing an amazing job ❤️❤️

[@granddpa]

great job your ducks will b so happy,

[@MrForrest828]

It looks like you get a lot of rain. Is that normal? The duck pond looks great. Plumbing is always a pain to hide. You could always paint the plumbing black. Looking forward to your next project.

[@itsmeelli]

It’s not really that normal for summer here, but something about this year .. 🫠

[@jessicawinstone8331]

Ducks are such a Maddie thing! 🦆🦆🦆

[@Maddie.taylor]

they are my brand now lol

[@dianathefiberfan5116]

I love your little pond for the ducks.

[@carolzizich7584]

Looks awesome Maddie!🦆

[@wessebaggers]

It looks awesome ❤❤❤

[@sabinatocariuc3387]

You are wonderful. Congratulations on all you do. You could use some help. Success.

[@bajahama]

No creative comments this time, Maddie, just loved the video!!! Well done!! 😃

[@davidgibbings6085]

Love the pond , if you’re curious about why so cold and always raining , look into geo engineering ..👍

[@je9833]

That intro was so relaxing ❤

[@natalienetanya7401]

Your ducks are so precious ❤

[@tammycruz8189]

It looks awesome Mattie ❤❤

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you!!

[@efortunywhitton]

Well done on the pond and the plumbing! Phew! The ducks look soooo happy!! 😊❤ (The cows always break my heart... part of the global animal holocaust.)

[@shannonm2689]

Always look forward to your videos

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much! :)

[@marciapeterson4404]

Love the pond!

[@Maddie.taylor]

yay thank you so much!

[@GK49245]

Nice work. Thanks for sharing

[@Maddie.taylor]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jamesdublin8338]

I do have a suggestion for the pipes. I used greenscape, a plastic ivy that comes in sheets. I cut it into strips that I could wrap around the pipe and attach with cable ties. The pipes just disappeared! It might be an option for you. Just thought I would throw it out there. Have fun living the dream!

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much this is so helpful!! :)

[@jamesdublin8338]

No problem at all. I am glad my suggestion could help.

[@MsBerries25]

Maddie, I stay amazed at your ingenuity. You know how to design, build, and maintain a homestead, including one for your duck babies. I've been following you for about 2.5 years now, when you were Van Lifing it, and I was blown away by how you built out your own van DIY! And it was such an iconic van, too. I was kind of sad to see it go but excited to see your next adventure in Germany. Now you're demo-ing doors, walls, fireplaces, and installing flooring and building gardens, duck houses, and ponds. A-mazing. Thanks for sharing! Hi Elli!! So glad you're part of Maddie's life journey. You're so sweet! 🙂

[@Maddie.taylor]

I always recognize your comments, MsBerries25! Thank you for sticking around for so long and for always being the sweetest :') So happy to have you on this little corner of the internet. ❤️

[@MsBerries25]

@Maddie.taylor Wow, thanks for remembering me! 🤗 And absolutely, glad to be here. Thanks for taking us all along on your journey ☺️

[@ahnsa2364]

You look soo pretty maddie sister. And the place and evething you guys have done till now i love it whole heartedly..❤

[@user-ts9jq9wx5d]

Hay there keep up the good work in your house. I love you.🌹🌹❤

[@ianlove3]

Good job.

[@FelishaMilller]

Another great video!!! ❤😊

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you!

[@lo8337]

Your pond is duck approved and good to see Eliza is doing well.

[@Maddie.taylor]

ducks say it's up to code :)

[@aaronriedel5372]

Good video!

[@TJK50014]

We tried the bio filter with our ducks and turtles. It stayed clean for a week. Those critters poop and get mud in everything.

[@ruebennomura9143]

Aloha amazing work on this video

[@Maddie.taylor]

thank you so much!

[@endlessmilesrider6756]

Great job beautiful Maddie! Protect those pretty eyes always! ❤🤙

[@pamsteiner2196]

Use large rocks to cover pipes, check online for filler to use around ponds

[@abby4601]

Happy duck!!