Search the pictures below for the types of water features you are interested in viewing. For example: if you are looking for a Pondless® Waterfall feature type in "pondless" and pull up any pictures associated with that type feature (ecosystem pond, water garden, fountainscape or rainwater harvesting are other examples of water features). You can also search for things like "before" pictures or "after" pictures to find really great comparison pictures. Searching for a contractor in your area is also easy, just type in your city, state or zip code and any contractors who have included these key words with their photos will be found in this window.
Hosted in St. Charles, Ill also known as the water garden capital of the world, from August 5-8 2010; water garden and pond industry folks descended upon this small, historic, and charming town.
Pond people running amuck, shovels crossing, dirt flying, water slopping, and fish flopping in the streets…can you imagine!!
Well, if you can imagine that, good....park that image right there in your imagination because I have a much different scenario to describe.
Greg Wittstock, THE Pond Guy and his amazing team, opened their doors to the pond industry this August for the 10th annual Pondemonium event. This year’s event was a back to basics theme. Aqualand, the AI corporate headquarters, became home to hundreds of pond and water garden professionals for these several days and let me tell you, Pondemonium was far from the pandemonium described above. Quite to the contrary; pond professionals from designers and installers, to retailers and wholesalers from coast to coast and every corner of the United States, Canada, and even the Bahamas! all came together for what is by far THE pond and water garden industry event of the year.
If you haven’t been to or heard of Pondemonium and you are in the water garden and pond industry you really need to get involved. Pondemonium offers something for everyone with workshops, seminars, and networking opportunities. Classes covering technical issues, business matters, sales and marketing, internet and social media, new products and technology are available to everyone. Hands on pond building, pond tours, and learning opportunities are served up in an organized and professional manner that makes this event not only educational, but easy to navigate. But it doesn’t end there.
Want to be entertained? Want to have fun? Hungry?
Pondemonium offers it all. In the presentations there is lots of humor and practical advice, and even some self deprecating mockery all in good fun with lots of laughs. Many attendees stay in the local resort and have swimming, tennis, golf, night clubs, comedy clubs, bars, and restaurants on site. Aquascape Inc serves up some good grub for the attendees as well; continental breakfast in the morning. Chicago pizza, Mexican food, and more for lunch, and BBQ’s for dinner. Also, the opportunity to mix it up with other pond professionals at this year’s beer garden left everyone satisfied. And honorable mention must be given to a spontaneous parking lot RV party where pond people mingled in a fun setting till the early hours (gotta love pond people)! There was even an award ceremony to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of several pond professionals throughout the country, and church on Sunday morning at Aqualand.
Whether you install 2 ponds per year or 2 ponds per week, maybe you operate a major garden center or a mom and pop pond shop, if you are a professional water gardener or koi retailer, Pondemonium is an industry event you cannot afford to miss. This event was everything it should have been for a pond industry professional and at the end of the event the quaint town of St. Charles, Ill returned to it’s normal rhythms of life with only the memory of the hundreds of pond industry professionals who made the “Water Garden Capital of the World” their home for a few days, and the only evidence left behind of the event are a few new water features to beautify this already lovely part of the country.
So, yes, I will expect to see you ALL there next year and all are welcome! Congratulations to Aquascape Inc for another event well done. Its Pondemonium baby and I can’t wait to be back!
The LOVE YOUR POND blog is written by Mike Gannon of Full Service Aquatics. Mike is a professional pond builder and expert in the broad topics of fishkeeping and water gardening. Mike also produces THE POND HUNTER video series which can be viewed on Youtube. “In The Pursuit Of All Things Aquatic” the Pond Hunter videos provide how-to pond construction videos, pondumentaries, and videos of related interest. Mike resides in New Jersey with his wife and 2 daughters. To visit his website go to www.loveyourpond.com and visit The Pond Hunter at www.youtube.com/thepondhunter.
We have had the best year in 2010 working with the wonderful group of people at WCNC-TV NewsChannel 36 in Charlotte! We started in January with the design and build of the East Coast’s largest and only Outdoor Water Garden TV Studio. And we haven’t looked back since January!
Colleen Odegaard, host of the highly-successful “Charlotte Today” show on NewsChannel 36, was kind enough to give WaterScapes Pro an endorsement about our company, our pond design, and how much they love their pond. However, these was one catch! Watch the video below.
We like to tell our customers that we can build a pond and waterfall anywhere. And when you see what we are doing with this wonderful and fun new pond build at Lake Norman, you'll see that we really do build ponds anywhere!
The physical space challenges that we have on this particular pond build really excites our crew. It's the thrill of conquering the challenge and inventing new ways to achieve success. We will keep you posted on this new pond build because you can really appreciate how it unfolds as we build it.
For now, please enjoy these photos from the very beginning as we overcome every physical challenge of tight quarters to give this client the pond of his dreams!
Our new WaterScapes Pro Koi Cam is up and running at the NewsChannel 36 WaterScapes Outdoor TV Studio garden!
The WaterScapes Koi Cam resides inside the NewsChannel 36 WaterScapes Garden Koi pond where you can take an exclusive look into the world of the beautiful Japanese Koi as they swim in the only outdoor television watergarden studio in the Carolinas at NewsChannel 36 in Charlotte!
The Koi hobby today boasts over 100 amazing color varieties. Every Koi is unique, and the patterns that are seen on a specific Koi can never be exactly repeated. Koi are bred all over the world, and are considered the most popular freshwater ornamental pond fish. Be sure to check back often to see the WaterScapes Koi camera as these exotic fish live their lives in this beautiful water ecosystem.
We look forward to hearing your comments on the beautiful Koi and their wonderful pond home!
To grow knock-out, show-quality water lilies in your pond, only three cultural requirements are necessary:
Full Sun – This means at least seven or more hours of unobstructed sunlight per day. While some varieties will tolerate less and still bloom to a degree, full sunlight is a mandatory requirement for truly awesome plants.
Adequately Sized Pot or Planting Pocket – A minimum size pot or pocket for most hardy water lilies is approximately 16 inches by 7 inches. A commercial pot is readily available in this configuration. Anything smaller than this is simply inadequate for most varieties. A much larger pot will make the plant harder to manage, (lifting comes immediately to mind) but will increase the intervals between the necessary re-potting/dividing. A pot or pocket this size will accommodate most cultivars for up to three years before repotting/dividing is needed. The hardy water lily rhizomeactually travels across the soil horizontally, necessitating the wide pot or pocket.
Fertilizer – Plants, like most living things, simply love to eat, and water lilies like to eat a lot. They are almost gluttonous in their appetites for food. They should be fertilized generously according to the fertilizer directions. Fertilizer may be in either tablet or granular form, consisting of an instant or readily available release formulation, or a time-release formula, releasing nutrients at a fairly consistent rate over a given rate of time varying from 30 to 360 days. A combination of both works the best.
Low Maintenance Beauties
Maintenance on any water lily – hardy or tropical – is minimal. If the three simple cultural rules have been followed then little else should be necessary to keep them healthy and flourishing. A couple things to keep in mind though; water lilies do not like moving water or water from a fountain or waterfall splashing on their leaves. They do not like to be harassed by chewing or sucking insects, (or trampled by a large canine) so if any sign of insect infestation is evident then try to identify the offending pest and use appropriate treatment.
Water lilies respond to conventional treatments like most any other plant, but many standard pesticides are toxic to fish, and are not labeled for aquatic use. A lot of pond owners prefer to go the safe route and use compounds that are not harmful to fish and other aquatic life.
During prolonged periods of summer rainfall, water lilies, just like terrestrial plants, can develop fungal infections that can result in leaf spotting or entire sections of leaf turning black and dissolving into mush. Don’t panic, just keep removing the affected leaves until the sun comes out and Mother Nature affects her own cure. These plants have survived for millions of years, and volumes have been written in the annals of aquatic weed control on how to kill them … a much more difficult proposition than keeping them alive and flourishing.
Have you ever been yelled at about algae? Have you ever been directly blamed for the growth of algae? I have.I am not sure at exactly which point in my life it happened that I became the guy responsible for algae growth; and I am not sure if that is something to be proud of or not either, but it is for sure that algae management is a huge part of my life in one way….or another.
Algae actually keeps me pretty busy as an American pond builder. In many parts of the world algae growth and green hazy water conditions are perfectly normal, accepted, even expected, but not here in the USA; the American pond has got to be clear water and algae growth kept to the minimum!This is the given expectation that I encounter with virtually all prospective clients who are considering a pond installation. My customers want to see the bottom of their pond! For the American pond 3-8 inches of visibility will not do, while in other countries this is the norm and even considered desirable. “Crystal” clear conditions are probably not really discussed in pond installation consultations in other parts of the world.
As luck, and filtration systems, has it these days clear water and minimal algae growth is pretty achievable but the American pond has another characteristic to it that is not a major issue in other parts of the world, and that is size. Yes, to Americans size matters, pond size that is. The American pond is bigger than most pond installations throughout the rest of the world. Why? Well maybe it is because we have the room to make our ponds bigger. In Europe and many other parts of the world there simply is not enough room to make a pond very big in your typical backyard. The American pond gets a little more leg room with an average size pond being about 8’ X 10’, and that number seems to creep up a bit more very year.
How about waterfalls? It is practically a must, a given, that the American pond will have a waterfall cascading down into it. For the last 15 years about every pond that I have put in has had some sort of waterfall…or 2, or 3 with lots of water volume moving through it. Each waterfall we design and install has at the very least 2000 gph of water moving through it and many customers ask for more! Can it go taller and wider is a pretty common waterfall design question with Americans. Ponds in other parts of the world often do not have any type of waterfall at all, they are smooth surface ponds that a waterfall has no place in. No crashing falls, no white water in their backyards.
The American pond has got to be deep! It is becoming common pond design advice that the American pond has to be at least 3 feet deep, at least! Meanwhile our pond keeping counter parts, who have been at it much longer than ourselves will rarely have a pond that deep or deeper in their backyard garden pond installations. The typical depth staying at about 18”, to maybe 24” for the more adventurous pond keeper. “Dig deeper…deeper!” is commonly heard on my pond installation jobsite.
All this bigger, deeper, stronger, more leads of course to overstocking. Yes the American pond is routinely overstocked with fish and aquatic plants of numerous varieties. Oh no, not 2-3 types of plants; how about 12 different types of plants or more. Oh no, not one type of fish how about 10 different types of fish. To the American eye, myself included, this is an awesome display; however, through other eyes our ponds might seem like a busy intersection in New York City.
So the American pond has some pretty profound characteristic differences when compared to our extended family of pond keepers throughout the world. Is all of the American pond attributes necessary to enjoy your pond? Probably not. Would pond keepers from other parts of the world find the American pond to be a bit loud and overstated…probably; but this is who the American pond keeper is! We like our ponds bigger, deeper, and more powerful. Give us more plants, more fish. Let’s rebuild our ponds and make them even bigger! Giddy up!
Oh, God bless us.
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The LOVE YOUR POND blog is written by Mike Gannon of Full Service Aquatics. Mike is a professional pond builder and expert in the broad topics of fishkeeping and water gardening. Mike also produces THE POND HUNTER video series which can be viewed on Youtube. “In The Pursuit Of All Things Aquatic” the Pond Hunter videos provide how-to pond construction videos, pondumentaries, and videos of related interest. Mike resides in New Jersey with his wife and 2 daughters. To visit his website go to www.loveyourpond.com and visit The Pond Hunter at www.youtube.com/thepondhunter.
We have started a new project on this beautiful pond in one of our premier Charlotte neighborhoods. Our goal is to transform this pond into a Rainwater Harvesting project and permanently fix their green algae water problem.
Our solution is an attack on the green algae. We are installing a Negative Edge Skimmer and a Bog Filtration System with an IonGen electronic water treatment system. It's like a big 1-2-3 punch against green algae!
This client loves their pond so much that they also wanted us to upgrade the pond with one of our Rainwater Harvesting Systems. This will collect rainwater and replenish the pond as water evaporates.
To finish this beautiful pond upgrade, we will be adding new Koi fish, some gorgeous new water plants and aquatic plant life, and building back in some landscaping features to help accent the water garden. In the end, our client will be so happy with the upgrade and they can continue to enjoy their wonderful and peaceful pond lifestyle!
As an owner of 2 seasonal businesses I do not get a lot of time off, so family time to me is pretty important and I take it where I can get it. I even look at house cleaning as a family time opportunity; and based on the faces of my 2 girls when it is time to clean they enjoy it even more than I……
In a recent round of “family time” cleaning I was organizing another family time opportunity being our gaming system. As I was organizing the wildly strewn about system I realized that I have sunk a few thousand dollars into this system between the console, games, equipment, and replacement equipment it requires for me and my family to “enjoy” it. I started thinking about the quality of that family time vs. the cost of the equipment and then compared the gaming system to, of course, our pond; and I feel I came to some pretty interesting observations.
Typical quality of family time with the gaming console yields about an hour or so of my daughters, and me, becoming transfixed on a screen. We don’t really interact or even so much acknowledge each other when the game system is going. It usually takes several attempts to get their attention when the game system is on and even then they do not actually look at me and seem more annoyed that they are being disturbed from their game. Typical game time results in someone losing and feeling bad, or even winning and not being a “good” winner. My conclusion of the gaming system is that it is not really “time together” at all, it is very short lived moment, we don’t really talk to each other, someone’s feelings get hurt, and it is expensive with constant re-investment.
Then comes the pond. A backyard pond is really not all that more expensive than having a gaming system, possibly less expensive. When my family is by the pond we talk to each other, we interact with each other; we enjoy the outdoors, fresh air, and sunlight. The only “fighting” that happens is between the pond fish scrambling over each other to get more food. We all are more relaxed by the pond, it is not a competition, and there is not winner or loser amongst us; the pond is an equalizer with something for everyone. We always find something to learn and laugh about. A pond never has the same show twice and it is dynamic, changing with the seasons around us so it never gets boring or predictable. In my heart I know that my daughters’ eyes are gazing upon something of beauty which I created for them and which they helped personalize. Our pond has become a family gathering place where we take family pictures, we have parties by the pond, we share it with our friends and neighbors, ponds appeal to all ages, and the pond is even a place for my wife and I to discuss matters of the heart or resolve differences. None of this can be achieved with a gaming system.
As finances become tighter for many of us, one has to really think about how they spend their money and time with their family. When I compare dollar for dollar which is the better investment for my family, there is simply no doubt that our pond is the clear and obvious winner without compare. And hey, if you want to compete; try skipping stones on the pond, or try to see who can identify the most forms of life that are around your pond, this is fun and keeps the brain pumping!
The quality time, family time, personal time, and enjoyment that comes from our pond; not only for my family but pretty much everyone who sees it cannot be had with a gaming system. Make an investment in yourself and your family that really yields an “ROI”, put down the game system and put in a pond, they are worth every penny!
The LOVE YOUR POND blog is written by Mike Gannon of Full Service Aquatics. Mike is a professional pond builder and expert in the broad topics of fishkeeping and water gardening. Mike also produces THE POND HUNTER video series which can be viewed on Youtube. “In The Pursuit Of All Things Aquatic” the Pond Hunter videos provide how-to pond construction videos, pondumentaries, and videos of related interest. Mike resides in New Jersey with his wife and 2 daughters. To visit his website go to www.loveyourpond.com and visit The Pond Hunter at www.youtube.com/thepondhunter.
Rachel Woodhouse in Charlotte, NC is an artist who loves animals. She created her own little urban farm in the busy metropolis of Charlotte called Woodhouse Farms. She has three ducks named Peanut, Butter and Jelly. Plus there is her prized pig, Cupcake.
As her ducks grew, they needed a source of water, which began as a plastic pool. The ducks happily would play and cool off in the plastic pool, but the...umm...duck poo accumulated rapidly every day. This caused quite a bit of cleaning for Rachel! She needed a better solution.
When Rachel called WaterScapes Pro, the conversation began something like this, "I know you're going to think this is weird..." But we love phone calls that begin like that! We immediately embraced the project and got busy on designing a large waterfall, stream and pond that fit perfectly into a gentle hillside in Rachel's backyard.
Since...umm...duck poo was a concern, we introduced the perfect filtration system that will easily handle the disposal of the...umm...duck poo. We installed a filtration system along the entire bottom of the pond and put a natural bog filter at the top of the waterfall. This keeps the pond clean and beautiful...with no odors or...umm....poo!
Check out the live feed of the underwater camera we installed at the Huntsville, Alabama ABC affiliate, WAAY-TV. Here is the url. http://web.waaytv.com/koicam/
This camera is in a feature we build for th eoutdoor weather set and they use it as a backdrop during their forecasts. It features a rainwater harvesting pond with a 1000 gallon cistern. It provides water for the irrigation system to keep the garden watered.
We have just completed a new pondless waterfall and stream in one of our client's back yards, and it is one of the prettiest water features yet!
As you can see in the photos, the water is collected and recirculated from the bottom of the stream all the way back to the top of the waterfall. Then it is gently cascaded down these beautiful rocks and slopes until it reaches the collection point.
The boulders, stones and rocks that we selected for this project included some great moss and age markings to give the project some definite visual appeal that it has been on the property for a long period of time. These boulders come from our personal collection on a secluded Tennessee mountain! "Boulder shopping" is one of our most enjoyable parts of building a custom water feature for our clients. These boulders are so unique and each one of them adds such a custom touch to our water features.
You will also notice the unique collection of plants and water plants in the landscaping design. This is one of our signatures. We love plants and landscaping! The plants in this particular landscaping plan will attract birds and butterflies to enjoy the water and plants.
Our series of FREE Charlotte Pond Summer Workshops kicks off on Saturday, June 5th from 1-3pm at the Charlotte Pond & Watergarden Center in the pond courtyard at Dilworth Billiards!
Join Master Pond Builder David Weekley from WaterScapes Pro as we answer your questions about the fantastic and exciting hobby of ponds, watergardens, fountains, streams, waterfalls and anything else on your mind! We'll show you the new line of EQUIL pond chemicals, the revolutionary IonGen Pond Cleaner, as well as brainstorm with you about any challenges your pond or watergarden may be having. (Does your pond have green water!)
We'll be using the pond at Dilworth Billiards to help show you about bog filters, plants, Koi fish, and the latest in pond construction techniques. These workshops are a great deal of fun! What a great chance to meet fellow pond and watergarden hobby enthusiasts, too!
These workshops are limited to the first ten (10) people who RSVP by calling 704-365-6700 or emailing us. Space is tight, so please RSVP before June 4th!
The Charlotte Pond & Watergarden Center is easy to find. It is located in the pond courtyard area at Dilworth Billiards, 300 East Tremont Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203-5330, in the historic neighborhood of Dilworth. Click here to get directions.
Remember to RSVP! We'll see you on Saturday, June 5th from 1-3pm for our FREE Charlotte Pond & Watergarden Summer Workshop!
We are always on the cutting edge of bringing our clients the latest in pond and watergarden construction and material products. And one of our recent pond builds included this fantastic new high-tech spray-on vinyl application called Polyurea as our pond liner!
Polyurea spray liner is the latest in Koi pond technology. In the past, if your pond was an odd shape and was installed with a rubber liner, it would end up with some folds and creases.
Now, with Polyurea spray liner, that situation is completely eliminated. Polyurea can be sprayed on any pond shape, forming a smooth shell that is both 100% fish-safe and aesthetically pleasing!
Some quick facts
Polyurea has significant elongation properties, it can stretch +400%.
While typical rubber liners are 45 mil (thousandths of an inch) thick, Polyurea spray liner is applied at a thickness of 80 mil
Polyurea can come in a variety of colors.
Zero VOC (100% Solids)
Seamless
Excellent Thermal Stability
Odorless
No Toxic Vapors
Non-Reactive
Meets USDA Criteria
Low Temperature Flexibility
Good Chemical Resistance
Coats Carbon or Mild Steel Metals without Primer
Installed With or Without Reinforcement in Transitional Areas
Call us today at 704-365-6700 or email us to find out more about using the new Polyurea spray vinyl pond liner in your next new pond construction project!
I've been studying eco-friendly building and landscaping products and practices for several years. Early on the question arose, "Why all the fuss?"
Why? We have a real problem. That's the first important thing.
1) Water is our most precious resource and there's a real issue with both the quantity and quality of water. Even here in the land of 10,000 lakes, we experience drought, watering bans and peak shortages of municple water supplies that compromise emergency services like fighting fires. As for quality, urban run-off is the #1 cause of pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency estimates that 40% of our waterways are impaired by conventional pollutants. For the enjoyment of our generation, our grandchildren and generations to come, we have to stop this alarming trend.
The good news is the second important thing: several "best management practices" exist for reducing urban run-off and pollution and reusing that most precious resource.
2) Capturing the rain that falls on your property and allowing it to soak into the soil dramatically reduces stormwater run-off and filters out pollutants. Several sustainable landscaping techniques can be used.
The third important thing is that YOU can have a direct impact on solving the problem by doing something, no matter how small.
3) Take action now. It's not hard to take a small step, and then another. You can turn the powerless "What can I do?" into the adrenaline rush of "We are making a difference!" See how a neighborhood in south Minneapolis is Going Blue thanks to the leadership of concerned neighbors. A quote written on the Berlin Wall said, "Many small people in many small places doing many small things can alter the face of the world." Do something small - it adds up.
For more information about Sustainable Landscaping, download the class schedule for Hedberg's Sustainable Landscaping Day on March 11, 2010 featuring case studies and presentations from leading experts in the field. Call Tina at 763-392-5909 with questions.
Are you already practicing sustainable landscaping? What are you doing in your yard to help your local environment? Leave a comment and let me know!
I was going to was poetic about how much I love my 75 gallon rain barrel, but I'll spare you the superlatives and give you a list and a short anecdote instead.
1. Rainwater is the best thing to use for plants, much better than treated tap water.* 2. Rainwater is free. A rain barrel will pay for itself! 3. You can water your gardens from a rain barrel, even on restricted watering days. 4. It gives you a source of water outdoors before/after the outdoor water supply is turned on/off. 5. You get to reuse our planet's most important resource slowly and allow it to soak back into the soil. 6. You can reduce stormwater runoff, 55 or 75 gallons at a time. Urban runoff is the number one cause of pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams.
I installed my rain barrel last summer and used it throughout the season to water my nearby gardens. In October, after we winterized the irrigation system and turned off the outdoor water supply, my beloved dog went for a joy run in the marsh and returned coated with stinky mud. He's large and bathing him indoors isn't an option. Think of any comedy film you've seen with a big dog being bathed, shaking and running around and I guarantee you it has happened at our house. He loves getting hosed down in the yard, but with no outdoor water, what to do? Rain barrel to the rescue! We still had 40 plus gallons stored up. Bathing the dog hardly put a dent in that supply.
The same thing happened last week. I know, I should keep better tabs on our large, mischievous dog. It's just that he has big brown eyes and he pretends to be good - until he gets to the edge of the yard. This time he rolled in something so fiendishly vile that ignoring it wasn't an option. Our outdoor water isn't on yet (it's Minnesota - it could still snow). Thank goodness we had a half barrel of collected rainwater from recent rain events with which to bathe him. Now he's clean and smells good (for a dog) and he feels extra soft, to boot.
With our early - and mostly dry - spring I've needed to water my April flowers. The rain barrel is coming in more handy than I expected!
If you're interested in getting a rain barrel, there are several options at different price points. Make sure the rain barrel you select has an outlet for overflow so that excess water doesn't pool around your home's foundation and that it has a screened lid to prevent mosquito breeding. Other than that, go with the style and color you like. My rain barrel pictured above is available at Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies for around $249. It's made of heavy duty plastic, contains recycled material and holds 75 gallons. It has a planting groove in the lid to add some beautiful flowers and vines. You can get a recycled oak wine cast rain barrel at Hedberg for about $220. It holds 55 gallons and has a rustic look. They smell great, too. ;-)
Finally, you can find inexpensive plastic rain barrels in various colors around town that hold 55 gallons. Hedberg is offering beige and green plastic whiskey barrel style containers for only $65 when you preorder online at www.hedbergrainbarrel.com now through Memorial Day, for pick up June 12 and 19.
*Some experts recommend you do not water vegetables with water that has run off an asphalt shingle roof.
The North American Water Gardening Society (NAWGS) wants to install 50 outdoor ecosystem classrooms in schools across the country through its Ponds for Kids program … and you can help!
The Pepsi Refresh Project provides grants each month to winners with successful ideas to make a positive impact in the community. Over 1000 project ideas are submitted each month in various categories such as Education, Health, Arts and Culture, and more.
The North American Water Gardening Society is anxious win a grant from Pepsi Refresh in order to install ponds at schools across the U.S., which will help children of all ages interact with their natural world. Research shows that kids who have positive interactions with nature grow into adults who truly care about their environment.
The Ponds for Kids program offers the opportunity for kids to create a natural, wildlife habitat that will keep them learning for years! Kids, teachers, school administrators, and parents can all get in on the fun from the planning phase right through construction day.
Ponds for Kids is a cooperative project that helps schools in the construction of self-sustaining pond ecosystems on the school’s property. Ponds for Kids brings the natural world right to your school where it can be used as an outdoor classroom influencing a new generation of kids to have an understanding and appreciation for the environment.
The Ponds for Kids program comes complete with an Activity Guide that was written by teachers from many disciplines and put together by the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois. The opportunities for learning experiences are endless!
Please vote and help us in our initiative to install 50 ponds at schools across the U.S! You can vote once per day during the month of May. At the end of May, winners will be announced on the Pepsi Refresh Program website.
Won’t you take a minute to log onto www.refresheverything.com/pondsforkids and vote for the Ponds for Kids project? You’ll find our project in the Education section of the Pepsi Refresh website. You’ll be asked to fill out a short registration form the first time you vote. The North American Water Gardening Society thanks you for your help in voting for this very worthy educational opportunity. Please spread the word. The more people who vote, the greater the chance for the Ponds for Kids project to win!
Every now and then we all come across a new buzzword. Well, in my industry and in several others as well one of the latest “buzzes” is the staycation. Maybe you’ve heard of this latest trend with homeowners. For some it may be a dirty word especially if you work in the travel industry; but for others, like me, it is a lovely word and I hope it makes it into the vocabulary and psyche of every American homeowner.
The staycation is born out of some of the economic pressures that our country has been struggling with the last several years and is typically referring to the option that many of us are choosing; instead of going away for a vacation and dropping several thousands of dollars in exchange for a few vacation photos, we are instead putting those funds into our backyard and making our own home a place for our family and friends to spend quality time, relax and unwind just like we do on vacation, but it’s happening right here in our own backyards.
To turn our backyards into an area to have a staycation we are now setting up beautiful and comfortable outdoor furniture, we are installing high end outdoor lighting and torch systems. Outdoor recreation set-ups like volleyball, shuffleboard, putting greens. Complete and well-equipped outdoor kitchens are all the rave, along with all-weather entertainment systems for music and video enjoyment.
Closer to my heart, many New Jersey homeowners are creating outdoor paradises with ponds, watergardens, and waterfalls. Fountains, statuary, and water features are also being installed. A tranquil pond and watergarden can be installed by a professional pond installer nj with amazing results and little maintenance. Beautiful colorful koi fish and lush flowering water lilies and a selection of other colorful aquatic plants are only part of the scenario; a beautiful landscape is part of it too. Many homeowners are creating their own waterfront get-away right outside their backdoor. Soothing waterfalls, colorful fish, cool clear water, and manicured aquatic plants are yours not only for your staycation but for your entire outdoor season.
For the more ambitious pond installation, families will now opt to have a “swimmable pond” installed. The swimmable pond is built a bit bigger, a bit deeper, and the filter systems produce clean clear swimmable water without all the harsh chemicals and swimming pool upkeep and maintenance chores. Imagine yourself and family having a leisurely float out in the pond on a hot summer day. Float over to the waterfall and let it crash down on you if it gets too hot. The possibilities are only restrained by your imagination and budget, but a secret rock grotto or cave to swim into can be created too, for a cool place to hang out on a hot day.
To plan your family staycation, call Full Service Aquatics for your staycation consultation and let us show you how your backyard can be transformed into a tranquil waterfront paradise. You may never want to leave for a Vacation again!
Aquatic plants are a very important step in achieving a truly balanced ecosystem pond. Regardless of why you got into the water gardening hobby, adding aquatic plants to the pond is an important part of the water garden. They provide beauty and naturalization with a huge array of plant choices.
Most importantly, they help balance the pond’s ecosystem and provide valuable biological filtration that removes nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates and other minerals from pond water. These excess nutrients are often the cause of unsightly water conditions. The end result helps to minimize pond maintenance, leaving more time to enjoy your pond. Without aquatic plants, your pond would not be able to function as a complete ecosystem.
Aquatic plants can be classified into a few main categories: water lilies, marginal plants, floaters and submerged (also known as oxygenators). Plants can also be put into two basic types known as “tropical” and “hardy.” Hardy plants will over-winter in colder climates and tropical plants are more suited to warmer climates, although tropical plants are often used as annuals in colder climate zones.
Water Lilies
Water lilies are among the most popular of aquatic plants and are often the centerpiece of the water garden. A water garden never seems complete without a few beautiful water lilies. Not only are water lilies breathtaking but they provide valuable shade, which helps to keep the pond cool while providing refuge for pond fish. Ideally, thirty to sixty percent of the water surface should be covered with aquatic plants.
Marginals
The marginal plant group is the largest aquatic plant group by far, containing both hardy and tropical plants. Most of them are true perennials and come back year after year, like your favorite Daylily or Black-Eyed Susan. Marginal plants serve many functions such as adding beauty and providing valuable filtration. They are called “marginals” because they typically grow around the edges or “margins” of a pond or lake. Marginal plants thrive in wet soil or standing water that covers the crown or base of the plant by as little as two inches and up to as much as six inches. Some examples of marginals include sweet flag, marsh marigold, taro, canna, water iris and creeping jenny.
Floaters
Floating plants do just as their name indicates: they float on the water’s surface. Their roots dangle beneath the plant absorbing all their nutrients from the water. Most floating plants do a great job of filtering ponds by removing nutrients directly from the water as opposed to the soil where most other aquatic plants are situated or planted.
Submerged
Like the name implies, this group of plants lives below the water surface. They are commonly referred to as oxygenators. Submerged aquatics do produce oxygen during most of the day. Submerged aquatic plants live entirely under water, almost. Some oxygenators bloom and the flowers often rise to the surface. They include plants such as elodea, anacharis, hornwort, foxtail, cabomba and vallisneria. For the most part, submerged plants absorb their nutrients directly from the water. This means they compete with algae for nutrients, thereby helping to balance the ecosystem.
Putting it All Together
Just like their soil counterparts, a good mix of aquatic plants lends the best visual impact for your water garden. Marginals help to blend the pond into the surrounding landscape, while water lilies provide pops of color at the water’s surface. Take some time to familiarize yourself with all the wonderful options out there and you’ll soon find what most appeals to you.
Whew! I am glad I didn't know all of that information and nor did my fish, who survived the northern, cold winter. I probably was lucky and need to improve my fish keeping skills a bit.........
"I just have been notified that we will be receiving some of the most beautiful water lily plants of all varieties for the Daniel Stowe Garden Plant Sale this weekend," announced WaterScapes Pro's David Weekley. "Water Lilies can be used for a wide range of applications starting with, but not limited to, water garden ponds, small & large container gardens, large fountains, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, bog areas, detention ponds and moist soil areas."
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale this Saturday and Sunday April 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. This popular two-day event will once again bring a variety of quality, hard-to-find plant and garden accessory vendors to the Garden.
Members of the Garden can get a head start on shopping with a special member’s only hour starting at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. The Spring Plant Sale will feature an array of southern landscape and garden plants that are well-adapted to withstand the challenging conditions in Carolina Gardens.
A variety of vendors will offer native and well-adapted annuals and perennials, landscape shrubs and trees, garden supplies, drought tolerant plants, topiary frames, garden art, and much more. The Spring Plant sale offers gardeners the opportunity to speak with professional horticulturists, including Garden staff as well as plant experts from participating vendors.
Admission to the plant sale is free with paid general Garden admission - Members free, $12 adults, $11 seniors 60+, and $6 children 4-12. Breakfast items, snacks, drinks and lunch will be available for purchase on-site by Something Classic Catering. For more information, please call Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden at 704-829-1252. For directions to Daniel Stowe, please click here.
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