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in the pond
New Plants
 Our aquatic greenhouse is finally full of dozens of varieties of aquatic plants, with many more arriving today.
The hard freeze most of us suffered about a week ago was a cold reality check about how fast the weather can turn on us here, but we should be safe from frost now. The warmer nights will allow your pond temperature to rise quickly and you will soon see your aquatic plants growing much faster. Our water liles now have several sets of leaves at the surface and we are seeing our first blooms of the season!
Due to arrive later today:  - water hyacinths
- water lettuce
- parrot's feather
Please call first if you are making a special trip for these items, just to be sure that the order arrives as promised!
Special Note: Last week I told you about MinnFinn, a new fish treatment that we have been using with great success. Several of you came in and purchased MinnFinn to use in your ponds. Please let us know how it worked for you, your feedback is important! |
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Every fish keeper should have a bottle of Dechlorinator on hand at all times. Dechlorinator should be added to the water any time that you add tap water to your fish pond. Failure to remove chlorine and other contaminants will cause irreparable damage to your fish that can ultimately lead to fish loss.
Benfits of Dechlorinator Plus:
- instantly removes chlorine
- destroys chloramines
- detoxifies heavy metals
- adds a multi-part skin-slime replacer
- adds essential electrolytes
- boosts alkalinity
**newsletter only special**
Simply mention that you saw it in our newsletter and we'll give you
10% Off
Any Size Bottle of Dechlorinator Plus
*** Offer expires 6/2/10 ***
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tips & tricks
 Choosing Fish for your pond
So your pond construction is complete, it's full of water, the waterfall is just what you imagined, your lilies are pushing up leaves. Now what? .........Oh, the fish! It's time to add some life to your new pond. Here are a few things to keep in mind.........
- Comets (goldfish), shubunkins and koi are the hardiest choices. Fantails, oranda and other fancy fish are not as hardy and are not fast swimmers, making them easy prey for the blue heron and other predators
- Remember that your fish will grow, so do not overstock your pond. One inch of fish per square foot of surface area is plenty, so plan ahead, they will get bigger!
- A new pond should be treated with start-up bacteria and run for at least two weeks before adding fish. This time period is necessary to allow your biological filter to begin to establish a beneficial bacteria colony
- Purchase fish only from a reputable dealer that follows good quarantine procedures
- Float your new fish in the pond for about 1/2 hour, then open the bag and add some pond water. Wait about 5 minutes, add more pond water, wait another five minutes, finally release the fish into their new home. Do not put the water from the bag into your pond, just the fish
- Your new fish may hide out and not eat for several days as they become acclimated, this is normal behavior
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featured plant
Memorial Urns |
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The classic Memorial Day urn. I wonder how many of these we've planted over the years...
We have lots to choose from in our annual greenhouses. Go for the classic white urn with red geraniums or spice things up a bit with our Garden Elements line of pre-planted containers.
**newsletter only special** Simply mention that you saw it in our newsletter and we'll give you 10% Off
Any pre-planted urn or container
(hanging baskets excluded)
*** Offer expires 5/31/10 ***
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tips & tricks
wine in the garden I have always thought wine bottles were pretty. I love all of the colors of glass, the different shapes and sizes, the wine inside... I was looking for something fun to do with them in my garden. In this age of information at your fingertips, I was able to find some really great ideas for using wine bottles as garden art. Here are a few of my favorites:
Clockwise from left: bottles trees, bottle borders, and bottle torches
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This site had some really great links to more ideas! Do you have a great tip for reusing or "up-cycling" something in your garden? Let us know! |
trivia Memorial Day History
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who have died serving our country. -
General John Alexander Logan ordered the Memorial Day holiday to be observed by decorating the war dead. -
On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. -
Red Poppies are recognized as the Memorial Day flower. -
"Taps" is often played at ceremonies on Memorial Day. -
Memorial Day was first called "Decoration Day" because of the practice of decorating soldier's graves with flowers. -
New York was the 1st state to officially recognize Memorial Day. -
Flowers and flags are the two most popular items people use to remember soldiers. -
The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after
World War I, when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring
civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. -
Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971. - Americans consume an estimated seven billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day
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