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Oregon's Premier Water Garden Nursery

February Newsletter                       2009
Happy Water Gardening Volume 2   Issue 2   
In This Issue
Up Coming Events
Tinkerbelle's Pond Tips
March Classes
Water Gardening Gloves
Types of Aquatic Plants
Monthly Water Plant Pick
Up Coming Events
 
The
Yard, Garden
and
Patio Show 
February 27 - March 1, 2009

The Yard, Garden, and Patio Show announces the start of the 2009 garden season for Hughes!  It has been an annual event for us since the early 1990s.  The show is held at the Oregon Convention Center and we will be at booth 1271#.

Stop by - we will have money saving coupons available for the nursery - good through
  April 20, 2009

********
Gardenpalooza
 April 4, 2009
 
for more information click hereGarden Palooza
 
At Fir Point Farm in Aurora, Oregon.
Located 20 miles South of Portland at 14601 Arndt Road in Aurora, Oregon 97002
 
It is Hughes Water Gardens' third year of participating in this enjoyable event and we hope to see you there.
 
Tinkerbelle's Pond Tips 
tinkerbelle 
Underlays
Protective Material for Under/Over Your Liner.

There is no easy way to find holes in your pond liner so it is best to prevent them in the first place.   Your best defense against punctures is to use a protective material under and over your liner during construction. 
 
Hughes Water Gardens sells two types and they both work very well and are cost effective. 
 
A geo-textile woven material that comes in widths of 6.5 and 12 feet and a waterproof Felt that comes 6.25 feet wide.
 
We cut them to  length for you. 
 
Both are fish safe and easy to use! 
Quick Links...
Join Our Mailing List
Classes Start-up again in March 
March Class
Schedule
 
Saturday 7th 
 10 am 
Building Ponds & Waterfalls
 
Saturday 14th
10 am
Pondless Urns & Bubbling Rocks
 
Saturday 21
10 am
Building Ponds & Waterfalls
2 pm
Spring Start Up for Ponds 
& Small Water Features
 
Saturday 28 
10 am
Pondless Waterfalls
& Creeks 
2 PM 
Planting your Pond with Aquatic Plants 
 
Preregistration is requested, All class are held at the nursery and are1 to 2 hours long. 
Water Gardening Gloves

Nobody wants to get in the pond  this time of year to do pond maintenance chores.  The water is cold!!!  But in case you have to reach into that freezing cold water,  Hughes carries Water Gardening Gloves.  They come up  above your elbows so you can reach comfortably into the pond. These gloves have a tough nitrile coating that resists chemicals, punctures, and abrasions.   They
have a great grip whether wet or dry and there is also a comfortable cotton liner to protect you from the cold water.    


water gardening gloves

Types of Aquatic Plants.
 

A varied selection of aquatic plants helps to keep the water clear and enhance the overall beauty of a pond.  Without plants a pond can quickly turn green with algae.  There are four basic types of pond plants.  For an attractive, clear, well-balanced pond, we recommend using a mixture of all four cattailstypes.
 
Marginals:
The largest palette of plants falls within this group.  These plants grow in shallow water or saturated soil around the perimeter of ponds or along the banks of streams.  They help with water quality and are often a source of food for birds. They help to frame the water feature, soften the transition between land and water, and provide an attractive backdrop to your pond. 
 
Submerged Oxygenators: 
They are the workhorses of the pond.  They grow beneath the surface of the water where most or all of their foliage remains.  The name "oxygenators" is used because they release oxygen into the water during the day. these plants help to remove excess nutrients from the pond thereby reducing the growth of algae.  They also provide spawning areas and protective cover for fish.
 
Floaters:
These plants float freely on the water surface and reduce algae by competing for nutrients, shading the water to cool it and lowering the light penetration.  Most floaters are tropical and they should be removed from the pond and composted prior to the onset of winter.  The most popular flowater hycinthater is the Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).  This rapidly multiplying plant develops a strong trailing root system which removes excess nutrients and pollutants from the pond.  Other popular floaters are Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiodes).  Frogbit (Limnobium spongia) and the tiny floating plants Duckweed (Lemna minor) and Fairy Moss (Azolla)    
 

Submerged Floating-leaved Plants:attraction waterlily
The primary benefit derived from floating-leaved plants is the surface shade they provide. These plants root on the bottom of the pond and send floating leaves up to the surface.  Everyones's favorite pond plant, the waterlily, is in this group.  
 

More on water plants click here


Water Plant Pick of the Month
Water Hawthorne

Aponogeton distachys 
Zone  6 to 9 

 

water hawthorne
Water Hawthorne is a must have for any pond. It is a winter-blooming submerged floating-leaved plant (like a waterlily) that can thrive in water up to three to four feet deep. This hardy perennial has narrow paddle-shaped green leaves and lovely white flower bracts that give off a warm vanilla scent.  This plant thrives in the fall and winter months and goes dormant in the heat of summer, when waterlilies are at their peak.  By growing both Water Hawthorne and Waterlilies, you can ensure that you have coverage of the pond surface throughout most of the year, which provides protection for fish from predators as well as visual beauty and year-round interest.
 

For more information on water plant click here  Plant gallery  or  On-line shoping
 
 

Barley Straw
barley bales

Barley Straw Algae Treatments

 

Barley bales are one of the oldest and most natural approaches to combating string algae. So what is string algae? String algae is a filamentous algae that attaches to your rocks, plants and waterfalls and usually becomes an unsightly annoyance. This algae  starts very early in the spring and may continue growing rampantly well into the summer. How do barley bales help combat algae growth in your pond?
 
  • Barley slowly releases hydrogen peroxide and humates which help change the chemistry of your pond inhibiting string algae growth.
  • This approach is initially slow to start but very effective over time.
  •  Barley bales come in many sizes to accommodate all   sizes of ponds. 
  •   It is completely safe for fish, plants and tadpoles.
  •   For best results, replace the bale every six months. After five months insert a new bale and then a month later remove the old bale.
  •   Put the barley where the water can flow though it, like in streams or waterfalls. Ideally  the bales should be half exposed to water and half exposed to air. Do not allow the bales to sink to the bottom of pond.  If they do sink remove them and allow them to dry for 24 hours before reinserting.
  •   Barley in a pellet form is another option. The pellets are less visually obtrusive and they break down faster thus speeding up the algae fighting process.

For more information on algae control and pond care click here.



Hughes Water Gardens
view of hughes

 
 
Our Mailing Address
25289 SW Stafford Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062


Winter Hours
Monday - Friday
9 to 5
Saturday 10 to 3
Sunday closed


Our Telephone
503-638-1709



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