Tag: nj

MAN EATING PLANTS IN YOUR POND!

Close-up of several Venus flytrap plants with open and closed jaw-like green and red leaves.

Warning: PLEASE KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FEET AWAY FROM THE POND! Man eating plants!! Sounds scary, and lucky for us that there are not many plants around that are attacking humans; ‘Day of the Triffids” has long passed us by and all is well between mankind and the plant world for now. Flesh eating carnivorous… Read more »

ROCKS AND GRAVEL IN POND DESIGN

Small stream of water flowing over rocks and pebbles, with green plants growing on the left side.

There is a lot of debate in the pond world about the use of rock and gravel when constructing ponds. I am a huge fan of all types of ponds; big or small, rocks or no rocks, plants or no plants, formal, freeform or natural, waterfalls or calm reflecting pools; they all have a certain… Read more »

POND SPITTERS AND FOUNTAINS

Stone fountain with multiple sculpted heads spouting streams of water into a shallow basin below.

Spitters and fountains are ancient ways of artistic expression using water. The Romans are very famous for the use of fountains and spitters in their water works. The “Brussels Boy ‘spitter’” of a young boy urinating is a cultural icon, now found gracing ponds around the world. Today spitters are still a great way to… Read more »

THE GREAT BLUE HERON AND YOUR POND

A great blue heron stands near the water, displaying gray-blue feathers and a long, yellow beak.

LOOK! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a pla… no, actually it is a bird! About the size of a plane! The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is North America’s largest heron coming in at about 4 ½ feet tall, 8 lbs., and with a wing span close to 7’ across! This is… Read more »

HOW TO QUARANTINE YOUR POND FISH

koi quarantine

How to quarantine your pond fish is a common question koi keepers ask. For 40 days and nights it rained upon the earth clearing evil from the face of the earth Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai receiving God Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years Jesus spent 40 days in the… Read more »

A KOY STORY

A boy sits by a backyard pond feeding koi fish near rocks and flowers with a small waterfall in the background.

Many who keep koi follow a similar path. Most first become introduced to koi by chance, casually; perhaps at a backyard party of an acquaintance or at a public garden. Then, knowing nothing about koi except that they stirred you somehow; a relationship begins.

BARLEY STRAW FOR YOUR POND

Green algae floating on the surface of water, forming irregularly shaped clusters.

Barley Straw the newest old time remedy for algae control in modern ponds and water gardens! Barley straw has gotten some good buzz in the pond industry the last few years as a natural remedy for algae control, but this “new” product actually has some history behind it,

HOW TO WINTERIZE YOUR RAIN BARREL

A frozen downspout with solid ice extends into a barrel partially covered with ice, outdoors in winter.

When winter sets in for the colder zones, we all have to reel in and winterize most of our backyard living accessories like rain barrels. It becomes time to store this, or tarp over that, put away and shut things down.

HOW TO WINTERIZE A WATER GARDEN

Small pond with water lilies, flowering plants, and rocks along the edge, reflecting surrounding greenery.

The water gardening season always seems to pass by a little too quickly. It seems that just as the water garden is looking at its fullest and best the autumn and winter are lurking just around the next calendar page.

HOW TO WINTERIZE A TROPICAL LILY

Close-up of a vibrant purple water lily with yellow center, surrounded by green leaves on a pond.

For water gardeners in the colder regions, the hot summer months are high time to get the most enjoyment out of our water gardens. For water gardeners of the colder regions to enjoy the classic water lily with its floating leaves and colorful fragrant blooms; they have to keep hardy lilies that will make it… Read more »