March / April, 2011

Publishers’ Perspective

Rain in Southern California

Rain in Southern California is rare, and when it comes down all at once, it can pose some messy problems. During a particularly large storm recently, Laguna Koi Ponds of Laguna Beach, California was flooded with 4´ of rainwater and mud. The water was high enough to flood their fish display tanks, sending hundreds of koi down the boulevard in front of their shop. The store was flooded in 18˝ of water, and had to be completely emptied. The Southern California koi community came to the rescue. They came to help Ben Plonski, owner, and his staff dig out and mop up, some traveling over 100 miles to lend a hand. While the losses were significant, it was gratifying to see the community rise to the occasion and support Ben as he has generously supported koi keepers for decades.

A different kind of community took action over the past six months, in a unified effort to let the Texas State legislature know clearly how foolish and un-enforceable their concept of banning all aquatic plants unless they were specifically listed on their new "White List" of approved species. Rolf Nelson led a coalition of industry leaders and hobbyists to send a unified message rejecting the proposal. The recent defeat of the white list program provided a rare victory, and was a striking statement of the power of a group, working together toward a common objective. (See www.pondtrademag.com/tradenews)

We are a community on many levels, and it is up to us to take action every day to build stronger ties with others in our trade. You never know when the relationships you build and nurture today will become assets in a time of need.

Pictures are from the Irrigation Show, Phoenix, Arizona, December 2010

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Article List

Getting Your Marketing Warmed Up for Spring
Pam Greiner
Find great marketing tips on planning pond events, email campaigns and newsletters. Then something just emerging, "Tags" – what are "tags" and why do I need to know about them? You will want to start adding "tags" to everything you do.

Spring Prep for a Healthy Pond Season
Kiley McMichael
Take those first steps in getting your customers ponds ready for spring. Here is how to be prepared for the next pond season. Are your customers interested in an expansion and/or addition? What should pond contractors and retailers be doing?

Fish Health – When the Ice Melts and the Water Warms!
Paul Curtis
Stress – A fish health expert will explain the causes of fish stress that occur in the spring and how to reduce them so your customers' fish will have a healthy start this year. Includes some prophylactic precautions. Healthy happy fish means happy customers.

Language of Koi - Hariwake
Randy LeFever
Hariwake is similar to a metallic Kohaku. Learn what to look for in this beautiful variety. Koi breeding expert Randy LeFever will teach you what to expect from breeding and how to select them. He will also give you tips on retailing them.

Scene Stealers – Add drama to your water garden with these show-stopping aquatics
Tamara Kilbane
What aquatic plants should you retail or add to your water feature designs? Learn from our horticulturist expert 10 wonderful show stopping aquatics names, the conditions they need and what to expect from these specimen plants.

Tip to Improve Communication
Amy Barnhart
Are you listening?? You've heard "listening" can be an art; now learn a secret that will help you be a better listener. Find out how Listening and Agreeing are the same and different! A quick, but important tip about communication.

Choosing the Perfect Pump
Demi Fortuna
Our water feature expert will talk about submersible pumps, their common usage, when to use which and how to get the most out of them. Learn the difference between Direct Drive and Magnetic Induction Pumps, why you would use one pump vs two and more.

IWGS 26th Annual Symposium – In Review
Jennifer Zuri
The International Waterlily and Water Garden Society (IWGS) held its 26th Annual Symposium and 2010 Waterlily Festival in San Angelo, Texas. Find out who the two new IWGS Hall of Fame inductees' are and more about this event here.

Pest Controls and Pest Descriptions
Kelly Billing
Plant expert Kelly Billing has complied a list of the most common pest diseases, their controls and the descriptions of the pest into an easy table you can read and keep as a reference. The tables cover 14 common pests, from Aphids to white fly.