Lora Lee has over 25 years of experience in publishing. She purchased POND Trade in 2013 and has been thrilled with her new job ever since. As publisher, she is tasked with a few “minor responsibilities” that include organizing the content schedule, recruiting writers, acquiring articles, selling ads and designing the magazine. In her PPT (Pre-POND Trade) life, Lora Lee worked as an art director, marketing manager and art department supervisor for multiple trade magazines. She spends many hours in her garden and has been featured on garden walks. There is now a pond amidst the flowers. You never knew how much you would enjoy a pond until you have one. Now she can’t imagine life without one. Lora Lee is married and has one son. She lives in the Chicagoland area and her only regret is not being able to enjoy her garden and pond year round!

Pond Builders Gather for a Blockbuster 2024 Water Garden Expo

By Lora Lee Gelles / April 27, 2024 / 0 Comments

Another Water Garden Expo is in the books. The annual event took place February 28 through March 1 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is sponsored by Pondliner.  This year was extra special because it started out with a pre-show memorial build. That feeling of pride, accomplishment and camaraderie carried into the expo. The three-day event kicked […]

March / April 2024

By Lora Lee Gelles / February 29, 2024 / 0 Comments

Eight is Great! And that’s a wrap! We have officially closed the book on the eighth year of our Water Artisans of the Year contest. Now it’s all yours to enjoy —check out the top 2023 water-gardening projects handpicked by our Supreme Stream Court. The POND Trade staff has been very busy behind the scenes […]

January / February 2024

By Lora Lee Gelles / December 31, 2023 / 0 Comments

Happy New Year! Here we are again! It’s time for a fresh start and a brand new year as the calendar turns the page to 2024. It’s also a Leap Year, which means we get an extra day in the office this year. What are your resolutions for 2024?   Here at POND Trade, we are […]

Water Artisan of the Year Entry Tips

By Lora Lee Gelles / November 21, 2023 / 0 Comments

Contest tips from last year’s judges to ponder as you prepare your contest entries

November / December 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / October 29, 2023 / 0 Comments

Not a Numbers Person Behind every good businessperson is a good bookkeeper. Can I get an amen? I don’t know about you, but I am not a numbers person. I can design and publish a magazine, do fine art and create a beautiful garden, but when it comes to the left side of my brain, […]

2023 Water Artisan of the Year Contest is Open for Entries!

By Lora Lee Gelles / September 3, 2023 / 0 Comments

The Eighth Annual Water Artisan of the Year contest is officially open.

September / October 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / August 29, 2023 / 0 Comments

Pumkin Spice When these words are spoken too soon, they are actually cringeworthy! As I write this column, we are still in the throws of summer, and it’s not something I want to think about. In the midwest, summer is a treasure, and we live life to the fullest in the summer! But by the […]

And the Quarterly Contractor’s Corner Winner is… Tim Dille!

By Lora Lee Gelles / July 29, 2023 / 0 Comments

POND Trade is happy to announce the quarterly Contractor’s Corner winner. Our sponsor, Pondliner chose Tim Dille, from Garden State Koi. Tim and his team came up with a way to convince the homeowners to redo their entire pond, which involved an honest conversation explaining that the new waterfall didn’t match the old pond. He […]

July / August 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / June 28, 2023 / 0 Comments

Recreational ponds have been quite the hot topic for a few years now, and it seems even more so the case this summer season. POND Trade has covered quite a few pond construction articles about these dual-purpose pond builds for wildlife and people, both in our print issue as well as in our online “Contractor’s […]

Show Us Your Trophies

By Lora Lee Gelles / June 26, 2023 / 0 Comments

Cheers to the 2022 Water Artisan of the Year Winners

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