One of the greatest pleasures you and your customers can have with a pond is throwing a handful of fish food into it and watching the fish chase around, eagerly consuming it. As a pond owner myself, I still enjoy sitting and watching this activity, sometimes for hours. You might not have given much thought …
Fish Food 101 (and 102!): Navigating Nutrition & New Legislation Read More »
As water feature designers, specifiers and installers, we always get the most gasps. Guests will migrate through the landscape, over the hardscape, day or night, and will always wind up interacting with the water feature. What a joy! This is what building water features is all about. They entertain, enthuse and heal us while giving …
When Size Matters: Small Contractor, Texas-Sized Water Feature Project Read More »
>> Click here to view all images related to this article in our gallery spotlight. Color is often the focus when people shop for cars, clothes, houses, refrigerators, electronics and, yes — even plants. Color is taught in visual merchandising classes because it is an essential tool. A dedicated industry exists for the study of …
Fresh water is the most precious natural resource on the planet — because over 97 percent of all water is salt water. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), humanity’s primary source of fresh water — rivers — only make up 0.49 percent of the earth’s surface fresh water supply; surface fresh water only …
Rainwater Harvesting: Conserving Earth’s most precious resource Read More »
The challenge is real, and it is known as the Mega-Drought. How bad is this drought? For the first time in American history, over half the United States has declared drought.
Victoria amazonica [Giant Water Lily] started capturing people’s attention and imagination 165 years ago. Her success began in the late 1880s when she singlehandedly caused a water garden craze in Europe that quickly spread to the U.S. The craze broadened interest in ponds to include the working class, not just the rich. It also started …
Business Tips from a Plant…or a Giant Water Lily Read More »
It glimmers, it shines, and it’s at the bottom of your pond. No, it’s not a wishing coin thrown in by a naughty neighbor — it’s Hikari Moyo! As marketable as they are beautiful, these patterned koi have a brilliant, metallic sheen that will set any koi lover’s heart aflutter. Here, Taro Kodama shares the important characteristics to look for when appreciating this unique and shiny variety.
Although they’re a challenging variety of koi to breed (and even harder to make money on), Sanke are definitely not difficult to appreciate. Koi expert Taro Kodama of Kodama Koi Farm shares some of the secrets that make this tri-colored breed so special.
Do you use modern technology when pitching to customers? If not, your business could be suffering. Make new electronics like the iPad, wireless hot spots, and credit card readers part of your sales approach and watch your numbers soar.
Kujaku are distinctive with their metallic skin and Matsuba scales (net-like pattern). Read about the challenges and surprising results in breeding this variety of koi. See how dramatically they change in their first year, and what to look for in a Kujaku.