First off, happy spring, everyone! By the time you read this column, water should be flowing nicely, with fish happily swimming and aquatic plants starting to green up and bloom. I love this time of year. I have a littleMore…
Issues
Healthy or Stressed — It Makes a World of Difference
>> Also see the main feature, “Waterlily Pests and Diseases: A Ten-Year Update.” Healthy waterlilies are very tough plants. They withstand rains, winds, droughts, hail storms, and neighborhood kids with sticks. And more importantly, pests usually ignore them. Thriving liliesMore…
Seasonal Maintenance for Healthy Lilies
>> Also see the main feature, “Waterlily Pests and Diseases: A Ten-Year Update.” Waterlilies are fairly low maintenance, especially compared to equally gorgeous terrestrial flowers. However, they do require some regular care to stay healthy and bloom well. Here areMore…
Waterlily Pests and Diseases: A Ten-Year Update
Author’s Note | We never guessed that our 2009 article on waterlily diseases and pests would be such a hit with readers for so long. As the author, I’m especially gratified that it has helped many Nymphaea growers. The article alsoMore…
Fish and Plant Quarantine to Prevent Disease
Most of us who have been in this profession for a long time have had the experience of adding newly purchased fish or plants to an existing population, only to see them start dying within a couple of weeks. HoldingMore…
Language of Koi | Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Tanks and Ponds
Fish need oxygen! Adequate amounts of dissolved oxygen are crucial for all pond and fish life. Unfortunately, oxygen is one of the most overlooked parameters of water quality in the retail setting, as well as in koi ponds. Low dissolvedMore…
Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden Showcases Sustainability (and Water Features)
In February 2017, I received an interesting phone call that ended up changing our business for the better. The man on the other end, Paul Oveisi, said that he was putting together a brand new coffee and beer garden nearMore…
The Flooded Skimmer: A Next-Level Filtration Method
by Roger and Melody Sears, Since I began building ponds more than 30 years ago, technology has come a long way. Some of the best improvements have been the skimmer and waterfall box systems. They allow for continuous cleaning ofMore…
Designing and Building Ponds for Turtles
I grew up in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s near Chicago, catching just about anything that would swim, crawl or hop. When I caught something, I would bring it home and put it in one of several tanks inMore…
Pond Construction | Pebble Mosaic Skeleton Feature
The Death Pond. Skull Mountain Fountain. Call it what you will — I just call it an interesting project. My partner Mike Hall and I met Felix Sockwell, the owner of this modern-day marvel, when our previous employer was contractedMore…