May / June 2019

Living the Pond Life at Water Garden Expo 2019

Karrie and Lloyd Lightsey sure were busy getting donations rounded up for the American Cancer Society. Karrie is a cancer survivor, and she puts her heart and soul into fundraising and donating to the cause. Last fall, Karrie gathered shirts with logos from pond builders and retailers and had them made into a beautiful collage …

Living the Pond Life at Water Garden Expo 2019 Read More »

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 lilies grow fast and bloom well, with plenty of leaves and regular blooms. There are enough …

Healthy or Stressed — It Makes a World of Difference Read More »

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 are the basics. Rinse & Observe Whenever you add water to your pond or display tanks, …

Seasonal Maintenance for Healthy Lilies Read More »

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 also prompted numerous online questions about individual waterlily problems. Several queries revealed a common denominator — …

Waterlily Pests and Diseases: A Ten-Year Update Read More »

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 dissolved oxygen (DO) is an underestimated cause of many fish losses. As a koi seller, it …

Language of Koi | Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Tanks and Ponds Read More »

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 near Downtown Austin and wanted a pond to be the centerpiece of the outdoor area. Oveisi’s …

Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden Showcases Sustainability (and Water Features) Read More »

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 of the pond surface, mechanical and biological filtration and easy access and protection for the pump. …

The Flooded Skimmer: A Next-Level Filtration Method Read More »

Scroll to Top