• Amused
  • Angry
  • Annoyed
  • Awesome
  • Bemused
  • Cocky
  • Cool
  • Crazy
  • Crying
  • Depressed
  • Down
  • Drunk
  • Embarrased
  • Enraged
  • Friendly
  • Geeky
  • Godly
  • Happy
  • Hateful
  • Hungry
  • Innocent
  • Meh
  • Piratey
  • Poorly
  • Sad
  • Secret
  • Shy
  • Sneaky
  • Tired
  • Page 6 of 17 FirstFirst ... 345678916 ... LastLast
    Results 101 to 120 of 322

    Thread: "Pond"ering

    1. #101
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      I was in Home Depot and Lowe's today, and could not help but notice all of the Christmas décor items for sale, including trees. This made me ponder the idea that Christmas is a good time to get those things we want/need for our ponds as gifts. I started wondering how many of us have received pond equipment/toys as Christmas presents in the past. Maybe now would be a good time to start "hinting" or asking for those things such as a new pump or a new net, etc. for Christmas. You might even have a list with an under $20 gift, under $50 gift, etc. I know I always am needing something.

      Along those thoughts, I want to encourage you to sign up for the Christmas/Holiday card exchange as well as the Holiday ornament exchange here on KP. It is a great way to get to know other KPers, and to add joy to your holidays. You can find the information in Chit Chat. Also, if you would like to help someone less fortunate or you need help during the holidays, there is a thread that explains that, and we appreciate all those who are willing to help.

      Now for a cost saving idea. I had an idea this year to get different colored 5 gallon buckets in which to store tropical lily tubers over the winter. I decided to use one color of buckets for the stock plants, one color for the saleable tubers, and another color for the Aussie tubers. Home Depot's buckets are orange, Lowe's buckets are blue, and Ace Hardware's are red. I am sure you have other stores with various colors. What I want to share with you is not a major savings, but it is good to know. My helper told me this, and so I am telling you. She said that the Firehouse Subs sub shop sells the 5 gallon plastic buckets with the lids that their pickles come in. I called and asked and was told that they do sell the used buckets. The buckets are red with white lids, and have the logo on them, and that they are only $2 each, including the lid. Having the logo on them also helps differentiate them from other red buckets. I have eaten there many times and never knew that. The money from the sale goes to the firemen's fund so there is also no tax on them. They smell like pickle juice for a few days, and they only sell them as they have them emptied, but it is a savings that also goes to help a good cause. Don't we all need a bucket now and then?

      Now let's go out and do more "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    2. #102
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Today's "pond"erings are concerning those things about our ponds that we admire most. Maybe it is the thing that we take the greatest pride in, or maybe the thing that is hardest to accomplish. At times I think just having a pond that is free of algae, or a pond with clear water instead of green. At other times I am most proud of stone work that my son did to produce the beautiful design. I know that not all koi lovers love butterfly or longfin koi, but they are my favorite, and I enjoy watching them, so sometimes they are my favorite part of the pond.
      Today, I looked and that same purple blooming plant in the greenhouse was blooming again! And there was another Albert De Lastang bloom also. It is nice to see the blooms, and helps me hang on to summer, and makes winter a little shorter. I do not consider the calendar as to when spring begins. To me spring starts when I start dividing lotus tubers. Fall ends when the last bloom is gone. In the greenhouse there are mums blooming, brugmansias are blooming, green goddess calla are blooming, periwinkle are blooming, and so are some other plants, but I am most thrilled to see the lilies blooming.
      I am counting the days until spring, what about you?
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    3. #103
      Koigrl's Avatar
      Koigrl is offline Supporting Member ~ WWKC BOD
      is is cheerful.
       
      Feeling:
      Cool
       
      Join Date
      Jul 2008
      Location
      Zone 6, NY, USA
      Posts
      5,836
      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Do you think it is time for me to stop posting on this thread?
      Heck, no! We like the sound of your "voice."



      Ki Shusui Project : 300k Challenge : 500k Build : Flock Spawn Jamboree : Our Ki Midori Champions




      Ten minute video of Russ Peters sexing our future ki shusui oyagoi. : http://youtu.be/AhROs1cjC18

      Updated for the 2018 Harvest: What is "ki shusui?" Short version http://www.kishusui.com

      Twelve seconds that are the entire point of the last seven years!
      https://youtu.be/zNqTJgM3lpY

      If you're reading this, you're on Team Ki.
      Kichi loves company. Max


      K-POTY 2014

    4. #104
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Thank you Koigrl. I really appreciate your comments of encouragement.

      For today's considerations, I was struck by a news broadcast earlier today which gave me thought. It is a little early to be posting on here as ponds are mostly shut down, but I had to share something with you all. I found this interesting as well as funny. Each time I send people emails, or messages, I end my remarks by signing off with "Thanks, and happy ponding!" Each time I type that, however, my "spellcheck" tells me that "ponding" is not a word. I have mentioned this before and stated that I use it anyway. Well, after having 6 inches of rain last night, we have a lot of flooding in the middle Tennessee area, including on the roads. Today on the news report on two occasions the newsman made the comment that motorists need to beware of "ponding" on the roads! looks like I am not the only one using the "non" word!

      We are continuing to harvest tropical lily tubers and finally finished with the pots from outside. We began the pots in the greenhouse ponds today, starting with the Aussies. Again we were rewarded with a few blooms on some of the plants that are in the greenhouse. One of the blooms was the Aussie Albert De LaStang. We will start harvesting those tubers in a couple of days, and I may not have the heart to tear it down. The bloom is very small, but it is also a joy to see. Another lily that was blooming today was Sandra Lynn. What a beauty! Maybe it was because it was a rainy, cool overcast day but it sure seemed to glow with a warmth of sunshine!

      It has been decent weather for the past few days and I have been spoiled to not having to build fires in the wood stoves in the greenhouse, nor have I had to run the heaters. That four day run ended about an hour ago when I lit the fire in the wood stove and fueled up the heater and heard it kick on. Two days ago it was 80* and today the high was 55*. I always enjoy those warm spells.

      No matter the weather, isn't it nice to be able to "pond"er?
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    5. #105
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      What have you "pond"ered about today? I know that ponds are closed, but we can still think about them. I was looking at my koi, wanting to feed them, but knowing it is best not to, when I started thinking about their names. A friend of mine gave me a 8 1/2 X 11 inch sheet of paper with pics of drawings of koi and the name of the fish pattern. I have looked them over many times but still do not remember what is what. But it is not the Japanese names that I was thinking about. I was considering how many people give their koi, and maybe even their goldfish, a pet name.
      Before my koi died when the pump quit working, my helper named one of the biggest koi "Spot" for obvious reasons. It was black with a large black spot on it's back. We named the only surviving fish from the pump disaster "Trump" because it survived and because it has one orange fin on its side. It is now the largest koi in the pond as all of the new fish are smaller. I have a total of 26 koi in the ponds, but Trump is the only one with a pet name, other than one which is all orange and I call it "Tennessee."
      In the green house I have a 300 gallon pond with 15 goldfish in it. My helper has named one of them Fred. It is also the largest one. She has another one of them named but I do not remember what it is named.
      As I was thinking about the fish with and without names I decided that there are too many koi to give them all names. But I also thought about the fact that it might be because by not naming them I would not be as upset if something happened to them. Three years ago I had a koi jump out of the pond when spawning and I found it dead on the sidewalk. I was not happy about finding one of my nice fish dead, but I wonder if by not having it named, it was not s tragic. Saying one of the koi died seems less tragic than saying "Little Mermaid" died. I wonder how many ponders name their fish? Oh well, as time goes on, I will name some more of them. It is only fair to give them a name. Okay, not all of them!
      Happy "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    6. #106
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Let the fall begin! What was I thinking? Colder weather is here whether I am ready or not, whether I want it of not! However, the colder weather does have a purpose. I "pond"ered these things and this is my list-

      1) We need a break. Ponding is enjoyable, just like gardening, but it is work. I like a nice lawn, but that entails mowing, feeding, raking, edging, weed eating, etc. Ponding requires viewing, smelling, relaxing, listening, watching, etc.

      2) Cold weather reduces the insect population. Mosquitos, gnats, and numerous other insects have their population diminished by the winter's freeze. Ponding provides mosquito fish, koi, goldfish, frogs, toads, dragonflies, among others, eat insects and help reduce the insect population.

      3) Beautiful scenes of snow covered landscapes and animals playing in the snow can be found and photographed in the winter months. But, pictures of waterfalls with white caps glistening in the sunshine can be found on pond ponds surrounded by blooms of rainbows of color from blooms of the lilies with pads lying on the waters surface.

      4) Koi and the goldfish can hibernate in a sense, and survive the winter. Is that something that they enjoy? Wouldn't they enjoy basking in the sun more and swimming lazily in warm water?

      5) Plants have time to rest, store up energy for the following year's bloom production. Could I just achieve similar results by harvesting them during warm weather and store them in the crawl space under the house until I am ready to plant them again?

      Well, we are blessed with winter and there are advantages to having it. Some people even enjoy it and claim it as their favorite season. Me, I endure it, and hope it is mild, and is short. I like a nice snow that falls at night, is beautiful the next morning, and is gone that night.

      Keep on "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    7. #107
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Last night our two youngest grandsons, ages 5 and 3, spent the night with us. We have a "toy room" that also has a bed in it and normally the boys and I sleep in it, but on this "sleep over' they brought their sleeping bags and were going to sleep on the floor in them. I slept on the bed. They were excited about the sleep over, and after playing a while we put on a movie, they laid down in their sleeping bags and after a long while, they fell asleep. Around 4 am I had one crawl up in bed with me, and he laid on my arm with his head against mine, cradled up against my side and went right back to sleep. As I lay there I could not help but think of what a blessing that was, and within a few minutes, the second one was in bed with us and back to sleep.
      As I pondered how wonderful children are, I thought about our amazing make up. Humans have 46 chromosomes, made up of DNA. DNA is often referred to as the "instruction book of life." It determines everything that makes us who we are. In our language we have 26 letters or characters, and the arrangement of those letters makes up words, and the arrangement of words makes sentences. DNA is similar but it only has 4 characters. Those four characters work somewhat like a computer in determining our make up. All life forms, plants, trees, aquatic, insects, birds, animals, etc., including man, have DNA within their cells and that determines what they are and what they look like, and how various parts of their body work. Bill Gate said DNA is "far, far more complex than any software we have ever developed." And this DNA which is our make up, consists of 3.2 billion parts which combined do not fill the head of straight pin.
      As my babies were sleeping close against me I thought of the miracle of life This DNA gives us our beautiful koi and goldfish, as well as the beautiful plants and blooms that we enjoy in our world around us. It also gives us those loved ones that we hold dear to our hearts. Whether you believe this amazing makeup, which has only become known in the recent half century, was the result of an explosion of nothing, or the result of intelligent creation, or if you believe as I do, that it is the work of God, you must stand in awe. Life itself is a miracle!
      Pondering today all of the beauty we find all around us, and thankful for how it graces our lives and our ponds!
      happy "pond"ering!
      Last edited by matherfish; 11-14-2017 at 10:30 AM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    8. #108
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      It is a typical fall/winter day here outside of Nashville. The temps are cool, but thankfully not freezing. it is also raining. Great "pond"ering weather!
      We finished harvesting all of the tropical lily tubers yesterday, and they are now all tucked away for the winter. The lotuses are covered and all of the tropical plants have been brought in. Time to rest, right? Wrong!

      I still need to finish cutting the basjoo bananas down to the ground and mulching them over. They are under tarps now so they should be okay but before really cold weather hits they need to be cut and covered. There are still some places in the greenhouse roof where the plastic has to be repaired, and siding has to have more screws put in to hold it better. There is always more to be done. Summer is gone, but the work continues! Yes, it keeps ponding on my mind!

      Another thing on my mind today is a friend who struggles financially through the winter. He is a farmer and works hard all year, working his own farm as well as working for neighbors as well on their farms, but during the winter I know he has to worry about having enough money to buy groceries or pay his electric bill. I m reminded of how blessed I am, and thankful that I can share with others. I appreciate that KP gives its members the opportunity to help any member at Christmas time who might need help. You can check out the thread in Chit Chat if you can help donate or if you need help. All help is appreciated. The address is-
      https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...with-Christmas

      On a different note, I also have been considering the two newly acquired plants I received this summer. I have had them in the past but one never did well for me, and the other I lost mainly because of neglect. The one plant that did not do well for me the first time that I received it was mosaic plant. This is an interesting plant because it has small leaves that are shaped like diamonds that grow in a mosaic type pattern. The "tiles" are about a half inch across, from what I have seen.

      I received my plants late this summer and read up on them, as best I could. I saw that the plants do need to be planted in soil, and they need to be In shallow water, preferably no deeper than 6 inches. I put the new plants in aquariums, which would have them too deep, so I placed the pots on 'blocks" to rise them up.
      Evidently this suited them because the plants seem to be responding well. At first they started turning a little brown around the leave's edges, but they have greened back up, and new pattern groupings have started. I am excited to see this, and look forward to watching them throughout the winter.

      I mention the mosaic plant as a reminder. Sometimes, for whatever reason, we may get a plant that we are not familiar with and it may not survive. Do not let that deter you from trying it again. Sometimes we may get a plant that is just not healthy to begin with, but we may not know it. Maybe something happened to it in it's being harvested and transported or during the transplanting. Maybe it is due to something that we never even thought about. If it is plant that interests you, or just caught your eye, give it second chance. Ask the person or business that you got the plant from how they grew them, and ask for specifics as much as possible. Also, take a few minutes to research the plant if possible. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the plant.

      Now to go out and put my "pond"erings into action.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    9. #109
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Well, another day closer to spring! I just got back in from putting more firewood in the wood burning stoves for the last time tonight (midnight). I rebuild the fires every 3-4 hours so the last fire will be burnt up around 4 am. The green house will start cooling down as the fire gets lower, so around three am the temps will drop slowly, but it should still be warm enough to keep from getting too cold before the sun comes up and the temps start rising again. Two kerosene heaters (salamander/torpedo style) also are set on timers to come on with an off for an hour and on for an hour schedule, and they do that all night to assist the stoves and keep the greenhouse warm.

      In the greenhouse I also have 9 aquariums and another one in my garage that have tropical fish in them. The fish are put into the ponds during the summer to help control mosquitos. They also have some planted tropical lilies in them. They are in small 22 oz. tumblers so they will not grow as big as they would in larger pots and in the summer. In the aquariums I also will have to take them out when they get too big. The varieties are lilies that I am hoping from which to get additional tubers. I also have several Amazonum lilies and Minuta lilies which are small and grow slowly. These are my "winter ponds" and on a smaller scale with the smaller fish and plants. Although they are still used in the summer as a place to start new plants, they are a means of getting our pond "fix" for throughout the winter. Keeping the greenhouse warm with the stoves and heaters helps keep the aquarium heaters from having to work so hard. having the aquariums heated with heaters also helps put heat into the greenhouse. As long as the electricity doe not go off, all is well. If it goes off, the wood stoves still work, but then I have to get up at 3 a.m. and put wood in the stoves. Or, get out the generator, if it is out for very long. If the temps get really cold outside, as in single digits, I cover the aquariums with towels and "blankets" to help hold the heat in to keep the fish from getting cold. The plants can stand slightly cooler water than the fish can.

      Now, back to "pond"ering!
      Last edited by matherfish; 11-17-2017 at 01:56 AM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    10. #110
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Just saw this- 126 Days till spring! Let the countdown begin! It was 70*f here yesterday, and the low last night was 53*. I think that is the way winter should be! I know, if I want winters like that I should move to south Florida. But it is nice to ponder such thoughts. A week or two would not be bad.
      I am enjoying the time off from some of the work of ponding, but also missing the blooms.
      Last night I sat for few minutes watching the fish in the aquariums, and was also looking at the minuta seedlings. The leaves are a bright green, and look a lot like leaf lettuce. I guess it is not warm enough for them to make floating pads, but the plants are sure looking healthy. Again, anxiously awaiting spring!
      But, I need to mention less I be charged with being remiss, that as next week is Thanksgiving, I am truly blessed. I know there are those on social media that are listing something everyday that they are thankful for. There are not enough days in the month for me to list things I am thankful for. I am thankful every day for life's blessings and appreciate all of the friends that are in it. The greatest blessings are often the ones we take for granted the most, and often fail to even recognize. Think about the miracle of growth itself, and all of the joy it brings. Think of how seed germinates and sprouts to produce leaves, and then the even greater blessing of blooms, and more seeds to continue the chain! We have blessings everywhere we look. It makes my heart leap with joy to consider these blessings.
      May your life be filled with blessings that bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face! Happy "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    11. #111
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      It is already the week of Thanksgiving. It sure is getting here in a hurry. Christmas is just around the corner, so spring can't be that much longer. I know it is not in February, but I think of it that way, because in March I generally start dividing lotuses. The exuberance of seeing the tubers discovered beneath the soil is a special excitement, because it reminds me that winter is soon to be over.
      Pondering these thoughts I am also thinking about things to do differently. This spring I replanted almost 3/4 of my lotuses, so there will not be as many to divide next spring. The dividing and replanting of so many of the lotuses meant they had fresh soil, providing more natural nutrients but next year I plan on fertilizing more often. There were more blooms this year than last, but unfortunately there were not many fat fertile seeds. This may have been because there weren't many bees. The seeds are fun to sprout, and an adventure to see what the new plant's blooms will look like. Remember to get a plant that is a named plant, you cannot use a seed but have to have a tuber from the named plant, unless it is a species plant crossed with the same species. I am hoping there will be lots of tubers to uncover. I can find some solace in that though the seeds are few for new varieties, the existing varieties that I already have should go on.
      Now, I am thinking of where I can find some more of those wonderful tubs I use for my lotuses. I only have few months to locate some...
      Still "pond"ering!
      Last edited by matherfish; 11-20-2017 at 10:55 PM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    12. #112
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      I have mentioned several times about having aquariums that I deal with during the winter. They are the winter ponds. As I was feeding the fish today I looked at some of the lilies potted in them. I know I have a Terri Dunn viviparous tropical lily in a tub in the greenhouse that has a few good starts of vip babies, but was happy to see that the Madam Ganna Walska plant in an aquarium has several vip pads that are starting to grow plants. I am posting pics of some of them here so you can see the progression, from the nodule itself to a nodule starting to spout. I thought you might find it interesting.
      One of the problems in the aquariums with the lilies is the aphids are also healthy. We wash them off the pads several times a week, trying to drown them but they get on other pads or on the glass or tubing or something so we do not kill all of them, but we try. They multiply quickly so few days later they are back again. Usually I spray the pad with a spray that kills them, but since I have tropical fish which get some air from the surface, I cannot do that. The oil, soap and water combination would block the fish from "breathing." I am posting a pic of a male Fire Red dwarf gourami to show you what they look like. The males get to about 3 1/2 inches long.
      So the winter ponds are going well, and I ponder such things as "if the electricity goes off, will the water freeze and crack the glass," or "if the electricity goes off, how low can the temps get without killing the fish," or how much wood will I burn in the stoves to keep the greenhouse warm enough for the fish," and also, "if the electricity goes off, what will I do about the aquariums in my garage that do not have a wood stove and require electricity?" These are not just ponderings, they are legitimate worries!
      Now, back to seeking solutions for these and other possible disasters.
      Oops, forgot to load the pics! Here they are!
      Attached Images Attached Images      
      Last edited by matherfish; 11-22-2017 at 05:01 PM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    13. #113
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      The Thanksgiving day is over, but we need to remember that we should be thankful every day. It is easy to take things for granted, but when they are gone we wish we had appreciated them more while we had them. Those people in our lives are among that which we should show appreciation because they will not always be there.
      I want to add to that list of things we sometimes fail to appreciate. In the past I have had plants that I really like, but because they grew well and were pretty prolific, I did not pay as much attention to them and lost them. Queen of Siam and Ruby are two lilies that I neglected and lost. I have posted that I would like to get them again and have looked to trade for them, but have had no replies. Either others do not have them, or have lost their tags and do not know they have them.
      Like everyone else, I get busy with things that demand immediate attention and put off things that I think can wait a few days. Unfortunately time gets away and a few days is a few weeks. Dividing plants and replanting them is important. They need the thinning and trimming of the roots to promote new root growth. Do not trim all of the roots off, but you can cut them back some to get new root growth. This will invigorate the plant and promote bloom growth.
      Happy "pond" ering!
      Last edited by matherfish; 11-27-2017 at 11:09 PM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    14. #114
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Last night as I went to put wood into the woodstoves in the greenhouse for the last time of the night, something came to my attention. Although I had been in the greenhouse during the day, and already had been back a few times to add wood, I noticed something I had overlooked. I had seen the brugmansias blooming each time I was in there, but had not really seen them, if you understand what I am saying. They were blooming profusely! I have three varieties that I have potted up, and each year I take them outside in the spring and bring them in in the fall. This year the plants have outdone themselves with more big, beautiful blooms than ever before! I stopped and pondered about how I had seen them so many times but never really took note of the number of blooms. How fortunate I am to be able to enjoy their beauty when it is so cold outside. Looking through the leaves and blooms sometimes the blooms appeared as though they were large lights hanging over the kiddie ponds. Life is good, I thought.
      a little over a week ago we had a cold front that moved in bringing with it a very strong storm. A tornado set down about 5 miles from us to give you an idea of the severity of the storm. It was only a category one with winds up to around 105 mph, but it still did a lot of damage. It was estimated that our winds here were around 70-75 mph. The driving rain and hard winds brought most all of the leaves down off of the trees, as well as a few branches. With the holidays being last week, I did not get the leaves out of the ponds completely at that time, but we are getting them out today. It is going to be around 62*f so it is a good day to do it with the sun shining. Some jobs you have to do when the weather cooperates.
      Now, back to work. Happy "pond"ering!
      Attached Images Attached Images      
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    15. #115
      little_mikey is offline Senior Member
      This user has no status.
       
      Feeling:
      ----
       
      Join Date
      Mar 2017
      Location
      Orlando FL
      Posts
      165
      That is funny. Amazing how little we notice when we are so busy in winter. So much effort micromanaging that we trip over the small stuff. The other day I was lamenting that Terri Dunn would be the only thing blooming because of the cold... Completely forgot about the covered tub full of minuta blooming thier heads off. Also overlooked several "piles" left by the dog which I step in ....

      I also want Queen of Siam... but Doris Holt might be more desirable.. It is a nice plant.

    16. #116
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Well, it's not beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I am not unhappy. Today's temperature was 61* and sunny, but tonight's low will be 36.* The amazing thing is this plant does not realize that today is Dec. 1. Look at what I found! And it is not an oddity. The plant has been continuously blooming for months!
      I have mentioned several times about having minuta lilies in an aquarium. There are other lilies and plants in the aquariums as well. I have a Madam Ganna Walska in a tank and the pads are producing new plantlets. There is King of Siam that is doing well, In total, there are maybe 10 different varieties of lilies n the aquariums, because I want the floating pads to provide a surface cover. I also have frogbit in the tanks.
      I point this out for those who have tropical lilies, or would like tropical lilies but do not want to harvest tubers or store them. An aquarium or even a tub that can be put in place where the temps stay 50* or more will work to keep you plant for the winter. The plant will die back but if it has a tuber, the tuber can sit in the pot through the winter. Another simple solution to enable you to expand your hobby!
      Also, if space is a problem to store your marginal plants because they have grown so much since the initial planting have you considered trimming the plant back, or even rooting a cutting and starting over, or potting up a pup and starting a new plant? You could take a few cuttings or few pups and plant them in small containers and keep your plant without keeping the space hogging mother plant. You can keep more varieties of plants that way s well. you might even want to trade off excess cuttings or pups, or just share them with others.
      Happy "pond"erings!
      Attached Images Attached Images  
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    17. #117
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      So what are you "pond"ering today? This is not the time of year most people think about their ponds but it is time we start thinking about buying presents. A few posts go I mentioned buying or getting pond items as Christmas gifts. Todays thoughts are along that idea, with some suggestions.
      On the Main Forum here on Koiphen there are some items being auctioned off that would make very nice Christmas gifts. (Just don't bid against me. ) The items are donated and your participating and purchasing these s part of fundraiser would be appreciated. Items are listed on the forum individually. https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showth...he-online-show
      I am not sure if I can mention the other idea or not, but I will but if I have to remove it, I will. Many of us have enjoyed Mike Giles water lily hybrids, and many have his hardy water lily, Sunfire. Mike's sister, Susan and her husband are handling the business side of Mike's business so they re the ones handling the orders and shipping the plants. But what does that have to do with buying for Christmas? It is too cold to ship plants, and in most areas, too cold to plant them. Well, Susan has created 5 jewelry collections featuring Mike's water lily Sunfire! This includes key chains, pendants and earrings which feature the image of the Sunfire bloom! You can see them on the Turtle Island website. https://turtleislandwaterlilies.com/
      Okay, so this has been on my mind as I am shopping! What ideas are you "pond"ering?
      Last edited by matherfish; 12-03-2017 at 06:15 PM.
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    18. #118
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Yesterday I wanted to swap out the half barrel sized tubs that had cracks in them and had plastic bag liners put in them so they would hold water. I wanted to replace them with ones that were not cracked and did not leak and therefore did not need the bags. So that is what we began doing.
      This project entailed emptying the non leaking tubs of the water that was in them, and then moving them to the new area where they would hold the lily pots. The leaking tubs also had to have the hardy lily pots with the lilies in them taken out and the leaking pot emptied of the water, the replacement tub put in place, then the tub filled with water and the lily returned. The tropical lily tubs did not have pots in them so they were done quicker. Complicated, no, but time consuming. But something was discovered that made me start pondering!
      When emptying the tubs with the bag liners, we found a tub that still had a tropical lily pot in it. We have had several nights down around 35* and One night the temp went down to 32*, which is much too cold for tropical tubers. All of the other tubers had been harvested over a month ago. I reached into the pot and found two firm tubers, and one that was soft. the soft one was thrown away as it was decaying. The other two were checked in water and they did not float, so I assume they are viable. I placed them in a bag with some slightly moist sand, sealed the bag and put it with the other bags of tropical tubers.
      So what was I thinking about today? How many times do many of us assume that a plant is dead and do not even check to make sure it is dead? How many times have we thrown out plants not realizing they would come back the next year, plants such as Lizard's Tail or Aztec Arrowheads.
      I will not know until next spring if these two tubers will sprout, but every indication right now is that they will. My thoughts today are that if you have space, save plants if you want the plant to see if they will come back next spring. I also think I should tell you that if you know the plant is dead (Dried out from no water for weeks) then throw it out. If there is a chance it will live, give it the chance!
      Happy "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    19. #119
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Wow! It’s cold outside! It is the middle of December as you know, and most of us are feeling the cold. Not a day for most of us to think about our ponds. But, for the “pondaholics” we are thinkings about them any way. And, as mentioned in another thread on KP, we are also addicted to KP.
      So, with that in mind, I am thinking today about getting wood in the stoves, and diesel fuel for the heaters. On days like today I have to force myself to do it. Once I get out there, however, I feel the warmth of the fire and want to spend time visiting and enjoying the adventures. There is always something happening in there! I always find something to amuse myself and to do there. Wouldn’t you?
      I will leave you while you ponder the many things to be done in a green house full of plants and aquariums.
      Happy “pond”ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

    20. #120
      matherfish's Avatar
      matherfish is offline Senior Member
      is blessed
       
      Feeling:
      Happy
       
      Join Date
      Jun 2006
      Location
      Nashville, TN
      Posts
      8,280
      Once again, the Grinch who steals the joy of ponding has spewed forth negativity. The criticism of all those who post pics that are not pristine and of professional quality is a deterrent to others who want to share their joys with others. We can praise someone for the quality of their photos without making slurs about other's photos. Also, perfection is in the eye of the beholder.
      As I ponder this, I am reminded that every pond is not perfect. Most who post have beautiful ponds and landscapes, but close-ups reveal the imperfections, such as a dead leaf or an imperfect bloom. I wonder how many quit ponding because their pond is not the perfectly manicured pond they see in pictures. It is like seeing models with perfect skin and bodies and expect everyone to look like that, and if you don't look like that, don't take pictures and share them with others. How many family pics would never be posted on social media? How many proud moments of success would never be posted of children's accomplishments? How many memories of birthdays, anniversaries, etc. would go unnoticed?
      I appreciate the extraordinary pics that are posted on the net, as well as those that are in books and print, but I also appreciate the opportunity to see the reality of life and the beauty found in the world around us. I have seen the Photo Shopped pictures that enhances the colors so much that it distorts the true colors so that I questioned the authenticity of the plant.
      What are your thoughts? Should only top quality pics be posted or do you welcome all pics. Wouldn't the person posting the pics be proud of their contents of the pic that they want to show them off?
      Still "pond"ering!
      Sunfire Hardy Water Lily now available
      See my Pro Seller store on Koiphen





      “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
      ― Zig Ziglar


      Koiphen 2019 Koi Person of the Year!

      • Remove Ads
        Advertising from Google
        Promoting Koi and Pond
        keeping since 2007

         

    Page 6 of 17 FirstFirst ... 345678916 ... LastLast

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •