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    Thread: "Pond"ering

    1. #281
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      How is the Nualgi doing for you? I have been using it for three years now. Three years ago my UV lamp needed to be replaced. It was going to cost way more than a bottle of Nualgi, plus the electricity to use it 24-7. So I thought I would give it a try. I have never replaced the lamp. The Nualgi keeps my pond looking great. I have noticed more pads on my water lilies and they seem to bloom more often now. I think the key is to always add it to the pond after you clean your filters and do a water change. Add the Nualgi then. I always do it every Monday like clock work. If it is not possible on a Monday then I do it on a Tuesday. It has become part of my cleaning & water maintenance program. Nualgi has a three year shelf life. I willl always use it! Hope it has worked for you.
      Nancy



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    2. #282
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      Gray Cat, I must confess I have not used the Nualgi like I should have. I did not continue to use it regularly but rather used it sporatically. The instructions are to put it in weekly but I have not done that. It does seem to have helped, but it is definitely not "clear." The plants are happy, however. I will continue to use it and hope to get its use on a weekly schedule. I have not mentioned Nualgi in a while and appreciate your bringing the subject up. I am delighted to hear that it works well enough that you do not need the UV light.
      Your post again reminds me of how much we should appreciate the opportunity to share ideas and experiences. When we post things such as this, it may help someone currently or later on. Sometimes we think that it is not that important, or no one else would be interested, or we feel under qualified to speak on the subject. However, on Koiphen we have readers on every level of ponding. I know little about koi and when I read threads such as those where their are serious critiques requested, I read them but do not understand much of them. Those who offer critiques are not always in agreement, but they know more than I do. So i read and try to learn. The same with plants. Some are more experienced and have more knowledge than someone else, but ther are always those who are new to koi and plants. Sharing may not fit everyone, but it may fit someone!
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    3. #283
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      "Pond"ering another week of heat, and rain. The excessive heat has caused discomfort, but I have dealt with it. I do not enjoy the freezing cold and prefer the heat of the summer, so I "sweat on."
      Recently I had someone ask me if it is too late to plant plants this year. This is a thought provoking question and one worth our "pond"ering. Much of the answer would have to do with the answers to a few additional questions.
      First of all, where do you live? Different areas of the country have different amounts of tie as to the length of their summer, or as I like to call it, their "ponding season." I believe that plants should be planted at least a month before frost. This allows your plant to get over any planting shock and to become acclimated to its new environment.
      Secondly, what results are you seeking? If you are wanting blooms, chances are, if you are planting the plants near the end of the ponding season, you will not get many blooms, if any. As you get closer to the end of the season the plants will start "preparing" for fall and winter b shutting down their blooming and leaf production on their own, no matter how long they have been planted.
      If your desire is to have a plant that has had time to acclimate and develop over the winter for a stronger, healthier plant next year, it is a great time to plant. You can get plants that have been growing elsewhere and have that growth, but the transplant shock would have taken place in the current year, allowing the plant to take advantage of the full spring for growth the following year.
      Is it a tropical lily or a hardy one? The closer you are to the end of summer, the shorter the time you have for the warm water temperatures. Within a few weeks the temperatures will start filling and so will the water temperatures. Tropical plants depend more on the higher temperatures than the hardy plants. If you are thinking of tropical plants for next year, especially lilies, you might be better to get tubers and store them over the winter rather than plant them. Remember, the tropical lily grows from a tuber to a blooming plant rapidly so it would be to your advantage to store the tuber rather than plant it.
      The hardy lily is designed to withstand the winter's cold, so planting it would be advisable. It can continue to become stronger and grow throughout the period of time before the water gets to extreme cold. Next spring, the plant will begin to wake when the water temperatures start to warm up. They will have already started to wake up and grow before the water is warm enough to plant the tropical plants.
      Lastly, it may depend on the plant itself. Some plants grow much faster than others. Some respond to "change" much quicker. The answer to this question would also have a bearing on the answer to our larger question, as to when is it too late to plant.
      Happy "pond"ering! Have a great Monday! I am posting a pic just because I like it. Nothing to do with this post.
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      Last edited by matherfish; 08-20-2018 at 10:40 AM.
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    4. #284
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      Have you stopped and "pond"ered what you enjoyed the most about your pond this year? Have you thought about the thing you enjoyed the least? What plans have you made to change your pond(s) next year?
      Over the past few weeks I have realized there is leak in my lower pond. The pond has started losing water and every few days i am having to top it off. I do not know where it is leaking but it will have to be fixed. I have my HXT lilies in there so when it is cooler temps, I will move those into the upper pond. I will then let the water leak down until it stops going down. I then will have an idea as to what level to look for the leak. if it is very low I will move the fish temporarily until the leak is found and repaired. i plan on patching the liner so I am also hoping it will be an easy fix. Who am I fooling? Nothing is as easy as you hope it will be!
      Today we sprayed home made weed killer again. it has killed almost all of the grass and weeds around the lily tubs but the bamboo is not as easy to kill off as it is spreading into the tub area. We are spraying again to eventually kill the shoots off of the bamboo to not come back. Bamboo is great but I want to keep it in its place!
      I expanded my "new hobby" this past week by getting some "babies. I am learning to take care of them but it is slow go. Will be a winter hobby it appears.
      Happy "pond"ering!
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      Last edited by matherfish; 08-21-2018 at 09:57 PM.
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    5. #285
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      Well, its on my mind. First the bad news. I lost the baby axolotls. I did not wash the brine shrimp that I was feeding them and did not think bout the water the brine shrimp were in was salt water. We learn from our mistakes, but it hurts anyway. I still have the 6 larger ones. It is a good time to change the "pond"ering to happier thoughts.
      Rotareneg posted a great thread elsewhere on Koiphen about getting a mislabeled plant that was supposed to be Indiana but is quite obviously not. In fact it is most likely Wanvisa. There are many lilies that closely resemble each other but there are some lilies that are "unique" in certain ways that cause them to "stand out" and makes them easier to identify, though recently some hybrids have shown similar characteristics.
      The first one I will mention is Wanvisa. The pads are very dark green, almost gray looking, with bright green spots on them. You can almost guarantee an identification even without the bloom. The bloom is a rosey orange color with yellow flecks throughout the petals. Occasionally, the bloom will have a single solid yellow petal or several petals that are solid yellow, but these are the unusual, not the normal.
      The second one that I might mention is Islamorada. This is a tropical lily that has been easily identified by its being viviparous, it has a purple bloom and it's identifying characteristic is that the petals are also flecked. There are several viviparous, purple blooming lilies but only islamorada has the whitish streaks in the petals. (Craig has pointed out that there is another vip purple lily with flecked petals. It is his hybrid Shooting Stars. I apologize for not remembering this little known lily but do want to correct the record!
      The third lily that I will mention that is fairly easy to identify is Arc-en-ciel. It is a hardy lily that has extremely different and colorful pads. The pads are green based but usually have splotches of pink, burgundy, and bright green. The bloom is nothing spectacular, but it is nice. The pads make this a very desirable lily.
      The last lily is lesser known, but i think fits in with these other lilies, and it is the yellow Watermelon. Again, the bloom is not outstanding, IMHO, but the pads are recognizable because as the name implies, the pads resemble the rind of a watermelon with their streaking and coloring.
      Some of these pics have the focus on the pads so the bloom may not be real sharp in the pics.
      What other lilies can you think of that should be added to this list? Keep "pond"ering and let us know!
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      Last edited by matherfish; 08-29-2018 at 03:40 PM.
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    6. #286
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      In my last post I was misunderstood perhaps as i gave some ways to identify a lily. I did not say that the lily can be identified by one single characteristic, but it helps in identifying it, or if the characteristic is not there, to eliminate it.
      The number of lily blooms each day is slowly decreasing. This past Friday, the number was down to just under 100. I know that for many, that number is huge, but for me with the number of plants that I have, that number is low. Most of the blooms are tropical blooms as the hardy lilies will soon starting to shut down for the winter. Their pads are numerous and the tubs are full and running over with them, but the blooms are slowing down. We are not fertilizing anymore this year to encourage tuber production.
      It is also time to repair/replace some of the kiddie pools/ponds in the greenhouse. The heat and cold extremes causes the plastic to become brittle after a while and they develop cracks, so we need to empty the ponds of the plants and repair/replace it and then put the plants back in. I have been "pond"ering that I really want to reduce my stock and hopefully reduce the number of ponds before next year, so I may not replace some of the older ponds, and then can reduce the number of ponds.
      So, although I am doing a lot of "pond"ering, it is not an overly busy and productive time of the year. Too early for winter, too late for summer. Just doing what can be done today. But isn't that the way it always is? We can only live one day at a time, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow s yet to come. So go out and enjoy today, and "pond"er!
      P.S.- Different bloom, different pic, same lily! Same reason!
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      Last edited by matherfish; 08-26-2018 at 11:27 PM.
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    7. #287
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      Well, its on my mind. First the bad news. I lost the baby axolotls. I did not wash the brine shrimp that I was feeding them and did not think bout the water the brine shrimp were in was salt water. :no: We learn from our mistakes, but it hurts anyway. I still have the 6 larger ones. It is a good time to change the "pond"ering to happier thoughts.
      Rotareneg posted a great thread elsewhere on Koiphen about getting a mislabeled plant that was supposed to be Indiana but is quite obviously not. In fact it is most likely Wanvisa. There are many lilies that closely resemble each other but there are some lilies that are "unique" in certain ways that cause them to "stand out" and makes them easier to identify, though recently some hybrids have shown similar characteristics.
      The first one I will mention is Wanvisa. The pads are very dark green, almost gray looking, with bright green spots on them. You can almost guarantee an identification even without the bloom. The bloom is a rosey orange color with yellow flecks throughout the petals. Occasionally, the bloom will have a single solid yellow petal or several petals that are solid yellow, but these are the unusual, not the normal.
      The second one that I might mention is Islamorada. This is a tropical lily that has been easily identified by its being viviparous, it has a purple bloom and it's identifying characteristic is that the petals are also flecked. There are several viviparous, purple blooming lilies but only islamorada has the whitish streaks in the petals.
      The third lily that I will mention that is fairly easy to identify is Arc-en-ciel. It is a hardy lily that has extremely different and colorful pads. The pads are green based but usually have splotches of pink, burgundy, and bright green. The bloom is nothing spectacular, but it is nice. The pads make this a very desirable lily.
      The last lily is lesser known, but i think fits in with these other lilies, and it is the yellow Watermelon. Again, the bloom is not outstanding, IMHO, but the pads are recognizable because as the name implies, the pads resemble the rind of a watermelon with their streaking and coloring.
      Some of these pics have the focus on the pads so the bloom may not be real sharp in the pics.
      What other lilies can you think of that should be added to this list? Keep "pond"ering and let us know!
      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      In my last post I was misunderstood perhaps as i gave some ways to identify a lily. I did not say that the lily can be identified by one single characteristic, but it helps in identifying it, or if the characteristic is not there, to eliminate it.
      The number of lily blooms each day is slowly decreasing. This past Friday, the number was down to just under 100. I know that for many, that number is huge, but for me with the number of plants that I have, that number is low. Most of the blooms are tropical blooms as the hardy lilies will soon starting to shut down for the winter. Their pads are numerous and the tubs are full and running over with them, but the blooms are slowing down. We are not fertilizing anymore this year to encourage tuber production.
      It is also time to repair/replace some of the kiddie pools/ponds in the greenhouse. The heat and cold extremes causes the plastic to become brittle after a while and they develop cracks, so we need to empty the ponds of the plants and repair/replace it and then put the plants back in. I have been "pond"ering that I really want to reduce my stock and hopefully reduce the number of ponds before next year, so I may not replace some of the older ponds, and then can reduce the number of ponds.
      So, although I am doing a lot of "pond"ering, it is not an overly busy and productive time of the year. Too early for winter, too late for summer. Just doing what can be done today. But isn't that the way it always is? We can only live one day at a time, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow s yet to come. So go out and enjoy today, and "pond"er!
      P.S.- Different bloom, different pic, same lily! Same reason!

      Sorry about your loss.

      So far several of my lilies are still blooming a lot. My pond is 75% covered with lily pads. I am sure this will all start to slow down Seems this summer has gone by much to fast.
      Nancy



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    8. #288
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      "Pond"ering today on how the temps have turned hot again! It was 95 today and extremely humid. Some say we will will have an early winter, but sure has not seemed to fit that prediction the last two days! Maybe they are making their predictions based upon the fact that stores are already putting out Halloween decorations, and even some Christmas decorations! I wonder how many are already buying Halloween decor?
      Speaking of Halloween, I thought I would share this with you. This had visited the greenhouse yesterday, building its web the night before. It is about 1.5 -2 inches long. I really do not mind spiders in the greenhouse as they can devour lots of insects, but I hate walking into spider webs! Does this look like a good Halloween decoration? He/she may not hang around until then, but as long as it stays out of the way, it can stay, as well as it's web.
      The last two days has been spent dividing the HXT lilies, and re-potting them. There were 16 pots, so pulling them out of the ponds , taking the rocks out and dividing them was quite a chore, and then there was the re-potting, fertilizing and putting the pots back into the ponds took a while. It's that time of the year!
      Happy "pond"ering!
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    9. #289
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      Quote Originally Posted by matherfish View Post
      "Pond"ering today on how the temps have turned hot again! It was 95 today and extremely humid. Some say we will will have an early winter, but sure has not seemed to fit that prediction the last two days! Maybe they are making their predictions based upon the fact that stores are already putting out Halloween decorations, and even some Christmas decorations! I wonder how many are already buying Halloween decor?
      Speaking of Halloween, I thought I would share this with you. This had visited the greenhouse yesterday, building its web the night before. It is about 1.5 -2 inches long. I really do not mind spiders in the greenhouse as they can devour lots of insects, but I hate walking into spider webs! Does this look like a good Halloween decoration? He/she may not hang around until then, but as long as it stays out of the way, it can stay, as well as it's web.
      The last two days has been spent dividing the HXT lilies, and re-potting them. There were 16 pots, so pulling them out of the ponds , taking the rocks out and dividing them was quite a chore, and then there was the re-potting, fertilizing and putting the pots back into the ponds took a while. It's that time of the year!
      Happy "pond"ering!

      One of my favorite spiders! I have one that hangs around between my Japanese maple and filter house.

    10. #290
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      The hot humid days have also brought lots of rain here. We had another storm this afternoon. This has brought the rain lilies to life, so instead of their usual look of just green grass like leaves, they have been blooming profusely! I have the pink and white varieties of the lilies. Beautiful bouquets.
      This last few days have been buys with many things going on as we get ready for winter. We have dusted the plants with Dipel, and last week sprayed for aphids. These treatments need to be done every two weeks for 3 treatments 3 times during the ponding season, depending on the infestation. We are trying to keep the infestations next year as low as possible so treating now should help.
      I saw a new lily on a Thailand web site that I thought I wanted. Actually, I see several throughout the summer that I would love to have. This made me think "ponder" about the any varieties of new hybrids there are each year. And the number of varieties that I do not see is even larger. Many are never brought to market, just like there are thousands of varieties at Mike Giles' place and he may introduce 4 or 5 each year. That means that just at his place there are thousands of beautiful lilies that we may never see. When I consider this amazing number, it reminds me that I need to appreciate even more the ones that are available to me. The hybridizer, grower, has already picked the best of the best to offer to me. The wish list can go on, but like the car market, I can't have them all, or even the one I might want, but I can appreciate the one I drive.
      Happy "pond"ering!
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    11. #291
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      Today is Saturday, the first day of September. Fall is near, and college football kicks off today! Ponds are still glowing here because the weather is still hot! The big ponds with the HXT lilies are not looking as good because we divided the plants, but they still do not look bad!
      I have been watching the viviparous lilies for vip pads, and as I have shown before, Ruby is quite prolific. Purple Joy is a new lily that I acquired this summer and it is also a vip lily. I was excited today to see a few vip pads on the Purple Joy plants. while inspecting, I was looking at the Queen of Siam and noticed a baby vip plant floating! Although not very big, there appears to be some vip buttons starting on Islamorada. It also had a new bloom! Before you pull off those dead pads on your tropical lilies, make sure it is not a viviparous lily and that your dead pad does not have a new baby growing.
      For several days, 5 to be exact, I have been waiting and watching for this Euryale Ferox bud to open. The wait should be worth it but I am anxious to see the bloom. No bloom is just another bloom. Everyone is exciting, and beautiful. Not just the Euryale Ferox or the Victorias, but every bloom, in my opinion is special.
      Happy "pond"ering!
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      I know most of you are about a month away from closing down your ponds for the winter, and some are about two months away. But this is also enough time for you to plant up some lilies for next year's growth and blooms. My doctor says that I need to reduce my work load and my wife wants me to cut back on my hobby. I have allowed it to get too big over the years. To reduce my work load I need to diminish the number of plants, especially lilies that I have. Due to the time of the year, and to reduce the number quickly, I am going to make a special offer. 10 Hardy water lilies for $35, including the shipping to any continental US state. Plants will vary in varieties, and colors, but to do this at this price, I cannot pick and choose. Contact me at matherfish@aol.com if interested. Larger quantities will be available. if you have friends or neighbors who might want to "share" an order you might mention this to them.
      The ponds are flourishing, and the blooms are beautiful. Happy pondering!
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      what a great deal for anyone wanting some quality plants!
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      Thanks, clm. I am currently out of these. Thanks everyone!
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      This week has been extremely busy, with the inventory reduction offer for the water lilies. There has been over 400 plants sold! The last ones will be shipped out on Monday, and i am exhausted.
      I started thinking about the banana plants when a customer commented on the fact that he had not seen banana trees the size of mine anywhere in our area. I explained to him that they were hardy bananas and they get cut down to the ground each year and are mulched covered and left for the winter. They have grown that tall since the start of spring. If you look to the right side in the picture you will see the end of a six foot fence for comparison. The greenhouse right behind the bananas is 12 feet tall! The siding on the greenhouse is 8 feet tall. The tops of the plants are about 20 feet. Not bad for a season's growth!
      I also "pondered" the fact that I have mentioned my having koi, but have not pictured them very often. i decided that today might be a good time to post a few pics. The pics are not special, but they give you an idea of what I enjoy seeing each day, as well as the blooms!
      Let's keep on "pond"ering!
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      I know we complain about nature, but today it has worked in my favor. It rained a lot during the night and early morning, maybe two inches total. It had stopped by 8 am almost entirely, but by 10 it was completely gone. That gave me the day to harvest the hardy lilies, clean and divide them and then pack them. Once that was done I just had to print the shipping labels and take them to the post office! Hurrah, 142 plants shipped, but unfortunately I did not get them all done. I still lack 30 plants to ship. Hopefully I can get those done in the morning before we get more rain.
      We are not expected to get hurricane Flo here but we will get some of the rain, most likely each day until next week. Prayers for all of those who will be affected by the hurricane, and its flooding rain.
      In my leisure, I continue to watch the axolotls grow and develop personalities. They are varied in colors, so today I want to post two pictures to show the contrasts in color.
      Also, posting a picture of my greenhouse certification. Just in case you were wondering.
      Happy "pond"ering!
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    17. #297
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      "Pond"ering today has brought about even more things that need to be done before winter. There are the usual things, but new things seem to occur daily that need attention. Well, at least it keeps me out of trouble, at least. I am too busy and too tired to be up to pranks and mischief!
      One of the new things that has to be tended to is the plastic has pulled loose from one of the gutters in a back corner of the greenhouse. I will have to fix it pretty soon to keep it from pulling loose worse than it is. Greenhouse plastic is very expensive so you want to take care of it as much as possible.
      As we have been pulling excess plants to ship, the number of blooms has decreased. The fact that we are getting closer to the end of the season is also causing the number of blooms to be diminishing. Not as many blooms, but they are still beautiful! I am saddened at thinking of reducing my hobby, but it has gotten so big that I just can't handle the work load. Like others, I must face the fact that I must downsize. The cost of the upkeep of such a big undertaking has also become enormous. Electricity for the pumps and fans, as water has risen dramatically as the number of tubs and plants has expanded. I am going to get the hobby down to a more reasonable and sustainable size. I have decided that I can have one plant of a variety of lily and do not need 6-10 of them.
      I am also watching the news as hurricane Florence is hitting the Carolinas. It brings back memories of growing up in south Florida, and the hurricanes there. We had several during our years there, and on one we were in the path where the eye went over us. Fond memories, but we did not have all of the info that we do today, so I do not remember the amount of damage or the number of lives lost. Thankfully we never suffered major damage or loss of life with our family or friends. My thoughts and prayers are with those who will suffer the effects of this hurricane.
      These thoughts also bring about more thoughts of the hurricane. We did not have ponds to worry about when I was growing up. I have been amazed as I have read of several ponders getting their ponds ready for the storm. They have decreased the water depths, put netting over the ponds to help hold things (and fish) to keep them from washing away, unplugging pumps to keep them from shorting out, etc. With all that work, I am sure that we appreciate the advanced warning and information that we have today!
      On a day filled with much anxiety for many, prayers by many others, may you find a smile in your "pond"ering!
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    18. #298
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      I started thinking about the floaters in the pond after reading some comments about them on other threads. I know I talked about these a few weeks back, but it is good to be reminded. I also thought about them in relationship to marginals, and bog plants. They are wonderful additions to our ponds and serve useful purposes. but they do need controlling. But isn't that true with many plants? I think about dividing lilies, and have talked about the work involved, but bog plants also need to be divided and repotted periodically. They can become root bound, or over populated in a pot or area. But even though water hyacinth and water lettuce quickly reproduce and become numerous, they are easily thinned out by just pulling them from the pond. Many are doing this currently. Please remember to dispose of these responsibly by placing them where they cannot get into public waterways or ponds and lakes. Give the spares to another ponder who might want them, or put them in a mulch pile, or use them for mulch or throw them in a garbage bag for trash, etc. Your remaining ones will continue to filter your pond and provide shade and shelter for your fish, and will continue to pull nutrients from your pond.
      Happy "pond"ering!
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      Last edited by matherfish; 09-18-2018 at 10:41 PM.
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    19. #299
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      "Pond"ering how many things have changed our lives today. Microwaves, cell phones, internet, computers, etc. Among those things that are quickly becoming obsolete are cameras. i am thinking about how we at one time had cameras hanging around our necks, especially on vacations or when visiting site seeing locations. Are you remembering? When we had those 35 mm cameras we used film and were limited to the number of pics on the roll of film, or sometimes limited to the number of pics we could afford to have developed! Once our roll of film was taken, we took it to the store or mailed it to have the roll developed and then when we received the pictures we would look through them to see how they looked. Remember all of the pics with tops of people's heads cut off?
      Today we carry a phone with us everywhere, and with our phone comes a digital camera! No more film, no more developing, unlimited pics and even the ability to edit our pictures, including taking things out of a picture, or putting them into a picture. Our cameras have even developed to the point of being able to be tiny and hidden to take "dashboard" videos, or on our front porch to provide protection from theft.
      What does this have to do with "pond"ering? It means that we now can take lots of pictures of our ponds and fish and blooms! The colors are closer to the true colors of the plants, and we can see immediately the results of our photos. We can take take lots of pics rapidly to look through and decide which one or ones we like best, and then discard or still save the rest. Throughout the winter, as we "pond"er our ponds for next year, we will have lots of pics to remind us, and they will be there for years to come.
      So, as you "pond"er, get out your phone, and take lots of pics and then share them on KP so we also can "pond"er your pond!
      Just like the ponding season is coming to an end, so is this lily. Still beautiful, but it's age is showing.
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    20. #300
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      Today I was looking at various individual's ponds on the web and I noticed one with an upside down (aquarium, I think) see through tank that sat at the top of the water, and fish could swim up into it above the pond water level. Another pond owner had taken a large, life sized mermaid and put it in their pond. Some pond's had large globes sitting in their ponds. This became my day's "pond"ering centerpiece. We have various imaginations and ideas, and all of those things set our ponds apart and make them unique. Some things have more than one use. I grew up in South Florida, and have always been fascinated by alligators. I have a small floating one in my pond. I like the "natural" look of it, but it also is there to help keep herons away. . Growing up near the ocean, I also appreciate the large sea turtles, and even witnessed the hatching of eggs and watched as the baby turtles made their way to the ocean. I have a large metal sculpture of a sea turtle next to my pond. So, my thoughts are these, "what things do you have by your pond or in your pond?" It would be interesting for me and many others if you would post pics of your items, other than plants or fish, that you might have to enhance your pond.
      Have you started closing down your pond yet? It is hard to think about doing that here, with the temps ranging from 95* to 97* degrees the last three days. Winter will come in in a hurry, but doesn't seem to be in too big a hurry right now.
      Happy "pond"ering!
      Last edited by matherfish; 09-21-2018 at 05:32 PM.
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