The Lotus, calling it just a flower seems like a description that is not quite fitting for such a plant. It is a plant with deep and ancient multi-cultural significance. A plant considered sacred in many religions, and mythologies. Lotus has been used medicinally for thousands of years.
Just when I thought everything was cool with the pond… The activity levels of the Great Blue Herons in my area had slowed down. I went ahead and took off the netting that I keep on my pond while the herons are in heavy stalking mode. I unplugged the talk radio station I play by… Read more »
If there is a koi that could have “jazz hands”, the Gin Rin koi would have to be the one. It’s flashy and glitzy. Some Gin Rin have more sparkle than Michael Jackson’s right hand glove (or left hand glove, I’m not really sure). The Gin Rin variety is a star among the koi world.
“People who claim they do not let the little things bother them, have never slept in a room with one mosquito.” “What’s the New Jersey state bird?” …the mosquito. “The best blood at sometime will get into a fool, or a mosquito.” “There are only 2 of God’s creations I don’t understand, poison ivy and… Read more »
It just wouldn’t seem like spring in the pond world without a word on the Great Blue Heron. As water garden koi pond owners, many of us have become familiar with the largest wading bird in North America. Our familiarity doesn’t come by choice for most of us though. Our familiarity with the Great Blue… Read more »
Probably the biggest misconception I see among pond owners is that introducing a catfish to the backyard pond or water garden will help keep your pond cleaner. With respect I’d like to burst the bubble on that school of thought. Catfish, although scavengers, will not do anything to actually help keep your koi pond water… Read more »
You say Shubunkin, I say Shuboykin You say Shubumpkin, I Shubunkin Let’s call it all the same… or are they?! Shubunkin, the poor man’s koi, are beautiful and easy to care for calico goldfish. Shubunkin make a great choice for the backyard water garden pond adding color and liveliness to any setting. As a… Read more »
Could water gardens be the ultimate and most influential form of art ever created? Follow me back… Worlds Fair Paris, France 1889, the Exposition Universelle du 1889. 100 years after the French Revolution the world was changing, and at this very moment Paris was the center of it all.
Many ornamental and natural pond owners will at some point look to add some sort of critter to their pond for some added interest or for another reason like algae and aquatic weed control. One of the options that they are sure to see out in the pond market would be crayfish. Crayfish for your… Read more »
The lotus flower, Nelumbo nucifera. The relationships that are sometimes developed between man and plant can be very fascinating. This definitely holds true for the lotus flower. The lotus flower and human connection goes back well beyond 1000 years, and crosses numerous cultural and geographical boundaries even from ancient times. The lotus is even revered… Read more »