Floating Islands Provide Advantages in the Pond

Last summer I did a series of articles on pond building. Then a couple of weeks ago my mom brought a floating pond island to my attention. Pond islands have lots of benefits. First, they add great color and foliage to the pond that the fish can’t get at to kill...
Elephant Ear Plants Dress up House or Yard

Elephant Ear Plants Dress up House or Yard

Another of my favorite indoor plants is the elephant ear, which is also known as taro. This plant is a perennial in zones 8 or warmer with the use of mulch to protect it from the cold, but is often planted in colder areas in the spring to provide great green spots in...
Great Gifts for Gardeners

Great Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas is no longer sneaking up, but rushing toward us with the stealth of an elephant, and harried shoppers are trying to finish off their lists. If you have a gardener you’re still looking out for, here are a few great ideas bound to please. 1) Gardening...

Prepare your pond for winter

This weekend I pulled my fish out of the pond for the winter. They could have wintered over with a little extra care (like a pond heater to keep a spot open in the ice, or a bubbler for the same purpose, this allows an oxygen exchange for the fish), but I opted to...

Filtering your pond

I promised to bring up pond filters, so now I have a few minutes we’ll give it a go. A pond without some kind of filtering process soon becomes an algae-infested, soupy mess–thus the need for a filter. There are many varieties from inexpensive homemade to...