It won't be long and summer will be over.  I already notice a difference with the days getting shorter.  It has started to cool off some from the hot weather we've been having.  All is doing well in the pond and it won't be long and the garden will be finished.  I canned the first of the tomatoes last week ending up with about 27 quarts so far.  I'm sure tomorrow I'll be able to add to that.

Finding more time now to do other things since the pond season is starting to slow down.  There is little time during March, April, May and June, but then July things start to slow some.  I notice the waterlilies seem to have to slowed down but when they do bloom are still wonderful.

Enjoy why we can......the tropicals are the first to go.

This has been a hot summer so far. Its important if you have fish in your pond that you make sure the water isn't too warm for them. As your water evaporates replenish with cool water. Your fish will be happy!

The tropical waterlilies sure are blooming up a storm in my pond.

The Albert Greenberg's colors are outstanding this year as are the other waterlilies. I'm not certain if its the hot summer days or just that all the pond plants are happy this year. These were all new plants this year since we just redid our pond so other than the initial fertilizing when I planted them, the first part of June, they haven't been fertilized since. I best get to that so I get as many flowers as possible before summer is over. I know tropical waterlilies last only during the summer but I seem to enjoy them more than the hardy waterlilies because of their colors.

Its been a crazy pond year so far.  First our weather didn't want to cooperate and get warm but then when the weather started getting warmer we were so busy I didn't have alot of time to write yet alone get my pond going.

We decided to redo our pond this year, again, as my husband would say.   It was a long weekend project but its complete now and with a few minor changes here and there will be so much better than the old one.  Mostly the problem I had with the other one was all the rocks in the pond which made it hard getting in and out.  Pretty slippery....so we decided to remove all the rocks and make the shelf larger and the bottom flat instead of sloped around the edges.  Much easier for getting in and out for the tasks of trimming plants and fertilizing them.  We changed our waterfall to enter from a different angle with a long stream bed flowing into the pond.  Much more tranquil and natural.  This will still give me a nice bog area to plant bog plants in.   Its been a couple weeks and the plants are finally starting to adjust.  Now just need to get the bacteria going to clear it up more. What a difference one month makes!

I started this blog a couple weeks ago and then things got busy so now I have updated pictures of the pond and wow did it perform.  Everything is growing well and I must say the plants and fish are happy. The water is crystal clear and the plants are looking so healthy.  I already see a lotus bud on the Mrs. Perry Slocum in just 4 weeks time. Check out my Albert Greenberg.

I'm not certain what happened to Spring here but I think it may have been here but we missed it......yesterday little snow flakes were appearing and in a couple days its going to be in the 70s.  What's up with that???

But even though we're all anxious for the weather to turn nice so we can begin planting our flowers, vegetables gardens and clean our ponds, we have begun sending allot of nice plants to those who have the warm weather.  Lucky them! 

Dragonfly Aquatics has a couple new hardy water lilies to introduce.  Hidden Violet which is a very unusual waterlily.  Large red-violet flowers with pointed petals that catch the eye.  The leaves are a darker green which gives a nice contrast to the flowers.  It requires full sun as most of the red hardy waterlilies do and performs well. 

The other new water lily is Walter Pagels, a very creamy white hardy water lily with with a hint of pale pink.  This water lily is considered a medium hardy water lily and is an excellent choice for small to medium size ponds.  Unlike the red water lilies it will perform well in sun to part shade.  It also is one of the water lilies that will stay open later in the day for more enjoyment.

 Cooler temperatures are the thing again with a slight freeze in Ohio.  I tend to feel drained when the days are rainy but that sunshine sure makes one feel good again!  We turned the garden over this week and that's the last of the tomatoes until next year.  I do really enjoy the garden and the benefits of enjoying the fresh vegetables all winter long but it keeps one busy during the month of August.  Now its apple time....I like making the fresh applesauce and putting away a few whole apples for the apple crisp and pies.  There's nothing better than a warm apple crisp on a cold winter day.

Let's face it....there isn't much to do with the pond now that summer is ending and things are put to bed.  I pulled all the water hyacinths out last week.  Trimmed up the lilies and took all the tropical waterlilies and put them to bed in the greenhouse for the winter.  I still have to drop the hardy waterlilies but some are still blooming so I'll wait awhile yet.  My cardinal flower is still standing tall and I must say this has been its best year yet! I had at least 7 flowers on it and the hummingbirds sure were happy!!

Resting on the pond waterlily

Its such a great life for the frogs....sitting on the lily pads basking in the sun. Could life be any better????  These pictures were shared by one of our customers who received these tadpoles in the spring and now they are frogs enjoying the life in their new home.  Thank you again for sharing your pictures.

Just another benefit that a pond can provide for our enjoyment and relaxation.  Plants, boulders or fallen logs provide good sunny resting areas for frogs, dragonflies or turtles to take a breather. 

 Now that winter is approaching another good idea for those having frogs in their ponds is to provide a hiding place for the winter.  If you need you can create an area for them by placing a container in your pond filled with sand.  This will give the frogs a place to bury themselves for the winter.  Make sure its deep enough so that if your pond freezes over it will be beneath the ice.  Always leave an open space in your pond to provide oxygen for your friends.

This time of year we all are enjoying our gardens.  Whether it be a pond, flower bed, vegetable garden or just general landscaping its a good feeling to sit back and reap the rewards of our efforts.

I spent hours weeding our vegetable garden yesterday as I had neglected it for a couple weeks.   I can't understand why the weeds seem to grow overnight.  Other than throwing them in the compost what other need do we have for them? 

But I did pick a nice batch of tomatoes.  Now its time to start working putting them away for the winter.  I enjoy canning almost as much as I enjoy my pond.  And there are so many ways to can tomatoes that can be enjoyed all winter long, that is if you don't eat most of them while your picking.....

Then as I was wondering about in the garden I got caught up in the wonders of nature.  I like nothing better than watching the dragonflies, butterflies and yes the bees frolic around the garden.  Its my favorite time of the year.  I tried to get a picture of a hummingbird but they are so quick he didn't give me time to click....

Albert Greenberg

So check this out.  This is the Albert Greenberg, tropical waterlily growing in my pond at home.  The first picture was taken late June and the other late July.  The same lily but notice the deeper color of the second one.  Both pictures were taken with the same camera, the same way.  The second picture was a deeper color of dark coral.  Its gorgeous!  The foliage on this lily is heavily mottled and gives a nice accent in the pond.  Plus an added bonus it also does well in partial shade which is unusual of most tropical waterlilies or waterlilies in general.  I normally pick this lily to display on a table in my house since it gives off such a nice fragrance.  I'll be sad to see fall which isn't far away. 

 

Albert Greenberg

We have alot of plants on sale now so check them out at our store.  You still have time to get them planted and established before the cold weather hits us.  We're all enjoying our ponds now and the hard labor we've all put into it this spring.  We get alot of our customers pictures of their ponds in full bloom which we enjoy.  This picture is of a customer's pond in California.  We keep trying different night blooming lilies to get them to winter over for her but haven't been real successful.  It just gets alittle too cold over the winter for it to survive so this year she's going to try a pond heater and see if it winters over for her that way.  All the other plants are doing great!  Which is always good to hear.

Aquatic pond plants need to be fertilized monthly to flourish and bloom profusely. At Dragonfly Aquatics we recommend Highland Rim Aquatic Plant Fertilizer tablets. Specially formulated for blooming aquatic plants, with a 10-26-10 nutrient ratio.Highland Rim Fertilizer tablets give your waterlilies, lotuses and blooming marginals plenty of phosphorus to produce the most spectacular blossoms possible. The large 10-gram tablets are safe and non-toxic. They will not promote algae blooms in ponds and they will not harm fish or other aquatic life. Highland Rim Aquatic Plant Fertilizer is available in packs of 12, 36, 80 or 300 tablets. Be sure to order fertilizer tablets with your next plant order.