Springtime and Your Ponds
So How Do You Look First Thing in the Morning?
While watching a pair of mallard ducks enjoying our pond at home the other day, I suddenly realized how bad it looked. Eeewwwhhh. The string algae is having a hay-day but it can't decide if it wants to grow or decompose so there are little particles of it making the water look cloudy and green. The plants both aquatic and terrestrial haven't even begun to appear so the pond edges look stark and empty. It needs a fresh layer of mulch. It just looks bad.
Suddenly it hit me... it's morning for my pond. I mean don't we all look bad when we are first waking up? That's what late winter/early spring is for our ponds... morning. Everything in the pond got a nice, long rest over the winter. The plants were resting, the fish were resting, the beneficial bacteria got a break. Now it's beginning to wake up. Just not completely yet.
What's the first thing many people do when they wake up? Take a shower! Our crew has been hard at work cleaning ponds since March 11. (Yes, through the ice and snow!) The big pond here at the store was cleaned this week... it looks so much better! The string algae that grew over the winter is gone. Any leaves that blew in from neighboring trees have been removed. The water is crystal clear. All clean!
So what's next after the shower? Maybe fixing your hair or for the pond trimming back all the plants around the pond. Get dressed, make-up, jewelry... The plants begin to grow, the fish become active, the pond starts to look "normal." Just like us!
This time of year is not the prettiest time of year for our ponds, that's for sure. But doesn't it make you appreciate the warmer months with your pond so much more. I know I'm ready to see my pond at it's best again. Soon, very soon!
Written by Staci Wicke
Cool Ponds co-owner
While watching a pair of mallard ducks enjoying our pond at home the other day, I suddenly realized how bad it looked. Eeewwwhhh. The string algae is having a hay-day but it can't decide if it wants to grow or decompose so there are little particles of it making the water look cloudy and green. The plants both aquatic and terrestrial haven't even begun to appear so the pond edges look stark and empty. It needs a fresh layer of mulch. It just looks bad.
Suddenly it hit me... it's morning for my pond. I mean don't we all look bad when we are first waking up? That's what late winter/early spring is for our ponds... morning. Everything in the pond got a nice, long rest over the winter. The plants were resting, the fish were resting, the beneficial bacteria got a break. Now it's beginning to wake up. Just not completely yet.
What's the first thing many people do when they wake up? Take a shower! Our crew has been hard at work cleaning ponds since March 11. (Yes, through the ice and snow!) The big pond here at the store was cleaned this week... it looks so much better! The string algae that grew over the winter is gone. Any leaves that blew in from neighboring trees have been removed. The water is crystal clear. All clean!
So what's next after the shower? Maybe fixing your hair or for the pond trimming back all the plants around the pond. Get dressed, make-up, jewelry... The plants begin to grow, the fish become active, the pond starts to look "normal." Just like us!
This time of year is not the prettiest time of year for our ponds, that's for sure. But doesn't it make you appreciate the warmer months with your pond so much more. I know I'm ready to see my pond at it's best again. Soon, very soon!
Cool Ponds co-owner
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