Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Waterfalls | Tags: Blackberries, Blackberry Winter, Blackberrys, cold morning, Cool Morning, Cooling Down, Crazy Weather, Mark C., Picking, Picking Blackberries, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Reflection’s, Sunday Reflections
West Tn. weather is crazy, but still very seasonably predictable… The blackberries are in bloom once again & boom 💥 here comes a cold front that drops the temps overnight. Cool and crisp this morning and it feels SO GOOD 😊 I love me some ‘Blackberry Winter’…

Enjoy this day and this lovely little cold snap… knowing that soon, Summer Heat will be upon us! And, it will be time to pick blackberries once again 😊
“I see blackberry winter’s here
that very special time of year
when thorny vine’s small pure white bloom
announces colder weather’s doom.
It’s cold enough to wear long sleeves
to ward off spring’s last chilly breeze
yet warm enough up in the day
to show that cold won’t long hold sway.
The flower of this lowly berry
reminds that summer won’t long tarry.
This mini-season won’t last long
so don a coat and tag along.
We’ll both enjoy this evening’s nip
hands in each other’s loving grip
and gaze into each other’s eyes
as stars replace the clear blue skies.
As whippoorwill gives serenade
from ‘cross the pond in brushy glade
beneath a blanket we’ll start to plan
vacation on the ocean’s sand.
But in the back of cozy mind
all thoughts of winter left behind
tiny voices, soft and sweet
reminds that next comes summer heat.”
~ Stan Holiday
I’m off for an adventure… Y’all have fun 🤩
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooling Down, Feeding Koi, Feeding my Koi, Fish Feeding, Healthy Koi, I Love Koi, Jackson Tennessee, Koi Food, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Pond, Koi Ponds, Koi Shack, Koi Supplies, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Shack, Pond Supplies, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Seasonal changes, Seasonal Koi Feeding Temperatures, Seasonal Koi Feeding Times, Seasonal Water Garden, Tips For Pond People, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Is Coming, Winter Pond Tips
Fall is in full swing! The sun is setting earlier every day & the temps are falling… We are past our first frost and more are coming by weeks end. Soon, the saddest part of the season will be paying us a visit… The time when we STOP feeding our Koi for the season
My Koi have eaten well this year & have put on a good bit of fat to get them through the Cool Season ahead. Now is the time that many of my clients and fellow Koi enthusiasts start asking a very important question…
– When do I stop feeding Cool Season Koi Food to my Pond Pets?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 50!

When the water temperature stabilizes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit you should stop feeding your Koi… Even Cool Season Koi Food… We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 50’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
Switching to a Cool Temperature Koi Food is very important for the health of your Koi! So is knowing when to stop feeding!

Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer. Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
So to wrap it up, keep a check on your water temp (via a Pond thermometer) & when your water temp stabilizes below 50 degrees, you should transition from Cool Season Koi Food to NO More feeding for this season. That’s the “Rule of 50”…
Viva La’ Fall!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
Ph.# 731-424-2206
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Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Bulk Leaf Netting, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cold, Cold Blooded, Cold Pond, Cold Water, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cold Weather, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Cooling Off, Cut To Fit Leaf Netting, Debris Net, Dip Net, Fall Pond Netting, Fall Pond Tips, Finned Friends, Fish net, Fishy Friends, Floating Pond Thermometer, Jackson Tennessee, Koi Fix, Koi Food, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Nets, Koi Pond, Koi Ponds, Koi Shack, Koi Supplies, Leaf Netting, Maintenance Tips, Pond Cleaning Supplies, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Net, Pond Netting, Pond Netting Frame, Pond Supplies, Pond Thermometer, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Tips, Tips For Pond People, Tuesday, Water garden supplies, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Tips
We have had a long, HOT Summer and have enjoyed feeding our ‘Finned Friends’ every day But now we are going into the cooler months of the year and one of the most asked questions I get is – “When do I STOP feeding my Koi in the Fall?”

It’s very important to take your fish into the colder months as healthy & happy as possible! They are cold blooded and their metabolism will soon slow to a crawl! So feeding the right foods now will really help them for their long journey through Fall & Winter.
When the water temperature hits 60 degrees I discontinue regular Koi Food and start feeding Cool Season Koi Food. I also start giving them some daily treats like fresh or frozen veggies and fruits like (peas, carrots, grapefruit, oranges & melon). These food are a good source of vitamins & minerals and help to ready them for the Winter.

After the water temp drops to 55 degrees I slow my feeding down to 1 time per day with just cool temp Koi food. Then after the water has reached 50 degree’s F. (sustained around 10 days time) STOP all feeding until Spring!
This is tough on me… BUT, I know it’s something that I have to do for their overall health. Feeding them when their metabolism is in Winter mode can/will kill them! So even on a warm day when they are literally begging for food – DON’T DO IT!
And don’t forget – keep the skimmer free of leaves & other debris. I even drape a leaf net over my Pond. It keeps maintenance down to a minimum.
Enjoy this beautiful #Pondtiptuesday!
Happy Pondering!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
Ph# 731-424-2206
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 60 degree Rule, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Fall Pond Tips, Floating Pond Thermometer, Garden Supplies, Jackson Tennessee, Jackson Tennessee 38305, Koi, Koi Food, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Pond, Koi Ponds, Koi Shack, Koi Supplies, Maintenance Tips, Pond Cleaning Supplies, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Shack, Pond Supplies, Pond Thermometer, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Rule of 60, Seasonal changes, Seasonal Feeding Times, Seasonal Interest, Seasonal Koi Feeding Temperatures, Seasonal Koi Feeding Times, Seasonal Water Garden, The Rule of 60, Tips, Tips For Pond People, Water garden supplies, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Tips
Fall is in full swing! The sun is setting earlier every day & the temps are falling… And soon, Jack Frost 🥶 will be paying us a visit… The Koi have eaten well this year & have put on a good bit of fat to get them through the Cool Season ahead. Now is the time that many of my clients and fellow Koi enthusiasts start asking a very important question…
– When do I stop feeding regular food and start feeding Cool Season Koi Food?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 60!

Switching to a Cool Temperature Koi Food is very important for the health of your Koi!

So be sure to – check your water temp (via a floating thermometer) & when your water temp drops to 60 degrees, you should transition to Cool Season Koi Food. That’s the “Rule of 60”
Fall is NOW! Enjoy your Koi
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, music, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Autumn, Autumn Leaves Falling on Water, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cold Water, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cold Weather, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Fall maintenance, Fall Pond Netting, Fall Pond Tips, Fall Water Garden Maintenance, Fish Food, Good food, Jackson Tennessee, Koi Food, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Nets, Leaf Netting, Low Maintenance, Low Maintenance Fountains, Maintenance Tips, Pond Maintenance, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Netting, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Preventative Maintenance, Tips, Tips For Pond People, Water Garden Maintenance, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Tips
Fall is in full season! Each year I try to post some seasonal Pond Tips. So here we go…

I always try to post proactive things you can do to keep your Water Garden clean and your Koi healthy over the Fall & Winter.
Things like –
- Cutting your aquatic plants back
- Installing pond netting
- Keeping your skimmer clear
- Using Cold Water Bacteria
- Feeding Cool Temp Koi Food, etc.

We stock bulk Leaf Netting at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio in Jackson, TN | It will keep debris out of your pond & help protect your fish from predators during the cold, bare months.

Switch to Cold Water Bacteria NOW! –

Our Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria works and keeps on working when the plants and fish aren’t active and really helps the quality of your Pond Water! It is extremely effective at reducing sludge, dead and decaying leaves and plants, built up fish waste & excess nutrients like ammonia, nitrates & phosphates. These things make for poor water quality, reduced water clarity and can have catastrophic effects on your fishes health.
REMEMBER! Keep an 👁 on Your Skimmer!

Or, you end up with this

* Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer! Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio.

My final Pond Tip for today,
- Switch to Cool Season Koi Food NOW…

Well, there you have it, a little reminder to help keep the Maintenance to a minimum and to maximize the enjoyment of our wonderful hobby!
🍁 Viva La’ Fall 🍁
Happy Pondering!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Boutique, Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Sunsets, Videos, water garden | Tags: Autumn, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, cold morning, Cold Pond, Cold Water, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Fall Gardening, Fall maintenance, Fall Water Garden Maintenance, Jackson Tennessee, Koi, Koi Health, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Pond, Koi Ponds, Koi Supplies, Maintenance Tips, Maintenance Workshop, Pond Maintenance, Pond Maintenance Class, Pond Maintenance Tips, Preventative Maintenance, Water Garden Maintenance
Today we will host a Water Garden Maintenance Class to teach you about Fall & Winter Koi Pond/Water Garden care! The class will start at 9am.! Come in, take part and learn how to make your Pond even more low maintenance in the cooler season.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!
WHAT: The 24th. Annual Fall Workshop
WHEN: SATURDAY, October 1st. – 9 am. to 12 pm.
WHERE: Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio 2846 Old Medina Rd. Jackson, Tn. 38305
We will have:
– Seasonal Maintenance Class
– Treats for the you & the kids
– A sale on water gardening products!
– A Sale on Fish and Aquatic Plants!
– Water Gardening experts on hand to answer all of your questions.
Fall is Coming!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Aquatic Plant Care, Aquatic Plant Design, Aquatic Plants, Autumnal Equinox, Bulk Leaf Netting, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cold Weather, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Cut To Fit Leaf Netting, Fall maintenance, Fall Pond Netting, Fall Water Garden Maintenance, Garden Maintenance, Garden Supplies, Gardening Supplies, Jackson Tennessee, Koi Supplies, Leaf Netting, Low Maintenance, Low Maintenance Fountains, Maintenance Tips, Maintenance Workshop, October 1st., Pond Cleaning Supplies, Pond Maintenance, Pond Maintenance Class, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Netting, Pond Netting Frame, Pond Supplies, Preventative Maintenance, Stay Cool with Container Water Gardens, Trimming Aquatic Plants, Water Garden Maintenance, Water garden supplies, Waterfall Workshop
I just got our ‘Official’ Video for our upcoming workshop and wanted to share it here.
This Spring/Summer Season has flown by! 💨 The 1st ‘official’ day of Fall 2022 is in less then a week 😮 We want to help you be ready for a low maintenance Fall! So come on out and enjoy a morning of learning with the Pro’s!
– We will host a Water Garden Maintenance Class to teach you about Fall & Winter Koi Pond/Water Garden care! The class will start at 9am.! Come in, take part and learn how to make your Pond even more low maintenance in the cooler season.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!
WHAT: The 24th. Annual Fall Workshop
WHEN: SATURDAY, October 1st. – 9 am. to 12 pm.
WHERE: Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio 2846 Old Medina Rd. Jackson, Tn. 38305
We will have:
– Seasonal Maintenance Class
– Treats for the you & the kids
– A sale on water gardening products!
– A Sale on Fish and Aquatic Plants!
– Water Gardening experts on hand to answer all of your questions.
Fall is Coming!🍁
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
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Pinterest pg. – https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/
Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Love, music, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Coffee, Coffee Mug, Cooling Down, Day Off, Early Morning, Enjoy The Morning, Good Morning, Love, Morning Coffee, Morning Zen, Quiet Morning, Quiet Time, Rain, Rainy Day Song, Rainy Days, Rainy Morning, Rest, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday on the River, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays
Light rain falling this morning. Cool air. Last day of July… Lazy Sunday! We have been so busy and it has been so Hot and Dry… This rainy, cool day off feels like a blessing 🙏🏻

“A break in the heat
away from the front
no thunder, no lightning,
just rain, warm rain
falling near dusk
falling on eager ground
steaming blacktop
hungry plants
thirsty
turning toward the clouds
cooling, soothing rain
splashing in sudden puddles
catching in open screens
that certain smell
of summer rain.”
– Raymond A. Foss
Have a great ’Lazy Sunday’…
Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Sunday Reflections, Waterfalls | Tags: Cooling Down, Crickets, Dry Weather, Dryflies, Enjoy The Evening, Evening by the Pond, Evening Zen, Frogs, Hot Weather, Lazy Day, Locust, Love, North Wind, Summer Nights, Summertime, Summertime in Tennessee, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays
Last nights blowing cool front that came in from the North felt like such a blessing! It went from high humidity and HOT to breezy and cool in a moment! Wow! It literally felt like a gift from heaven 🙏🏻 After that we took a walk around the property and admired the Gardens ❤️ Then we sat on the swing, drank coffee and listened to the dryflies, frogs & crickets 🎶

This morning is so nice as well! Coffee and the promise of a little cooler weather… I will take it!
Enjoy this day that the lord has made 🙏🏻
“The steady buzzzzzzz of the Katydid chorus,
the bass solo of the croaking Frog,
the steady woof-woof-woof a barking Dog –
a summer night’s serenade.”
~ Michael P. Garofalo
Mark C.
Filed under: Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Beneficial Bacteria, Carter Country, Carter Country Boutique & Gifts, Cartercountry, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond & Patio, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cold, Cold Blooded, Cold Pond, Cold Water, Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria, Cold Weather, Cool Season Koi Food, Cool Season Water Treatments, Cool Stuff, Cool Temp Koi Food, Cooler Weather is Coming, Cooling Down, Cooling Off, Fall Gardening, Fall Pond Tips, Fish Food, Food, Gardening Supplies, How Do I Clean My Water Garden | Koi Pond | Carters Nursery & Pond & Patio | Jackson, Koi Food, Koi Health Tip, Koi Health Tips, Koi Pond, Koi Ponds, Koi Supplies, Maintenance Tips, pond, Pond Cleaning Supplies, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Supplies, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Ponds, Tips, Tuesday, Water Garden, Water garden supplies, Water Treatments, Waterfalls, Weekly Pond Tip, Winter Pond Tips
Good Morning! This morning is the last morning of late Summer… tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox, ie; The 1st day of Fall 🍁

I always try to post proactive things you can do to keep your Water Garden clean and your Koi healthy over the Fall & Winter. Things like – Cutting your aquatic plants back, using pond netting, watching your skimmer more closely, feeding Cool Temp Koi Food, etc. – There’s another very important thing you can do to really keep your ecosystem active and working well
– Switch to Cool Season Beneficial Bacteria!

Our Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria works and keeps on working when the plants and fish aren’t active and really helps the quality of your Pond Water! It is extremely effective at reducing sludge, dead and decaying leaves and plants, built up fish waste & excess nutrients like ammonia, nitrates & phosphates. These things make for poor water quality, reduced water clarity and can have catastrophic effects on your fishes health.
The next piece of ’Low Hanging Fruit’ im going to serve up is this : Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer 🌡 Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio today.

The last Pond Tip for today is this – “Our Koi have eaten well this year & have put on a good bit of fat to get them through the Cool Season ahead. Now is the time that many of my clients and fellow Koi enthusiasts start asking a very important question…
– When do I stop feeding regular food and start feeding Cool Season Koi Food?

Switching to a Cool Temperature Koi Food is very important for the health of your Koi!
Well thats enough for today 😊 I just want you all to be ready with the tools and things you need to easily succeed during the changing of the seasons.
Tomorrow is the start of a new Season! Are You ready for some Fall? 🍁 🔥 🏈
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. –
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
Facebook pg. – https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775
Pinterest pg. – https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/