Cold 🥶 Frozen ground, frozen doors, frozen troughs, frozen ponds, frozen roads, frozen pipes, frozen hands… BUT, soon… Spring will come! Next Friday is Groundhog Day! The halfway point of Winter… Usually, it’s a downhill roll into Spring… I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed 🤞🏻
The icy stream flowing down into the pond is so beautiful & natural! BUT, a thaw is coming! I think we are ready 😊
I tell you who else is ready for a thaw… My chickens 🐓 They don’t like the cold and snow. Their egg production goes down, they can’t get out and free range like they want to, it puts a damper on everything. They are definitely ready for Spring 🌼
“No matter how long the cold, bleak days of winter may continue, winter always turns to spring. This is the law of the universe and the law of life. As long as we hold on to hope, spring is sure to come.”
~ Daisaku Ikeda
PS: Happy Birthday to my son Jacob! I’m a very proud papa!❤️
Here we are in a whole New Year! 2022 is looking up 🙄! Its “full on winter time” out there and some might wonder what there is to celebrate or feature in the garden…? Well, your Waterfalls for a start! 💥 Your Waterfalls are always beautiful regardless of the season! I can always find beauty and inspiration in my Pond and in my Waterfalls❤️ Here are a few Winter shots to warm your heart!
Do these speak to you? Do they inspire you to put your coat on and walk outside? To feed the birds? To dream about the coming Spring? They sure do for me 😊
Enjoy the Winter, and know that Spring follows Winter and will be here soon to bring you a completely different look and feeling ❤️
Good morning! Light snow is falling, its 7 degrees and most importantly, its Waterfall Wednesday! I think I will share a seasonal view of my Waterfall today!
I post pictures from every season with my Waterfall and stream as the subject, and each season brings something special and different. It’s too bad to drive on the roads right now, so I hope #Waterfallwednesday bring us all a little joy.
I just LOVE my Waterfalls and my Pond! And I get to enjoy the beauty year round! All 4 seasons bring something special to my life. This bitter cold and snow is rough, in one way, but in another it brings extreme beauty to my door! It’s not safe to be out on the roads right now, but here in my Landscape… It’s all good 😊
I hope this morning finds you safe and warm! It’s very cold 🥶 out there… But seeing my ‘Winter Wonderland’ somehow makes it better… More beautiful. More bearable… And I know that this is really the foothills of the coming Spring! And I am ready!
Get up and enjoy the sunshine ☀️ It’s #waterfallwednesday!
Meet Luna, one of our ‘Staff Nursery Cats’… She LOVES the ponds! She climbed up in this Japanese Maple to better survey the area this morning😊
I went down to get a frosty 🥶 picture for my Waterfall Wednesday post, and Luna was with me step for step. I think she likes to be the subject in every photo … Cats 🙄
It’s not real Icy this morning, just a little bit. But we are past Groundhog Day and Spring is Coming!
I hope you enjoy your Waterfall Wednesday! A little frost and ice just adds to the seasonal beauty that a Waterfall brings to your life 😊
Winter is Coming! I really want everyone with a Water Garden or Koi Pond to be prepared and to stay ahead of potential problems. Cold weather is here and snow is in the forecast, so being prepared is important. I post this every year, but I still get people asking me these questions. So I have learned to keep on posting! Repetition is a huge part of getting a message through… Be prepared 😊
PLANTS AND DEBRIS:
Remove plant debris and other organic matter. Excess organic matter can contribute to increased algae growth. A large amount of leaves collected in the bottom of your pond will decompose and produce tannins. This can be harmful to your fish and reduce water clarity. Leaves can also collect in the stream and cause a plant dam. It is very important to keep your skimmer net cleaned out regularly during the heavy leaf fall, DAILY if needed. Pond netting which can be purchased at Carter’s Nursery can make these things less problematic and will make it easier on you during the winter.
We stock bulk pond 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.
HEALTHY FISH:
Its time to STOP feeding your Koi. The water temps are below 50 degrees F here in West Tn now, so it’s time… Spring isn’t really that far away…
WINTER BEAUTY:
Leaving your waterfall running all winter will not hurt anything. As matter of fact, it could give you some beautiful photo op’s. The running water will make some breath taking natural ice sculptures. So keep your camera handy. And get some close ups. But be sure to watch out for ice dams. These can cause your pond to lose some excessive amounts of water.
A snowy landscape is Beautiful! Get out and take some beautiful pictures 😊
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER break the ice by banging on it!It can cause your fish great harm – it can even KILL them! To allow the escape/exchange of gasses in a frozen over pond, keep a hole open in the ice. This is IMPORTANT!!! It will keep the gases from building up under the ice and allow for oxygen exchange and keep your fish from suffocating. This will also allow the pump to get water if the surface is frozen. If you have a skimmer, this will be MUCH easier on you! The water movement will help keep the ice from forming. You may need to keep the hole open by adding water from a water hose, bucket or pan of water. (This is why I always say “keep a dry hose” or a 5 gallon bucket for this purpose! If & when you use your water hose be sure to drain it when finished-to keep it from freezing and bursting, or just keep it in your garage). You can also use a floating heater or a small pump in a shallow area to “flash up’ and break the water surface.
If you turn your pond off in a bad freeze, use a floating heater/de-icer to maintain a hole in the ice to exchange gases/oxygen for your fish’s health and well being. You can purchase a floating pond heater at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio.
LOW TEMP. BACTERIA:
Use Low Temp bacteria treatments when the water reaches 55 degrees F. This will help keep the pond clean, keep the water healthy and make your Spring pond clean out much easier.
Keep using your Bacteria through the winter for a cleaner, healthier pond.
I hope this helps! I enjoy the winter, it is really a great season! So many birds visit the Pond to drink and eat, it’s a wonderful time to do all my garden planning and I know that Spring is right around the corner!
It’s a cold, icy morning! But there is beauty to behold in my garden! Waterfalls are a 4 seasons feature! To be enjoyed year round! Here are a few pictures for #waterfallwednesday
Here is a great comparison picture of the same waterfall Summer vs. Winter. BOTH are so Beautiful! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio
Another nice shot… or three 😊
My dogs 🐕 Love the snow and ice as much as I do! And what a beautiful look when the snow & ice sculptures appear ❄️❤️
This is Fall Creek Falls in Winter! Beautiful❤️
That’s another wonderful thing about Waterfalls, they are unique and beautiful, year round!
“As Per Tradition”, we, the “Distinguished Few” will meet at the “Big Pond”, at the Nursery & Take our Annual ‘Chilly Willy Plunge” exactly at sunrise, which is 6:41am. In the morning! Always a fun event! But, tomorrow mornings ‘CWP’ will be taken at a crisp, 27 degrees Fahrenheit… A record low temperature! Can you say shrinkage 🥶
Get here early! Sunrise is 6:41am! You will need time to park and walk to the ponds edge. As you know, only about 15 people at a time have room to get in the pond comfortably, the 1st group in will be “first come, first in”! So I would get here early if you want to be in the official photo, that will probably be on the cover of the soon to be published Photo Book about our unique, little group! 🍾
I will open the gates as early as possible so everyone can get a number and get in position. I recommend that you come dressed in your chosen ‘Plunge attire’, wearing a robe or heavy coat & water shoes or flip flops. Some have even worn Cover All’s that they unzip and step right out of.
Carter's Water Garden 