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, Sunday Reflections, Sunrises, Sunsets, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: CAC, Certified Aquascape Contractor, Chicagoland, educational workshop, Extended Family, Family Traditions, Greg Wittstock, Master CAC, Master Certified Aquascape Contractor, Sunday, Sunday Breakfast, Sunday Brunch, Sunday Gardening, Sunday in the Garden, Sunday Inspiration, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Sunday Mornings, Sunday Naps, Sunday on the River, Sunday Poem, Sunday Quote, Sunday Reflections, Sunday Songs, Sunday Sunrises, Sunday with Family, Sundays, There’s No Place Like Home
This Summer has just flown by for me… I must be having fun right 😊 Most Sundays are family days. Eat breakfast together, spend time together, etc… Today is both different and the same 💭 Today my wife and I are at a work conference that we attend yearly for training and CEU points for our certification as Pond/Water Garden Specialist. We have been working and training with some of these folks for well over 20 years… So many of these folks are like an extended family!
An extended family I have
I am so glad
To have you all
I feel ten feet tall
And I give you my all
If you need
You will not have to plead
I will feel glee
If I can give you what you need
There is no need
For you plead
My love for you all is a guarantee
Let me know you are in need
And I will be there in lightning speed
To help you all in your time of need
So remember there is no need
To plea
I will help you in time of need
~ Keith Wells
~ Mark C.
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Herbs, Hummingbirds, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: 101.5 FM, 731-423-8101, Big Red Barn, bucket list 101, Call in, Call of the wild, Call Us, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Chuck Walker, Driftwood, Friday blog, Friday From The Road, Friday Off, Friday Radio Report, Friday Report, Friday’s, Friends and Family, gardening 101, Gardening answers, gardening questions, Gardening Show, Mark Carter, Master CAC, Master Gardener, Master Gardeners, Memphis, Memphis Agricenter, Memphis Master Gardeners, Questions, Radio, Red barn, Seabass, Show, Talk Radio, tune in, Water Gardening Answers, Water Gardening Questions, WNWS FM
I am heading into the studios of WNWS 101.5 FM, in downtown Jackson, TN to go LIVE from 9-11 am with the “Hardest working guys in Show Business”! – Seabass and Chuck Walker! Join us today on “Everybody Talks”!
Spring is here! So get your questions ready! We will be talking Outdoor Living, Koi Ponds, Gardening, trimming, mulching, landscaping, the return of the Hummingbirds, AND Just about anything else that YOU want to talk about! Ask a question, send in a picture, share a story (but please, NO politics!) It’s Friday! Call in and join us – 731-423-8101
Did I say Hummingbirds? YES!!! I have a hummingbird or two now 😊 I’ve got 4 feeders out now and I’m ready for the swarm
Hummingbird Nectar recipe
4 parts Water
1 part Granulated Sugar
Mix/stir together in a pot. You can use Hot tap water to dissolve the sugar in the mix. Let it cool and pour it in your feeders.
– HEY, You can listen, and you can call in and talk… the # is the same that it has been for over 20 years – 731-423-8101. But, did you know you can text your comments and questions? 731-277-5155
Its going to be an Awesome weekend at the Spring Fling! Flowers and plants in HUGE #’s
There will be classroom activity as well as experts on hand to answer most any question about Gardening and Outdoor Living. Plus all kinds of things to buy for the Home and Garden! PLUS – We have set up a Pondless Waterfall Display in our space inside the Big Red Barn.
Come by and see us at the Nursery!
We have Everything for your Pond and Water Garden at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio. From Seasonal Food and Water Treatments to Filters and Supplies, we have you covered!
I always look forward to Fridays on the radio! Its always so much fun! Give us a call 731-423-8101.
TGIF! See ya’ on the air 🎙
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, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: #waterfallwednesday, Artistic Waterfalls, Babbling Stream, CAC, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Crashing Waterfalls, Designer, Designing Waterfalls, Disappearing fountain, Disappearing Waterfall, Falling Water, Gentle Sounds, Gurgle, Gurgling, I ❤️ Waterfall Wednesday, I ❤️ Waterfalls, Mark Carter, Master CAC, Natural Stream, Natural Waterfalls, Naturalistic Waterfall, Pond Guy, Pond Shack, Pond-Less Waterfall Wednesday, Pondless Waterfall, Professional Water Feature Designer, Soothing Sounds, Sound Therapy, Stream, Streams, Water Feature Wednesday, Water Garden Design, Water Shaper, Waterfall, Waterfall at Night, waterfall design, Waterfall Wednesday, Waterfall Wednesday Night, Waterfalls, Waterfalls in YOUR Life, Watershaper, Watershaping, Wednesday, Zen Stream, Zen Waterfall
It’s Springtime in Tennessee and the Waterfalls are flowing! AND… today is Waterfall Wednesday! Here is a small sampling of some of the Waterfalls that we have designed and built at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio! Flip through these beauties and see if you can find some inspiration for #waterfallwednesday
Wednesday is always a great day! We get to talk about Waterfalls, and we are at the halfway point of the week! Its all downhill to the weekend from here 😊
Enjoy the Pictures! And the rest of your day!
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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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw
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Filed under: Family time, Food, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Hummingbirds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Videos, Waterfalls | Tags: Austrailia, bird call, Bird Feeders, Birds, Birdsong, Blake, Blakes Exotic Animal Ranch, CAC, Carters Nursery, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Certifed Backyard Habitat, Certified Aquascape Contractor, CEU’s, exotic bird, I Love Animals, King Fisher, Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Marty, Master CAC, Master Certified Aquascape Contractor, Monday, Monday Evening Moment Of Zen, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Moment of Zen, Monday’s, Personal Trainer, Training, Training Day
I am an animal lover! That love of animals is where I got the motivation to start our Annual Parade of Ponds to raise money for our local Humane Society. Earlier this year I found myself in South Florida to earn CEU’s (continuing education units) for my company’s Professional Pond Certification (CAC). The class was at a really cool place! Blakes exotic animal farm! This place has so many different animals! Lizards, fish, otters, turtles, birds and more! We spent 3 days there building some really cool Water Features! But todays video is about a really cool bird I met there… His name is Marty, he is a Laughing kookaburra and he is from Australia. Check him out as Blake tells you a little bit about him and shows you HOW he got his name 😊
We always have fun designing and building Water Features, but having animals like Marty around is just Awesome! We have native Kingfishers all over Tennessee, but they are small compared to this guy.
Have a great ’Fun’ Monday!
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: Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: #waterfallwednesday, CAC, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Certified Aquascape Contractor, Color Changing Fountain Lights, Custom Fountains, Design, Design Ideas, Design/Build, Designing Waterfalls, Disappearing fountain, Floating Fountains, Fountain, Fountains, I ❤️ Waterfall Wednesday, Low Maintenance Fountains, Master CAC, Pond Video, Pond-Less Waterfall Wednesday, Professional Pond Builder, Professional Water Feature Designer, Spitter Fountains, vanishing fountain, Water Feature Wednesday, Waterfall Video, Waterfall Wednesday, Waterfall Wednesday Night, Wednesday
One of the big reasons I went down to Florida recently was to train and earn CEU’s (Continuing Education Units) for one of my Certifications, namely my certification as a Master CAC (Master Certified Aquascape Contractor). We took part in 3 different Water Feature builds, one of which I am sharing here today. This is a custom Fountainscape with color changing lights in a very beautiful garden setting. check out this short video of the finished product
Can you imagine having this in your backyard garden? The sound, the movement, the 24 hour interest! A Water Feature will change your life for the better! Enjoy #waterfeaturewednesday!
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 Ponds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Videos, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: #Theresnoplacelikehome, Allman Brothers, Best Local Nursery and Garden Center, Blog, Blogging, CAC, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Cats, CEU’s, educational workshop, Ernest Hemingway, Florida, Fun, Fun From Home, Garden Center, Garden Show, Garden Tour, Georgia, Greg Allman, Happy, Hemingway’s House, Hemmingway, Homemade, Jackson Tennessee, Jackson Tennessee 38305, John Denver, Master CAC, Mississippi, Mobile Alabama, Nursery, Parks, Pictures, Pond Workshop, Road Song, Safe Travels, Saturday Fun, Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee River, Tennessee Weather, The Keys, There’s No Place Like Home, Training, Training Day, Virtual Travel, West Tennessee
I have been absent from my Blog for a couple of weeks now. I was surprised at the # of people that sent comments to me about my absence… The messages were mostly concern that something was wrong since I write something every day… Thanks for that! But, No, there was nothing wrong! I abstained from posting in order to be totally present during a LONG road trip with my wife Jo. We were on a business, training, buying… ‘adventure’, that took us all across the South! Down thru Mississippi, across the Panhandle of Florida, along the Florida Springs trail, across to the Atlantic side and all the way down historic Coastal Highway A1A to the end of the road “Mile Marker 0” in Key West! Then back up through central Florida into Georgia exploring Nurseries and HUGE Ornamental Plant Growing operations! We even spent the night in Greg Allmans bedroom and visited the graves of some of my (and probably your) musical hero’s… Climbed a mountain, and finally ended up back home in the middle of an Ice 🧊 Storm ⛈!!!
Thank God that we were spared from a repeat of 94 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 But it was a shock to the system to come back to heavy winds from the north and 18 degree temps 🥶
Over the next few days I will share some pictures and stories of our recent travels and some news of things to come 😊
To boil it down – I’m back & I am excited about 2022!
And, I’m so glad to be back home again!!!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
Filed under: 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: Aquatic Plant Design, Arched Bridge, Atoka, Bridge, Bridge Rock, CAC, Certified Aquascape Contractor, Collierville, Cordova, Custom Fountains, Design, Design Consultation, Design Ideas, Design/Build, Designer, Designing Waterfalls, Disappearing fountain, Disappearing Waterfall, Eads, Fish, Fish Cave, Foot Bridge, Fountain, Fountains, Gentle Sounds, Germantown, I ❤️ Pondless Waterfalls, Jets, Koi Pond, Koi Pond Designer, Koi Ponds, Landscape Design, Landscape Designer, Maintenance Tips, Master CAC, Master Certified Aquascape Contractor, Memphis, Moonlight Pond, Moonlight Pond Tour, Munford, Natural Waterfalls, Naturalistic Waterfall, Pagoda Stone Fountain, pond, Pond Design, Pond Maintenance Tips, Pond Tip, Pond Tip Tuesday, Pond Tips, Pond Tour, Pond Tour Tickets, Pondless Waterfall, Ponds, Professional Pond Builder, Professional Water Feature Designer, Questions, Soothing Sounds, Sound Therapy, Spillway Bowl Fountain, Spitter Fountains, Stone Yard, Stream, Streams, Tips, Tuning Your Waterfall, Underwater Lighting, Water Garden, Water Garden Design, Water Gardening Answers, Water Gardening Questions, Water Gardens, Waterfall, waterfall design, Waterfall Master, Waterfalls, Waterfalls in YOUR Life, Weekly Pond Tip, Yard Ponds
Water features are popping up everywhere and it seems everyone wants a backyard Pond or Water Feature.
Water features come in many forms… Bubbling Fountains, Pondless Waterfalls, Ornamental Koi Ponds and so much more! My single biggest request is to design and install Custom Residential Watergardens and Ponds! Everyone wants their own personal Oasis! And Why Not? They add so much to your life. But remember, If it’s worth doing , it’s worth doing right.
Like any project you undertake , you should first do some research and gather info .
– First , look around at some local Water Features and talk to some people who have one in their life. Identify some interesting design elements that you like and may want to incorporate into yours. Streams, bridges, lighting, fish caves, waterfalls, jets, etc, etc…
– Go on a Pond Tour! There’s no better way to see some awesome Watergardens and talk to actual Pond owners than on a Pond Tour ! I have been on dozens of Pond Tours all over this country and there’s no better way to learn about what its like to have a Waterfall in your own backyard than on a good Pond Tour! In fact, we have our Annual ‘Moonlight Pond Tour’ coming up on Saturday, September 18th.! See some gorgeous Ponds and Waterfalls with extensive night lighting. You will find Inspiration and ideas galore! 💥
– If and when you need some help with your design, call a professional Pond Designer! When I need help outside of my Specialty, and I want something done right the first time, that’s what I do. AND – Be choosy! Make sure your dealing with a qualified Waterfeature Specialist ( like a C.A.C. – Certified Aquascape Contractor ), PS: it’s probably NOT the guy mowing your grass… Check references! Look at Their work (older and more recent)! And Always get a written contract! I have successfully installed thousands of Water Features over the last 32 years and would be more than happy to help you in your quest for the perfect Backyard Water Feature!
Getting a Backyard Pond is one of the most rewarding things you will ever do for yourself!
Viva La’ Ponds!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. –
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Pinterest pg. – https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery
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, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: #throwbackthursday, CAC, Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Custom Water Features, Disappearing fountain, Disappearing Waterfall, Fun, Gulf Coast Zoo, Koi Ponds, Master CAC, Pondless Waterfall, Professional Pond Builder, Professional Water Feature Designer, Spider Monkey Island, The Little Zoo That Could, The Little Zoo That Grew, Throwback Thursday, Water Features, Waterfall, Waterfall Building, Waterfalls, Yard Ponds
Throwback Thursday is always fun! It seems like most of my Throwbacks have lots of meaning and importance to me… I guess that’s what makes them worth the time 😊 This one for sure! My son actually tee’d this one up for me today ❤️ He made a post on Facebook today that I’m using my for this Thursday’s Throwback, check it out 👇🏻
This project was 5 years ago in Gulf Shores, Alabama and was hosted by Gulf Shores Aquascape (shout out to Motel and Buford!) Jacob was 13 years old at the time & was over the top Thrilled to able to go with his dad! But the BIG thrill was the fact that we would be working on the ‘New’ Gulf Coast Zoo project! 💥 A little backstory here – he has grown up loving the Gulf Coast Zoo! Nicknamed “The little Zoo That Could” after surviving Hurricane Ivan in 2005! The little zoo won worldwide love and acclaim and the donations started rolling in. The writing was on the wall. The Zoo must grow and must never face another disaster like Ivan again! Which meant, Relocation! Cut to 2015 and the 1st Water Feature was being installed in the New Zoo – “The Little Zoo That Grew” in its New Location! The Waterfalls and Landscape on ‘Spider Monkey Island’ was the first BIG Water Feature for the Zoo, and it was being installed by Professional Waterfall Builders (CAC’s) on a TV 📺 Show to boot! Jacob was strait up thrilled!
Here’s a picture from many years ago at the Little Zoo with Sita, a white tiger cub. He’s gotten to have many animal encounters over the years, but he really loves those Tigers!
After we finished the Zoo, we did the residential project pictured above with the group that worked on both. Here’s a cleaned up picture with the landscaping and mulching complete and ready for the “reveal” on TV.
Here he is learning a bit about how to operate a track hoe, at 13 years old! Yes, he’s experienced for a young un’!
I hope I didn’t get too carried away 😊 It’s just, good memories are worth gold. Especially on #Throwbackthursday!
Have a great night!
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, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: A picture is worth a thousand words, Artistic Waterfalls, Backyard Life, Backyard Lifestyles, Backyard Paradise, Backyard Waterfalls, Best Local Nursery and Garden Center, Blogging is Fun, Custom Water Features, Daily Blog, Design Consultation, Designer, facebook, Facebook Memories, Funny Memories, Garden Blog, Garden Center, Garden Memories, I ❤️ Pondless Waterfalls, I ❤️ Waterfalls, Koi Pond Designer, Landscape Designer, Master CAC, Old Memories, Pondless Edition, Pondless Waterfall, Professional Pond Builder, Professional Water Feature Designer, Water Feature, Water Feature Contractors, Water Features
Are you on Facebook? If not, you might find this interesting 🤔 If you are, then you know of what I speak… Everyday I get a picture that I personally posted, usually years ago, it just pops up in my home feed, it’s labeled as a “Facebook Memory” and it tells you exactly how many years ago that you originally posted it. Then you get to look back through the comments and likes, and if you want you can share it as a Story or to your feed and friends. At first, I didn’t know what to think about it, but I have grown to enjoy them and I usually share them again.
These pictures of our work that I have posted from years ago, just pop up as a “Facebook memory”… Actually pretty cool 😎 | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
Today’s memory was 3 years old. A couple of days ago it was a 7 year memory that I had forgotten about…
What do YOU think 🤔 about the way social media like Facebook has changed our daily lives? How, if any, has it changed yours?
“Memories, brought to you by Facebook”…
Screenshot of what it looks like on your device. Do you look at these? Do you find it charming, or invasive? Just asking…
I have grown to think that it helps me share what I do. Our work at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio is so visual! It’s hard to describe what we build so that you can form an accurate picture in your minds eye… So that picture you see, of what your backyard could actually look like, is worth a thousand words…
I’m writing this outside and it’s starting to rain 🌧 I hope you enjoyed it 😊
Have a Great Weekend!
Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph.# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com
YouTube pg. –
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Pinterest pg. – https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery
Filed under: Family time, Food, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, music, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pond Tips, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden, Waterfalls | Tags: Carters Nursery Pond and Patio, Daily Blog, Designer, Happy Pondering, I ❤️ My Art, I ❤️ my Customers!, I ❤️ my Family, I ❤️ My Friends!, I ❤️ My Pond, I ❤️ This Country, I ❤️ Waterfalls, I Love ❤️ My Job!, Keep The Faith, Landscape Designer, Learning, Master CAC, Peace ✌🏻Love ❤️ & Waterfalls, Personal Blog, Pondemonium, Professional Pond Builder, Professional Water Feature Designer, Throwback Thursday, Training, Training Day
One of the things about running your own business is that things get, VERY busy! The old saying “If you want something done right, do it yourself” rings true daily… LOTS of hats 🧢 to wear… The daily grind can get overwhelming & you loose that line between your personal time/life and your business.
Don’t let your business run YOU! Take time to stay organized & to train your employees and yourself 🤔
I am switching my focus for the next couple of days to ‘organizing and training in my Business. As a business owner you find yourself constantly Performing! Work work work, perform, perform, perform! DON’T forget to train some as well! That is most of our (small business owners) biggest downfalls…
I made a commitment long ago to stay on top of Technology and of advances in my field. I also try to invest in my Team so that we ALL stay on top of our game! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
I’ve got to go to my next “Zoom Room” meeting now, so I want to wish everyone a good day!
PS: I will be sharing a few things I’m learning now with you soon.
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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Carter's Water Garden 