Carter's Water Garden


Does My Koi Pond &/or Water Garden Need A Skimmer? | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

I have been operating Carters Nursery Pond & Patio since 1989. I’ve set up countless Garden Shows and hosted hundreds of Pond related workshops (pond builds, design classes, waterfall building, pond maintenance, koi health, etc etc)… I own & operate a 7 acre Garden Center and Aquatic Nursery with running eco-system ponds and a full Koi facility. My goal all these years has been to show Pond Enthusiasts a better way. But, that doesn’t mean I can rest on my laurels… Just Yesterday, I had a great conversation with a walk in customer that lives within 5 miles of my Nursery and has been a pond enthusiast for over 15 years! And guess what… He didn’t know that I was here and he didn’t know what a Pond Skimmer would do for him 😮 Sooooo, needless to say I spent some time with him and gave him the full .10 cent tour of my place! He was blown away and left with a skimmer of his own and a mission to install it himself 💥

We have a skimmer to fit most any Pond at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | 2846 Old Medina Rd. Jackson, TN 38305

So the question remains for many Pond owners –

Q- Does My Koi Pond &/or Water Garden Need A Skimmer?

The answer is YES! Most Definitely…

The simple function of the Skimmer is to help collect surface debris from your Pond. BUT, that’s not all it does for you. A good Skimmer also –

  • Houses, hides and pre-filters your Pond Pump! No more clogged pumps! 💥
  • By collecting debris before it collects on the pond bottom it Greatly Improves Water Quality!
  • A Skimmer also greatly increases dissolved oxygen in your Pond Water! Making a much healthier Pond and much happier Koi!
  • A Skimmer does most of the physical work for you, giving you more time to relax 😊

IF you are a Pond guy or gal and don’t have a Pond Skimmer, I am here to help! Drop by and I will show you the light 💡 or give me a call 1-731-424-2206 and I will come to you!

Thanks! & 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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Pond Tip Tuesday! | Fall Pond Checklist | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
October 19, 2021, 4:06 pm
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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fall is in full season! In fact we are only a couple of weeks from Peak Viewing time for Fall foliage in TN! Then you will again realize where ”Fall” gets its name… 🍁 🍁🍁

Fall will bring many changes to our Gardens and Ponds, its important to stay ahead of the game!

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. –

We stock a complete line of Water Treatment Products and supplies for your Pond and Water Garden. Including Cold Temp Beneficial Bacteria, Leaf Nets and Cool Season Fish Food | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

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.

Pond Netting is a great tool to help keep the maintenance of your Water Garden or Koi Pond down to a minimum over the fall and winter. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee


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.

Keep an Eye 👁 on Your Skimmer –

Your Pond skimmer is a workhorse this time of year! Its catching and capturing all that debris that would otherwise end up on the bottom of your Pond! BUT, you have to empty it often in the Fall 🍁

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.

This is standard equipment in every Koi Pond and Water Garden. 

My final Pond Tip for today is this – Switch to Cool Season Koi Food NOW…

When the water temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit you should switch to a Lower Protein, Cool Season Koi Food. We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 60’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN


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

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!

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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Keepin’ It Real – Top 5 Koi Myths Made Right! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

It’s Wednesday, aka “Hump Day” and as usual the subject is Koi 😊 We were discussing erroneous information & myths about Koi keeping that are out there, so I thought why not make a blog post about it… Here’s a quick “Top 5”…

#1 – You Can’t Be A Koi Keeper & A Water Gardener.

Not true! You can raise healthy koi In your beautiful water garden! The koi can grow up to be just as beautiful and healthy as they are in traditional koi ponds. Proper design is key! You will LOVE how they compliment each other 😊 I have installed Hundreds of beautiful Water Gardens with healthy happy Koi.


Koi and Water Gardens go together like peas and carrots 😊 | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

#2 – Predators Will Eat All Your Fish.

Again, Proper Design is key! Raccoons generally won’t swim. That’s not to say they never swim, or couldn’t stand on the side of your pond and take a paw swipe or two at your fish… Fortunately, most fish will swim to a deeper, more protected part of the pond when a predator is threatening them. The one predator with legitimate credentials is the blue heron. Plenty of lily pads give them some protection and will work to minimize attracting a heron in the first place. Other protection measures include a motion activated water sprayer called a “Scarecrow” or even better a “Koi-cave” structure that can be built in during the pond’s construction. IF you already have a pond, they can be added with minimum remodeling during a clean out service.

A Blue Heron is a major Predator of our Koi and pond fish! BUT, we can stop them from harming our ‘finned friends’! Tools like a “Scarecrow”, or a fish cave really help! In the Fall a leaf net helps with more than 1 task 😊

#3 – Your Pond Must Be (3) Three Feet Deep to Keep Koi. 

There are literally tens of thousands of two-foot deep ponds all around this country, full of happy and healthy koi. The water in a two-foot deep pond will generally only freeze eight inches down in the coldest of climates, because of the insulating qualities of the earth that surrounds the pond – Here in West Tennessee usually not at all. Another Plus – a properly designed 2’ deep pond is easy to get in and out of 😉

#4 – Koi Can’t Be Kept With Plants.

In a naturally balanced ecosystem, koi and plants complement and need one another. In nature, fish feed on plants. As a result, the fish produce waste, which is broken down by aerobic bacteria on the bottom of your pond, which, in turn, is used as fertilizer by the plants to grow and produce more natural fish food. One tip I have learned from experience- start with small Koi, they will grow up with the plants and won’t bother them at all – like in nature.

This is one of my Display Water Gardens at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio – The Aquatic Plants & Koi have been doing great here for almost 30 years!

#5 – If You Forget To Feed Your Koi They Will All Die. 

Totally False! In a properly designed & stocked pond, the ecological balance will amaze you! Crystal clear water, thriving aquatic plants & a healthy eco-system are your reward! We all Love to feed our babies, but if you miss a few days they will get busy doing some “pond keeping” of their own! 😊 They will ‘Thrive’, not simply survive! The key is  to “Stay in Balance”!

Happy Pondering! & Merry Christmas 🎄 🎅🏻

 

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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Fall Pond Questions – Should I Install Pond Netting? | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

“To net or not to net, that is the question”…

Pond Netting is a great tool to help keep the maintenance of your Water Garden or Koi Pond down over the fall and winter months . It can protect your fish from predators too…

WHY should I net my pond in the Fall?

Great question! The main reason to net your Water Feature in the Fall is to help with leaf and debris control. All the Ponds that I personally design and install have a skimmer system (mechanical Filter) that does this task for you. You simply empty that skimmer basket from time to time and have little to no leaf or debris problems. BUT, if you have a lot of trees in your Landscape as well,  a Fall Leaf 🍁 Net may be in order. Depending on your leaf debris load, a skimmer might still need the help of a simple leaf net to keep up during peak leaf fall…

We stock bulk pond netting at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio in Jackson, TN

HOW do you use the netting?

You simply pull the net over the Pond’s surface and secure it along the edges. Some ponds will allow for a tight stretched net over the surface but some times we install risers to make a “Tent” effect of the net. This helps shed the leaf debris to the edges to make it easier to dispose of them.

Some ponds will allow for a taught pulled net. Others may need a center support for the netting. Either way, it saves a LOT of time on maintenance!

Keeping the leaves and other fall debris out of your Pond is a good thing! Leaf debris is unsightly, it also quickly starts to decompose releasing many compounds that are bad for your fish. In turn algae is fed by the decomposing leaf matter and oxygen is depleted. ALL of these things combined can be catastrophic for the health of your finned friends, in heavy leaf fall areas, it can even kill them.

ALSO – in the Fall and Winter most of the aquatic plants are asleep, leaving very little cover for your Koi… Pond Predators strike most often in the Fall and Winter… BUT, Blue Herons can’t get your pets through the Pond Netting! So that’s another big plus for having a Pond Net!

A Blue Heron is major Predator of our Koi and pond fish! BUT, we can stop them from harming our ‘finned friends’ in the Fall & Winter by installing a Leaf Net.

So to wrap this up – IF you have a LOT of trees in your landscape that shed leaves in the Fall, a Leaf Net might be for YOU! AND – if you have Koi that you love and want to protect, leaf netting could help you too.

FYI: You can get leaf netting for your pond at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio! We always keep 10′ and 20′ widths in stock, we cut to order and it’s very inexpensive. Questions? Call me at 731-424-2206

Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd. 
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
www.cartercountry.com


Will My Koi Get Trapped In My Skimmer? | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee | Madison County TN

I had a customer come in to the Pond Shop yesterday needing help. He has had a Pond for several years now and is ready to make it lower in maintenance. He wants to put a skimmer on his Pond! He is a DIY guy and wants to install it himself and he wants to do it right. BUT, he has fish… Several are pretty good sized Koi and he is worried that the Pond Skimmer could be a problem… His #1 question was – “Will my Koi get trapped in my Skimmer Filter”?

One of the first things you need to do when choosing a Skimmer Filter for your Pond is to find out what size Skimmer you need.

The first thing I told him while answering his question was NOT to worry about the fish. It’s overwhelmingly NOT a problem. I showed him around the Ponds here at the Nursery & once he saw the simple operation of the system and how healthy & happy my Koi are he was a believer.

Then I asked him a few questions to figure out what type and size Skimmer would be best for his application.

  • I found out that he has a fairly large Pond/Water Garden, 3′ deep, with quite a few fish.
  • He has over 2,500 gallons of water in his system.
  • He has a fairly powerful pump – around 7,000 GPH (gallons per hour). The water from that pump splits and goes to 2 different Waterfalls.
  • His Pond has No bottom aeration.
  • We sketched out the pond from a couple of photos that he had on his phone and were able to quickly figure out what he needed.

    He installed this Pond himself. It’s basically round in shape with 2 different Waterfalls. The pond is 3′ in depth & the upper shelf is approximately 1 to 1 1/2′ in depth. There is no stone in the pond and no gravel on the bottom… Which after he saw how we do it is about to change 😎 Seeing is Believing!

Not only did he need a Skimmer Filter, he needed a Plumbing upgrade! He had a mis-mash of plumbing pieces going to 2 waterfalls from a submerged pump in the bottom of the pond. So we specified 2″ flex PVC Plumbing AND we added a Check valve in there to make it easy for future maintenance. We also decided to install a 2 stone aeration system.

So easy to install! A simple Aeration System will make your pond healthier, your fish happier & will help with much needed dissolved oxygen for your finned pets.

And we specified a Top of the line Skimmer, with an adjustable faceplate,  a rigid debris basket and a removable weir (just in case his fish need some time to adjust to the new Skimmer).

This is the Cadillac of Pond Skimmers! With an adjustable faceplate, removable weir & rigid debris basket, the Signature Series 1000 Pond Skimmer by Aquascape Inc. has got you covered! | We are Master Certified Aquascape Contractors! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee.

Here’s a side view of his new Skimmer! When this is properly installed it will be virtually invisible & do most of the work throughout the year!

The Skimmer we chose has LOTS of room inside the basket, an adjustable faceplate, a removable weir and is a great choice if you have Koi. |  Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee.

He left ‘Carter Country’ a Happy Customer!😊 He purchased the Skimmer, plumbing, fittings & Aeration System plus 10 bags of gravel and set off to install his new Skimmer 🙂 He has promised to send me an after picture and a report on his installation. I will share it with y’all too. It makes me smile when I talk to a fellow Pond Enthusiast that is excited about the hobby and his Pond!

PS: IF you ever have a problem with Koi getting trapped in the skimmer (its only happened a few times in 30 years) – give me a call and I will help walk you through the “training process”. It’s really as simple as checking daily and shooing them out, they will get the point. It’s also a great idea to remove the weir flap from the skimmer faceplate until the new wears off for the fish IF your having issues.

Happy Pondering!

 

Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com



Water Garden Classes, Beautiful Plants, Friendly Animals, Grilled Food & a Pony Ride – Spell FUN! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Jackson, Tn. | Saturday, April 21st. – Come join us at Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio for our annual Spring Fest. & Customer Appreciation Day! We will have lots of fun, food and informative things to take part in!
Bring the kids and let them pet the animals at the ‘Petting Zoo’! They can even ride the Pony 🙂

“This started 20 years ago as a way for me to teach my clients how to clean their Water Gardens & care for their Koi. It has grown into a pretty big production for the whole family now,” says Mark Carter, Owner/Designer of Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio. “We have something for the kids to enjoy with the Petting Zoo, Maintenance classes, Lunch in the Garden – it’s just a nice day for our customers and friends to get out and enjoy Spring.”

Classes will start around 9am. and will go all the way through till 2pm. We will perform a ‘Hands on’ cleanout of a pond on site! We will also do an upgrade/install of the Latest Aquascape Skimmer Filter! Come see all the new technology available. You will witness all the work being done and be able to ask questions right there on the spot! We will also have a discussion on Water Garden Design and discuss “How To” Design a ‘Water Feature’ into YOUR Landscape!

The Petting Zoo and Pony Rides will begin by 10am.! So come on with the kids/grandkids 🙂

Pet the bunny’s, chickens, lama’s, horses, goats, unicorns and more at the petting zoo! 😉 PLUS there will be pony rides for the kids | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

I will be cooking lunch for all that come, my treat! I’m fixing Hot Dogs and Smoked Sausage with ALL the fixings! We will also be firing up the Saffire Grill to cook some special things 😉 We will have chips and cookies and more! This is my favorite part of the show because I get to fire up the grill & cook! I will have lunch ready around 11:30am. So DON’T be late 🙂

Mark will be cooking lunch at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio’s ‘Outdoor Kitchen’! “I’m firing up the Saffire Grill & The big AOG Grill too. Y’all come on out and have a great time with us on this 20th. Year Anniversary of Spring Fest. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

What: Carters Nursery, Pond & Patios 20th. Annual Spring Festival & Aquatic Workshop!

Where: Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio – 2846 Old Medina Rd. in Jackson, Tn.

When: Saturday, April 21st. from 9am till 2pm.

WHY should I come? It’s going to be a FUN filled day for the whole family! AND it’s FREE! Petting Zoo & Pony Rides for the kids! Supplies for the ‘Spring Season’ and “How To” Classes by the best in the Biz.!

For more information give us a call : # 731-424-2206 or http://www.cartercountry.com/

Y’all Come!

Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com

 



Spring Fest. 4/21/2018 Video | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

This is our video info about our upcoming Spring Fest., Customer Appreciation Day & Aquatic Workshop (where we will do a pond clean-out class and install a Skimmer Filter on a Pond & more)! Enjoy:

 



Upcoming Events – 20 YEARS of – Spring Fest. & Water Garden Workshop’s | Saturday, April 21st. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Jackson, Tn. | Saturday, April 21st. – Come join us at Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio for our annual Spring Fest. & Customer Appreciation Day! We will have lots of fun, food and informative things to take part in!
Bring the kids and let them pet the animals at the ‘Petting Zoo’! They can even ride the Pony 🙂

Kids LOVE the Petting Zoo & Pony Rides! Come help us celebrate 20 years of Spring Fest.! This event is FREE! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

For the Adults – We will have several opportunities for you to learn all about Water Gardening and Aquatic Plants. You can get all the information you will need to Design, Build and Maintain a Beautiful Water Garden, Pondless Waterfall or Koi Pond of your own. So, if you have a Water Feature and want to learn more about it, the Aquatic Plants available, Pond Fish like – Koi, Comets, Shubunkins, etc. you will Enjoy this! AND – IF you don’t have a Water Garden, but have been wanting to find out more about them, this is Definitely for YOU!

Get here early to take part in the Pond Maintenance class. We are going to perform a full cleanout and install a Skimmer filter on a Pond! You don’t want to miss this!

Classes will start around 9am. and will go all the way through till 2pm.We will perform a ‘Hands on’ cleanout of a pond on site! We will also do an install of the Latest Aquascape Skimmer Filter! Come see all the new technology available. You will witness all the work being done and be able to ask questions right there on the spot! We will also have a discussion on Water Garden Design and “How To” Implement one in YOUR Landscape!
We will cover the basics of Aquatic Plants and discuss how you can introduce more Aquatic Plants in your Waterscape AND your Landscape.

I will be cooking lunch for all that come, my treat! I’m fixing Hot Dogs and Smoked Sausage with ALL the fixings! We will also be firing up the Saffire Grill to cook some special things 😉 We will have chips and cookies and more! This is my favorite part of the show because I get to fire up the grill & cook!

Mark will be cooking lunch at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio’s ‘Outdoor Kitchen’! “I’m firing up the Saffire Grill & The big AOG Grill too. Y’all come on out and have a great time with us on this 20th. Year Anniversary of Spring Fest. | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Mark it on your calendar and come out and see us!

What: Carters Nursery, Pond & Patios 20th. Annual Spring Festival & Aquatic Workshop!

Where: Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio – 2846 Old Medina Rd. in Jackson, Tn.

When: Saturday, April 21st. from 9am till 2pm.

WHY should I come? It’s going to be a FUN filled day for the whole family! AND it’s FREE! Petting Zoo & Pony Rides for the kids! Supplies for the ‘Spring Season’ and “How To” Classes by the best in the Biz.!

For more information give us a call : # 731-424-2206 or http://www.cartercountry.com/

Y’all Come!

Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com



Can I have a Koi Pond in a shady yard? | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Question : Can I have a Koi Pond in a shady yard?

I know you have read in many places that you just can’t have a Pond in a shady yard with trees. Plants won’t do well and it will be full of leafs… BUT – good news! You CAN!

Imagine a lazy Summer day,’kicked back in the cool shade by your waterfall, feeding your Koi, the grill smoking on the patio… Sound good? It’s a daily reality for many lucky Pond lovers!

This Pond is in Full shade! So many beautiful plants are in this picture with this Waterfall. Many people don’t know that Impatients are also an aquatic plant. These pictures are all in the water and as you see are Beautiful!!

To have success there are a few things to know!

– First, shade trees drop leaves – so you MUST have a skimmer. If you design your Pond right, the skimmer will do 90% of the work all season! A leaf net for a few weeks in the fall will do the rest!

– Secondly, lacking full sun you will have to choose shade loving plants. You can definitely have some color and bloom, but you will also need to depend on plants with good foliage color and texture. Water lilies will not be your friend in a shady pond, but lots of other great plants will! Here’s a list of a few Shade Loving Aquatic Plants –

  •  Water Lettuce
  • Parrots Feather
  • Frog Bit
  • Aquatic 4-leaf Clover
  • Marsh Marigolds
  • Creeping Jenny
  • Varigatef Water Celery
  • Aquatic Forget Me Not
  • Taro (several varieties)
  • Impatients (annuals – AWESOME color!)
  • Lizards Tail
  • Aquatic Iris

A Full Shade Pond under a canopy of leaves. As you see – crystal clear water, thriving plants & healthy fish!! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

I hope this puts your mind at ease. With a properly designed Pond, you can enjoy a Low Maintenance Pond of your dreams 😊

Happy Pondering!

Mark Carter
Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio
2846 Old Medina Rd.
Jackson, Tn. 38305
Ph# 731-424-2206
http://www.cartercountry.com