Ponds for Kids | Carter's Garden Blog

Help us ‘Ring in Spring’ on the 21st! Check it out | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

3 weeks from today is the 1st day of Spring! Come join us Saturday morning, the 21st of March and helps us celebrate the season!

Come join us for a day of family fun & learning! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

Check out our video 👇🏻

What: Carters Nursery, Pond & Patios 22nd. Annual Spring Festival & Aquatic Workshop

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

When: Saturday, March 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! Bring the kids to the Petting Zoo! BIG Specials for the Spring Season and “How To” Classes taught 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

YouTube pg. –

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6dPkQiE04jcr385SOL0gkw

Facebook pg. – https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.775

Pinterest pg. – https://www.pinterest.com/cartersnursery/

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Throwback Thursday | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

January 23, 2020, 8:36 am
Filed under: Family time, Fountains, General Blog Entry's, God Bless America, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Love, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Videos, water garden | Tags: #throwbackthursday, Art, Creating A Schoolyard Habitat, Koi, My Son, Outdoor Classroom, Outdoor Education, Pond Ecology, Ponds for Kids, Replicating Nature, School Pond, Science, Teach Our Children, Teachers, Teachers Rock, Teaching Pond, Throwback Thursday

My son recently turned 18. LOTS of memories and emotions have been bubbling up 😭 one thing that I keep finding is pictures of him in and around the ponds & waterfalls. He simply LOVES them! So this one is my offering for Throwback Thursday.

Jacob has loved Koi and ponds since birth I think 😊 This was taken at the dedication to this teaching pond at a local school 16 or so years ago. This picture ended up on the “Ponds for Kids” booklet that promotes Ponds in schools. #Throwbackthursday

He was 2 in this picture 😊 This “Teaching Pond” is still being used to inspire and teach youngsters about science, ecology & even art. A BIG shoutout to the great educators that were and still are responsible for this school pond happening! Steve, Elizabeth & Christine – Y’all Rock! Keep up the good work!

Have a great #throwbackthursday!

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/

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Friday Radio Report | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Great show today! Thanks to all the folks who called in and texted!

It’s Hot and getting HOTTER! 109 degree HF today! So stay cool! We had a varied list of callers and questions today… Here’s a basic summary from today’s show –

How to control algae in my pond? The #1 thing we can do for our Water Gardens is to strike a ‘Balance’! Biological filtration, aquatic plants, proper fish stocking rates, etc. Take a few pictures of your pond and either send them to me via e-mail OR come by the nursery and we will help you.
What kind of fertilizer should I use on my Asiatic Jasmine? I love Milorganite. Osmocote works well too.
Some of my fish have been going in the skimmer. What can I do? GREAT question! Sometimes you have to “Train Them not to”! You may have to take the weir off the skimmer face plate for a while so they can easily get out? This time of year they like the current the skimmer makes so they are attracted to it. Plus it’s HOT! So it has a cooling effect. Keep an eye out and it will all work out.
Can I trim wild shoots off my Crepe Myrtles? Yes, it won’t hurt a thing.
Watermelons are in season! They make a great snack to feed to your Koi! They LOVE it! 🙂
Is kelp good for you? I think so, but I’m no expert. I do know it’s a good source of calcium and iodine.

ALSO – Tomorrow, Saturday the 21st. – We are having a 1 Day Flash sale on ALL Aquatic Plants at the nursery! Buy 1 get 1 FREE! Even the Lotus and lilies are on this sale! Don’t miss it!

ALL of our Aquatic Plants are on sale today! Buy 1 Get One FREE! | Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tn. 38305 | 731-424-2206 | http://www.cartercountry.com

Thanks again & I will see you all again on the air next week!

I’m on with the 180 Crew – Dan Reaves & Sea Bass- every Friday from 9-11am Call in with ALL your gardening and Outdoor Lifestyle questions at 731-423-8101.
OR you can TEXT us at 731-277-5155. Listen LIVE at 101.5 WNWS – FM Talk Radio – on your smart phone using your TuneIn app.!

Thanks to ALL! Stay cool! and…

~ 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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WHAT is the Moonlight Luau? | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

I was just talking to a couple at the Nursery who bought some Pond Tour tickets. They are excited about going on the Tour! They want a Water Garden of their own and are hoping to get some ideas on the Pond Tour 🙂 That made me happy too! I LOVE it when folks do their homework and learn about the possibility’s before I come to meet with them to design the Water Garden of their dreams! They have been wanting to go on the Pond Tour for several years now and FINALLY have a free weekend to attend. As they were leaving I said, don’t miss the Moonlight Luau, it’s gonna be fun! They looked puzzled… WHAT is the Moonlight Luau they asked?

The Ponds and Gardens at the Nursery are Beautiful at night! We open the gates at 8pm. for the Moonlight Luau! Landscape lighting, Tiki Torches, Live music & Delicous food await! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

The ‘Moonlight Luau’ is an appreciation dinner. It’s a Party under the stars. It’s a magical night in the garden with tiki’s & lighting and glowing pools and sparkling waterfalls… LIVE music! AND – Did I mention food? YES! The main course is Kalua Pork! Hawaiian Style!

The evolution of a Kalua Pig. Fresh fruits & veggies along with fresh banana leaves give the meat a very unique and delicious taste!

This party is very special to me. It’s my way of saying ‘Thanks’ to all the homeowners who have allowed us all to tour their gardens AND to all the people who contributed to this very worthwhile cause.

Good food, music, friends & family are what always make this a special night 😊

PLUS – The ‘Moonlight Luau’ is FREE with your ticket! Some buy the ticket just for the Luau 🙂

Happy Pondering! I’ll see y’all at the Moonlight Luau!

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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T-Minus 1 Week and Counting! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Is this year flying by or is it just me? Any way you slice it, we are only 1 week from our annual ‘Parade of Ponds’ Garden Tour!

Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio’s ‘Parade of Ponds’ benefits our own Jackson Animal Care & Adoption Center. 100% of ticket sales goes to support their Mission in our community!

This years Summer Pond Tour will showcase many unique, custom Water Gardens, Koi Ponds, Pondless Waterfalls, Disappearing Fountains and of course LOTS of gorgeous Landscaping! This Self Guided Tour is located in Jackson, TN. (Madison County) and is easy to follow. The Summer Pond Tour is a fundraiser for the Jackson Animal Care & Adoption Center. 100% of ticket sales go to help them, so tell all your friends!

Stop by “Pond Central” at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio during the Pond Tour and say “Hi”! Get a drink and a snack and regroup throughout the day.

Summer Pond Tour Tickets are $20 ea. (kids 12 and under are FREE!). Tickets can be purchased at Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio, PH# 731-424-2206. Each group receives a Map Booklet with detailed descriptions and directions. “A number of this year’s Summer Pond Tour stops are new water gardens, along with favorites featured in our prior Pond Tours” says Mark Carter, Owner & Landscape Designer at Carter’s Nursery, Pond & Patio. “We hope lots of folks will come out and be Amazed by the wonderful effect these Ponds, Waterfalls, Streams and Fish make. It’s always a Fun day and a Beautiful night at our Moonlight Luau. The Moonlight Luau is an appreciation dinner for all those who put their houses on the tour and for the folks who purchase tickets to attend the tour. It’s our way of saying “Thank You!” says Carter.

We will have the beach and food ready for the ‘Moonlight Luau’ to open at 8pm.! LIVE music by Wild Willi X! The Luau is FREE to pond tour attendees.

Don’t miss the “Moonlight Luau”! We always have a GREAT time at the after party at the Nursery! The party has an informal “Luau” theme – AND it’s included in your ticket price! We decorate the Nursery with a Sandy Beach, LOTS of Landscape Lights, Tiki torches, Hawaiian leis AND we cook “Kalua Pork” with all the fixings! WHAT is Kalua Pork, you ask??? Kalua Pork is cooked SLOW, wrapped in Banana leafs, rubbed with spices & infused with tropical fruit juices – Kalua is “Hawaiian Luau style”! 🙂

We invite everyone to wear your favorite Hawaiian Shirt, skirt, hat, WHATEVER – and come on out for a Cool Evening. I’m giving an award (& PRIZES) this year for ‘Best Luau outfit’ 🙂 – so have some fun.

I am SO Excited about this Pond Tour and PARTY! Y’all come and help us make this a success for the Jackson Animal Care Center! See ya’ next Saturday!

This is the 20th. year for our Annual Summer Pond Tour! The Pond Tour supports JACAAC – The Pond Tour Date is June 23rd. (Saturday). Tickets are $20 and 100% goes to support the cause! Please help get the word out! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

PS: Please share this info to your social media pages to help spread the word! 🙂

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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Can a Water Garden Change Your Life? | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

May 15, 2018, 7:52 am
Filed under: Fountains, General Blog Entry's, Koi, Koi Ponds, Lake and Pond, Landscaping & Gardening, Nursery, Outdoor Lifestyles, Pondless Waterfalls, water garden | Tags: Ponds for Kids

Can a Water Garden Change Your Life?

Simple answer – YES!

I always start the day with a cup of tea & the news out by my Pond. Not the newspaper of course – my news apps on my iPhone or iPad.. Not so “Old School” but very cool 😊What was the first thing I saw this morning? A GREAT reminder of how Ponds do change peoples lives!

We did a special project for a local school many years ago – we built them a “Teaching Pond” through a program called “Ponds for Kids”. I took this picture of an entire science class that came to my Nursery to Tour the Ponds and Water Features. These kids are nature lovers & Pond Lovers!

Over the years it has been great to watch all the different kids that grew up with this living classroom. I think every kid in this country would benefit from a chance to have an education like this! They learn about ecology & Biology up close and personal! On a scale that is interesting and engaging. I’m still excitied about this project and what it has done to help a younger generation appreciate and learn more about science and nature.

Cyprinus rubofscous – (The fish the modern day Koi was bred from).
These kids have learned about Pond Fish, frogs, turtles, tadpoles, dragonflies, Aquatic Plants & so much more.

So again, I say Yes, something as simple as a beautiful Water Garden in your backyard can change your life for the better. A teaching Pond in your kids school can change a whole generations view of the world too…

Come by the nursery Thursday evening at 6:30 & I will open your eyes to the possibilities. 😊

We always have FUN at our ‘Evenings by the Pond’ events! Come see what Outdoor living is all about. This Thursday evening at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio. Call for more information 731-424-2206

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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Ponds For Kids a BIG Sucess!

April 27, 2009, 3:33 pm
Filed under: Articles, General Blog Entry's | Tags: Outdoor Classroom, PFK, Ponds for Kids, Teaching Pond

Saturday, April 25 th was a BIG day for the Students and Teachers at East Intermediate School! My crew at Carter’s Nursery, Pond and Patio met Students, Parents and Faculty to help them construct a Water Garden/Out-door Classroom on their school grounds. We asked for volunteers to please bring a shovel and a hard rake, to remember their hat, gloves, comfortable shoes and Sun Block, AND to be ready for a fun filled day of HARD WORK!

We got started at 8:00 a.m. and over 20 students and many of their parents and friends, including some local Pond Club members came out to help!

This Living, Outdoor classroom will inspire and enrich the lives of so many young people for years to come! It will be a teaching aid for everything from Science and Biology to Art and Ecology.

Most kids just love getting their hands in the dirt, taking part in creating something, or just doing something different! This Ponds for Kids experience offered them a little bit of everything! They took part in designing and planning the pond, and with some guidance, worked with tools, placed rocks and gravel, installed filtration media and planted aquatic plants. The opportunities for learning from this new Eco-System are endless and more importantly, they earned a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day for a “JOB” WELL DONE, which is Priceless!

Research shows that children who have POSITIVE interactions with nature grow into adults who really care about their environment. This interactive environment is a perfect way to let kids discover the reality of nature and feel that they have a responsibility to it and that they can make a difference regardless of their age or size. The only limit is the imagination. Here are a few examples of how this new Outdoor Classroom will enhance the curriculum:

Science – microscopic world to ecosystem function

Language Arts – reading and writing as interpreted through the setting

Social Studies – human impact on the environment

Art – expressing the natural environment in a variety of media from Sketches to Photography to anything you can imagine

Math – quantifying data

Whether living in the city or in the county, all kids deserve a chance to interact with the world of nature. Ponds for Kids will help instill a love for the environment with this generation NOW and for generations to come.

By helping us with this project we are building the foundation of the next generations love for the environment by creating an interactive habitat filled with the potential to change young lives.

Please give us a call if you are interested in helping with the care of this new Pond OR if you would like to find out how to get involved in this Wonderful program.

Thanks ,

– Mark Carter

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Creating A Schoolyard Habitat

December 13, 2008, 10:48 am
Filed under: Articles | Tags: Backyard Habitat, Creating A Schoolyard Habitat, Outdoor Education, Ponds, Ponds for Kids

Making a better world one “Habitat”at a time

Tennessean’s are special people . We love our land , we protect our environment and we pass these love’s and traditions on to our children . Some of my most precious childhood memory’s are in the garden or in the woods with my dad or grandad . My grandmothers on both sides were gardening guru’s in their own rights and they taught me many things that I still use in my everyday life . It stuck with me and now I make my living designing gardens and landscapes for other people and it is indeed a way of life for me and something I truly love .

A ‘Special’ Design

Not long ago I was asked to help in the development of a ‘Teaching Pond’ at a local school . The school found me through a program that I take part in called ‘Ponds for Kids’ . Ponds for Kids is sponsored by N.A.W.G.S ( North Am.Water Garden Society) http://www.nawgs.org/ and is an amazing program .
I met with the faculty and discussed their wants and needs for the teaching pond to aid in the development of the design/plan . After doing some extensive research , I found a program that fits perfectly with what they wanted to do ! It’s called the Schoolyard Habitat Program and it’s sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, http://www.nwf.org/schoolyard/. What a great idea ! An entire ‘Habitat’ with a pond , garden , bird feeders , bird houses & more . I immediately sat down and started drawing a plan , a plan that would have a teaching pond and a native garden with all the requirements to qualify to be a Schoolyard Habitat .
This habitat would provide an Awesome teaching environment ; Science , Biology , Ecology , Art , and a long list of other things could be taught and communicated through this classroom.
In the end this was a combined effort between the students, faculty and my company and it went great ! This Schoolyard Habitat will help educate kids for generations to come and it has and will continue to have a positive impact on the community . We’re sowing seeds for the future folks .

Gardening for Wildlife , Gardening for Life

All wildlife requires food, water, cover and places to reproduce and raise their young. Sound familiar? Our worlds are not that different. These four (4) elements are the basic requirements for creating a habitat .
It doesn’t stop at schoolyards either ! The NWF has a ‘Backyard Habitat’ program for folks who want to enjoy all that mother nature has to offer , right in your own back yard .What does it take you may ask ? The same four (4) basic elements (food , water , cover & places to reproduce and raise young) . How does a waterfall and pond sound , how about a blackberry patch or a native thicket of flowering fruit trees ? Trumpet honeysuckle and native perennials are also great for nectar and pollen in your new garden . Put up a few bird feeders and bird houses . How about a butterfly or bat house . All these things not only help support the wildlife in our areas they enrich our lives as well . How you manage your landscape can really have a positive effect on your health, your environment and your community. This is truly living the life Abundant ! Once you start , your hooked for life . For more information on making your backyard a ‘Backyard Habitat’ go to http://www.nwf.org/backyard/ .

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful gardening season !

– Here’s to the ‘Life Abundant’ !

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