Carter's Water Garden


Carters Nursery Pond & Patios Summer Pond Tour is Saturday, June 24th. 2023 | A Benefit For The Jackson Animal Care Center

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 Center, 100% of ticket sales go to help them, so tell all your friends!

Tickets are $20 ea. (kids under 12 are FREE!). 100% of ALL ticket sales & donations go to the Jackson Animal Care Center.

What: 25th. Annual Summer Pond Tour
When: Saturday, June 24th. 9am. till 5pm.
Where can I get Tickets? Call or come by Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio at 2846 Old Medina Rd. Jackson, Tn. 38305 or call Jo or Sandra at 731-424-2206
How much are tickets? Tickets are $20 ea. (kids 12 and under are FREE!). 100% of ticket sales goes to the Jackson Animal Care Center!

You will see beautiful Waterfalls, Koi Ponds and more at this Unique Garden Tour!
June is HERE! Don’t miss the Summer Pond Tour! A Beautiful Day in the Garden! And every penny goes to support a wonderful cause – Our Pets! 🐶 🐈

Y’all come help us raise some much needed funds for the animals 🐕 🐈 


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



Carters Nursery’s Annual ‘Spring Pond Workshop’ & Customer Appreciation Day is Saturday, April 1st. 2023 | Carters Nursery Pond&Patio | Jackson, TN

Carter’s Nursery Pond & Patio’s Spring Pond Workshop is 1 week from today! Pond Maintenance Classes, Seasonal sales! + Snacks & refreshments for all! Come out and help us kick off SPRING! (Saturday April 1st.from 9amtill 2pm.) This is a FREE event.

If you want to learn more about Water Features this is for YOU! Come out next Saturday morning and take part in a pond clean-out. Learn how to divide aquatic plants, learn more about Koi Health. Ask questions, get good info from the Pro’s! It all happens next Saturday morning, April 1st.

Thanks & See you around the ponds at Carters!


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 | Local Tips For Pond People | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Is it Tuesday already 😮 Time is ✈️! I thought I would keep it light today, so this “Pond Tip” is for locals around the West Tn area… Fall is in our sight, Labor Day weekend is upon us and the Full Harvest Moon 🌕 is coming! And with the Harvest Moon we roll out our annual Moonlight Pond Tour!

September 10th is the date & this Pond Tour starts at Dusk…

So my Pond Tip for the week is… Get your tickets for the BEST Date Night of the year! And get em’ quick… It’s the Magic 🪄 Ticket 🌕

If your anywhere in West Tennessee don’t miss this unique Self Guided Tour! It’s always a beautiful evening and it’s for a VERY important organization!

100% of all donations go directly to the Jackson Animal Care Center | Jackson, TN

What: The 18th. Annual Moonlight Pond Tour
When: Saturday, September 10th. from dusk (7:00) till 11pm.
Where: Beautiful North Jackson, Tn. in Madison County.
Why: It’s Fun, Affordable and it’s for a GREAT CAUSE – The Jackson Animal Care Center! A truly Unique & Beautiful Garden Tour!
Tickets: $20 for the Pond Tour (no charge for kids age 12 and under)

This tour helps our furry friends! 100% of ALL tickets sales and donations goes directly to them. Tell a friend! Bring a friend. Bring a date. Bring the whole family! It’s going to be a Beautiful night under the Full Harvest Moon 🌕

The Moonlight Pond Tour is Coming! My Tip – Don’t miss it 😉

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 Tips | Pond Tip Tuesday | Late Summer Pond Tips | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

My pond has been exceptionally beautiful this summer! LOTS of lily blooms and the lotus have been showing out!

My Water Garden plants have been so beautiful this year! But to keep them looking great they need a little TLC | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

One of the #1 things to do right now is keep your lilies & lotus fed (fertilized) to keep them performing through late summer and into fall. It’s very simple to do! Come by and grab a container of Aquatic Plant Fertilizer Tabs. One of us will show you how to poke em’ down into the root zone of the plant – Boom 💥 Your Done!

AND #2 is to keep your aquatic plant growth in check! All this Hot weather has them growing like weeds 

  •  selectively trim marginal aquatics to keep in check and to promote strong compact growth.
  • remove yellowed unattractive Lilly pads & spent blooms to Promote new growth and bloom.
  • Keep Waterfalls & streams free and clear of excessive plant growth and debris! A plant dam will cause a leak every time!
Koi Love to be hand fed! If yours aren’t eating from your hand yet, try feeding at the same time daily and have patience, it takes a little while to win them over, but once you do, it will be worth the effort  Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee

– Enjoy your Koi! Feed them quality Koi food, but don’t over feed! Over feeding can cause water quality issues…

A little Aquatic Plant touch up now will pay dividends for the rest of the season! Get out there and enjoy.

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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It’s Friday | LIVE Talk Radio Show | Tune In This Morning 9-11 AM! | WNWS 101.5 FM | Everybody Talks | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

I am about to be walking into the studios of WNWS 101.5 FM, in downtown Jackson, TN! I’m going LIVE from 9-11 am with Seabass and Chuck Walker – The 2 hardest working men in show business!💥 Join us today on “Everybody Talks”!

I’m on today 9-11am Call in and lets have some FUN! 731-423-8101

We got some more rain this morning and it’s forecast to rain off and on all weekend! ☔️ What does that mean for your Garden and Landscape? Lets talk about it 😊 I’ll be here from 9-11am – So get your questions ready! We will be talking Outdoor Living, Koi Ponds, getting ready for Fall gardening, seeding fescue, trimming, mulching, landscaping, feeding those hungry Hummingbirds, rain watching 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 

For 20 years Ive been involved with this Friday Talk Show and it just keeps getting better! The phone # is still the same – 731-423-8101

– 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

Did you know you can text us? Texting us is so easy! 731-277-5155 Give us a shout out from under your umbrella today 😊

Come by and see us at the Nursery! We are open today until 4pm and tomorrow 8-2!

Summer is In full swing at Carters! 

Come on in to Carters Nursery and get what you need for your Garden and your Pond! We are loaded with Plants, Shrubs & Perennials! We’ve got stone by the pound and Sod by the piece! Plus cool hats, jeans, garden decor and gifts in our ’Unique Boutique’…

Fridays on the radio are so much fun! Give us a call and join us  731-423-8101.

TGIF! See ya’ on the air 9-11am!

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 | Summertime Pond Tips | Keep an Eye On Your Water Level | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Good morning!  Its going to be another hot, sticky day in the south! 

The hot days of Summer increase evaporation in your Ponds and Pools. Don’t forget to add water!

Have you noticed that you have to add more water to your pond during Hot weather like this? Did you know that It’s purely from evaporation! Don’t forget to top off your Water Garden from time to time to keep up with evaporation! It will protect your Koi and it will keep your pump running properly!


Check out my little Pond Tip for this week…

We sell and install an Auto Fill Unit for your Pond! The float on the end kicks it into action when it reaches the desired level and it fills it back up for you! Talk about Low Maintenance!

Does your Pond have an Auto Fill Valve? They are fairly simple to install and virtually invisible in your skimmer.

– Can you imagine not having to worry about adding water over the Hot Summer months? 

Boom 💥 This is my offering for your Pond Tip this week. To me it’s all about Low Maintenance! Less work and more enjoyment!

Enjoy the Pond Tip! And stay cool out there 😊

– 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 | Trim & Fertilize Aquatic Plants For Peak Performance | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Summertime is here & with the hot weather comes a HUGE growth of our Aquatic Plants – I LOVE IT! BUT, beware! 

Fertilize your Water Lilies monthly for peak performance.

Pond Tip : Stay ahead of possible plant clogs and stream or waterfall dams by trimming and pruning your aquatic plant growth! It will keep your pond looking great and you will see increased bloom and performance as well! ALSO – Check and empty your skimmer weekly!

Its as simple as that folks! I clip dead or dying lilies once per week (and fertilize monthly during the season)! I also thin marginals as needed – Usually once or twice per season will do the trick! And vola’! NO clogs, or plant dams all season long!

Here’s to a GREAT Summer season around the Ponds! 

PS: We offer weekly & monthly pond maintenance services. Call for more details – 731-424-2206


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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Summer is Here!

The headline says it all! Today, Tuesday June 21st 2022, is the Summer Solstice – The longest day of the year!

Im going to sit outside and watch the Sun go down tonight! Tomorrow starts the shortening of days… Leading us towards the Autumnal Equinox, aka: Fall!

Earth seasons as Effect of the Earth’s axial tilt. Infographics for summer and winter solstice, autumnal and spring equinox Northern Hemisphere. Sun path diagram or day arc for year. Vector illustration.


But, as of right now, we got 3 good months of Summer in front of us! Enjoy! 😎

Heres to Summer time in Tennessee!

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 | Koi Pond Tips | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Spring is in full swing! We are approaching our last frost date and the whole world is greening up, I LOVE it! ❤️ So do my Koi! They have been tearing up the Cool Season Koi Food and the veggies I have been feeding them. In fact, many of my customers and fellow Koi enthusiasts have been feeding their Koi Cool Season Food & have started asking me the all important question…

– When can I start feeding regular Koi Food and Color Enhancing Koi Food?

– My Answer- Remember the rule of 60!

When the water temperature has stabilized above 60 degrees Fahrenheit you can switch to a Higher Protein or a Color Enhancing Koi Food. We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 60’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

We have covered The Rule of 50 in previous Blogs, when coming out of Winter into Spring, you must let the water temp stabilize for at least a week at 50+ degrees Fahrenheit before you start to feed your koi, AND, when you do start back to feeding, you should use a quality, Cool Season Koi Food! And don’t over feed! Gradually reintroduce food to them in small amounts.

Oh yea! Spring has arrived and the water is steadily warming. Time to feed your Pond Fish!

Now, at least for me (check your thermometer) it’s time to make the transition to a regular Koi Food. In fact, I will start to feed both high protein and color enhancing feed, alternating weekly between the two.

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, lets wrap it up… check your water temp & when your above 60 degrees for several days in a row and climbing, you can transition to warm season Koi Food. That’s the “Rule of 60”…

Viva La’ Spring!

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 | Spring Pond Tips | Carters Nursery Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN

Spring is no longer a rumor… It is HERE! People are calling in a frenzy to get their names on our maintenance list to insure they get their Ponds Serviced for the season! Its always exciting moving in to Spring Pond Season! Getting ready for another great year with our Koi Ponds and Water Gardens ❤️ Guess what? A proper Spring Pond Cleaning is the key to success!

If you want clean, clear water and healthy Koi, a good Spring Cleaning is of utmost importance!

We clean a LOT of Water Features for our Clients. But, many do their own clean out. So for the all the DIY’s out there, here’s a great little checklist to help you prepare for your clean-out. Experience has taught me that ALL projects benefit from advanced planning! Having all the necessary supplies on hand before you get started always makes it go faster and easier.

Come by the Pond Shack for all your Pond Supplies.

Planning ahead a little just means you can spend less time working on your pond and more time ENJOYING it!

Here’s a list of supplies you will need! 👇🏻

1. Fish Nets – Before you drain your pond for the spring clean-out, you’ll need to catch and relocate your fish. Purchasing a good quality net means doing this without injuring your fish during the catch and release.

2. Planting Pots – Spring clean-out is a great time to thin and divide plants that have grown out of bounds or crowded a pot. Make sure you have some aquatic plant pots & aquatic plant soil handy so you can re-pot and share your new plants with other water gardeners.

3. Extra Gravel – After the freeze and thaw of winter, you’ll inevitably find rocks and gravel that have shifted, exposing bare liner. With an extra bag or two of gravel, you can cover exposed liner in a jiffy.

4. Aquatic Plant Fertilizer – Take advantage of the water-free accessibility of water lilies, lotus, and other plants that may need to be fertilized, by having a container of aquatic plant fertilizer tabs on hand when you’re doing your pond clean-out.

5. Container for Plant Debris – Grab an old plastic plant pot or bucket so you can easily dispose of any debris that you gather from the pond bottom or from dead plant matter.

6. Rubber Gloves and Boots – Spring clean-outs can be cold, wet, and messy. Arming yourself with boots and gloves will go a long way toward making this chore much less unpleasant.

7. Fish Container – A large tub or tank will be needed so you can have a roomy place to keep your fish during the clean-out. Use water from the pond to fill the tank and use a small fountain pump to re-circulate the water.

8. Net to Cover the Fish Container – Fish, especially large Koi, jump, and they may very well jump right out of the container that you have set up for them. Be sure to cover it with a net that is pulled tight across the container to prevent them from jumping.

9. Pump and Discharge Pipe – To drain the water out of the pond, you will need a pump and some discharge pipe. It’s OK to use your pond pump, but even better if you have an extra pump to lessen the wear and tare on your pond pump. About 2,000 GPH, depending on the size of your pond, will do the trick.

10. High Pressure Nozzle – Use a pressure nozzle on your garden hose to dislodge debris and algae from the rocks.

11. Pond Detox – Always detox the newly filled pond before you put the fish back in.

12. Expanding Foam – Expanding foam may need a bit of a touch up in some areas. Be prepared with a can of it just in case.

13. New Filter Mats – Filter mats should be replaced approximately every 3 years. If you think it might be time, be prepared by purchasing replacements prior to your clean-out.

14. Pruners – Part of a spring clean-out is pruning back dead plant material from the previous season. Make sure you have a good pair of pruners and/or scissors to get the job done.

15. Plastic Rake – You can rake the leaves right out of your pond with a small plastic (child’s) rake. The plastic lessens the chance of damaging the liner and the small size makes it easier to maneuver in tight spots than an adult size rake.

Always, always, always detoxify your pond after a clean-out! We carry this product in stock at the Pond Shack at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio. Get a bottle BEFORE your cleanout

After the Water Feature is thoroughly cleaned, re-filled, detoxed and running, carefully place the fish back in the pond & start adding fresh Cold Temperature Bacteria to the Pond to get the system up and running correctly.

After a clean-out , we recommend you start adding Beneficial Cold Water Bacteria right away. Add by label instructions and after you have used the full bottle of Cold Water Formula, it will probably be time to switch over to regular Beneficial Bacteria. Get all your Water Feature Treatments at Carters Nursery Pond & Patio.

With a little work you too will be ready for a Great outdoor season.

Its Springtime Baby! 🌼

Happy Pond Tip Tuesday!

Have a great 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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