We love being a part of such a wonderful local movement LocalShops1.com. Where else can you meet such fantastic local business owners like Jim Shatz,owner of SPRides? Jim wanted to help promote fellow local businesses and decided to give away 10 ad spaces. You can see our ad as well as 9 other local business ads on the tablets aboard his
Read more... →Posts Tagged backyard getaway
Every pond owner has faced the dreaded algae bloom at one time or another while caring for his or her pond. There are several types of algae, the most common being Planktonic (green water) algae, filamentous algae and string or hair algae. Keep in mind that not all algae are bad, and some algae in your pond actually is beneficial, not only for the health of your pond,
Read more... →
Choosing only three Koi varieties for the last in our series on Koi proved to be a bit difficult. After all, there are hundreds to choose from. Here are three classes that include many sub varieties. Koromo Koromo, which means “robed” in Japanese, is a group of fish that originated in the early 1950s from a cross breeding of male
Read more... →
In the last blog post we discussed the most popular and readily available “big three” Koi varieties the Kohaku, Sanke and Showa. This time I would like to introduce you to three of my favorite varieties, The Shiro Utsuri, Shusui and Doitsu. Each of these Koi varieties has characteristics that are quite different from each other which make them stand
Read more... →
Check out our latest school project! Building Bridges With Schools and Community The project was created through a national grant from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Sarasota was selected to be one of 7 cities nationwide to participate in MetLife’s grant. We are honored to be working through the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center along side
Read more... →
There is nothing more peaceful than watching beautiful Koi, the living jewels of the pond, gracefully swimming through the water. It is hard to believe that the Koi of today all started hundreds of years ago in Japan from the common black carp (Cyprinus carpio). Through years of breeding, there are now hundreds of classes, varieties & sub-varieties of Koi.
Read more... →
You may or may not know that I am a contributing writer for the best local pet publication, Sarasota Pet Magazine. Candice Botha, the owner of Sarasota Pet is very involved with the rescue communities and is always coming up with great ideas to help raise funds for our local rescues. You can help a local rescue group like our
Read more... →
Our fall pond checklist includes some helpful tips to get your pond and Koi ready for cooler weather. Switch from a high protein food to a lower protein food & feed less often. Add additional submerged plants to give the fish a place to graze naturally. Add some cool weather plants to replace the more cold sensitive plants. Keep your
Read more... →
Each morning, as I go out to feed the animals, I have the pleasure of watching beautiful swarms of dragonflies playing in the yard. From a distance, you see them buzzing around quickly darting back and forth as if they are playing a game of tag, their wings shimmering in the sunlight. It is such a beautiful and peaceful way
Read more... →
Some time ago, I shared a few interesting items for your garden, manufactured from recycled materials. Purchasing the items made from recycled material is a great way to recycle, but there is an easy way for you to become sustainable without going out and spending money. Personally, I like the idea of doing more in the way of recycling,
Read more... →