Early Spring

This spring Put's Ponds was honored to be asked to create a display at Bordine Nursery in Rochester, MI. Bordines share the talents of local contractors with the public in what they call their Spring Garden Expo. I had the pleasure of working with Miller Landscapes, Inc from Orion, MI to create the display for this years expo. After the show Put's Ponds was named the Preferred Water Feature Installer for Bordine's Rochester location. As you may know, Bordines is the largest family owned production and retail nursery in Michigan and we are proud to aquire the status of their Preferred Installer.

Here are a few pictures from the event. We set up in just a few days, then Bordines waived their wand overnight and poof plants appeared and our water feature came to life. It was a three day event then on Monday morning it all had to come down.

Long time over due posting

I know its been since January since my last post and there is no excuse. I will try and get updated with all that has been happening with Put's Ponds and Gardens in the next few weeks. Then get on a weekly schedule with updates.

Earlier in the summer my oldest son Zach came to work with me and jumped right into it. Here are a few pics of Zach and his first spring clean-out.

"This should be on TVs Dirty Jobs" he said when cleaning out a pond that hasn't had a clean-out in 4 years.

Now you know why dad comes home smelling the way he does Zach.

Zach was a big helper this summer and he even earned a few bucks along the way. I probably owe him some money. Sorry Zach and I hope that we can work again next summer.

Considering adding a pond to your landscape?

So you’re thinking about getting a water feature? Congratulations! Pond ownership is an exciting hobby that provides relaxation and family fun on many levels. By building your pond following a few simple tips, you can spend time enjoying the quality of life that a water feature can provide. It’s not just a hobby; it’s a lifestyle.
So what kind of time and maintenance commitment can you expect when you install a pond in your yard? What is required of you to keep it looking as good as, if not better than, the day it was put in? We’re not claiming that a water feature is maintenance-free, but if you get yourself an all-natural, eco-friendly kind of water feature, it will be low-maintenance.The style and size of pond you build, as well as the season, will determine the amount of maintenance required. For example, with an ecosystem pond, complete with a biological and skimmer filtration system, you can expect a few regular but quick maintenance duties. Adding bacteria during the spring, removing yellowing water lilies leaves and spent flowers, in the summer, and emptying your debris net if you’re near trees in the fall are all chores that need to be done, but only take minutes. How often these are required, depend on your pond.
In colder climates, you’ll need clean up debris from your pond, so it is properly prepared for the winter. A spring clean-out will get your pond up and running in our area. After around three years, you’ll only need to keep an eye on the pond and perform a spring clean-out every couple of years. If the pond is large enough it becomes its own naturally balanced ecosystem and takes care of itself.
All in all, pond maintenance amounts to less than most landscaped perennial borders. And if you enjoy gardening, you likely won’t see these items as chores, but rather as another enjoyable element in pond ownership.
You may have also heard about predators. The great blue heron can be a real pest around your pond, trying to catch and eat your fish, but a motion-activated sprinkler usually does the trick in scaring them off. In addition, creating places for your fish to hide when you build the pond also helps. Some raccoons may pay a visit to you water feature, and while they are generally too lazy to go to the trouble of diving in the water to catch fish, sometimes they do. If you experience a lot of raccoons, a fine mesh netting might be your answer.
The enjoyment far outweighs any little jobs you have to do around the water garden and you’ll soon find that days and nights by your water garden will begin to make their way into your memories, your family scrapbooks, and your heart! You’ve surely heard about all the nightmares associated with keeping your pond clean, but if you work with Mother Nature and not against her, we think you’ll find the results quite amazing.

The Wonders of Winter

Winter time is one of my favorite times of all. I can't stand being cooped up inside waiting for the warmth of the sun to thaw out the pond to get it up and running again. It has been cold here the past month and we even had a 8-10" snow storm over a week ago, but most of that is gone now and parts of the lawn are peaking through their white blanket.

My kids share my love for winter and all that it brings. We love to go sledding, ice skating and making snow forts. My wife Lynn, not so much, she hates the cold weather. Although she does enjoy a family outing to the local sledding hill, as long as there is a thermos of hot coco to warm her up. This year my oldest son Zach and I will venture out to do some ice fishing. I used to do quite a lot of fishing in the winter, growing up in St. Clair Shores and living so close to the water when I was young.

The other day my daughter and I were out late at night in our hot tub and it was around 22 degrees out when she jumped out of the tub and made a snow angel, while still in her bathing suit, within an hour or so the snow had begun falling and by morning it was covered.

Halloween is always fun for our family

This year my daughter Gabby helped me carve some pumpkins for the Boyle residence. She had a blast doing it.

Our youngest son Connor got into the spirit by dressing up for his first year.

Gabby dressed up as Tinker Bell. Isn't she just the cutest??

Everyone had a blast carving out the pumpkins. Zach was having too much fun.

I think his costume for this year says it all.

But honestly he is a great kid.

I even carved out a pumpkin, Like it? I call it "Pumpkin

Puke".

Autumn is the Best Time to Enjoy Your Pond

Warm colors and cool nights make fall

a great time to enjoy your water garden.

If you thought your pond was most beautiful in the summer, you may change your mind once fall hits. After all things are starting to cool down enough to sit outside next to your pond and enjoy it instaed of hiding from the blazing sun. The added colors from changing leaves that are in and around your pond. There's nothing like fall, fall certainly is a time to take a deep breath and enjoy all that nature has to offer, before Ole' Man Winter comes.

Another season has come and gone and fall is just upon us. I am pleased to say that this has been a wonderful summer for me and my family. I have been able to spend more time with them and that is time that we all can never get back once it is gone.

Check out my Slide Show!