Author Archive
How To Divide (and Conquer) Your Water Lilies
All hardy lilies should be up and growing now, and even in colder areas, your lilies should be emerging from their dormant state because spring days have more light for a longer periods of time than in winter. According to David Trinklein, University of Missouri: “Water lilies need abundant sunlight to perform well. Therefore, water gardens should be located where they will receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight every day. Although water lilies will survive in less light, their flowering will be diminished. As a general rule, the more sunshine the better for water lilies.
Additionally, water lilies grow best in tranquil water warmed by the sun. Larger pools with features such as fountains or water falls that create turbulent water reduce water lily performance. Pools that might be replenished frequently with cool water are equally unsatisfactory” (Trinklein, 2017).
If your lilies have small leaves, do not appear to be thriving, and are not blooming, you should take them out of your pond to review their condition. While it is preferable to manage your lilies as they become active in the spring, you may need to take the following steps in order to ensure that your lilies thrive and are producing beautiful blossoms throughout the summer months.
For example, does your lily resemble the one in this photo?
If so, we hope this article will help you keep your lily happy and blooming! A frequent complaint from our customers is that their lilies are not doing well or are not blooming and they don’t know why. If you look closely at this photo, you will see that this lily has become pot-bound and has no room to grow except on the many points of growth on the woody branches. This photo indicates that this lily has not been maintained for a number of years, having been likely left in its original one gallon pot for a long time. It has not been divided and repotted, stunting its growth and development as represented by the production of small leaves and no blooms.
In order to properly divide and repot your lily, you can use the tools and fertilizer, identified in the following photo:
The hatchet is useful to cut away dead roots and old stems, and the smaller, root cutter tool can be used to carve out the most viable lily growing points for repotting. Once you have selected some of the best growing points, you can arrange them in the center of a one gallon pot, placing 1-2 tabs of fertilizer (such as the pictured Pondtabbs brand) in the pot before surrounding your growing points with baseball diamond soil or any other clay-based soil available to you. Lastly, you can place rinsed pea gravel on the top of your divided and repotted lily so that the soil will not float away when you slowly lower the pot back into your pond.
By completing these steps annually, you ensure a beautiful and healthy lily that will thrive and give you lovely blooms throughout future summers. The following photo shows the divided, fertilized, and repotted overgrown lily presented earlier in this article.
If you are not inclined to perform your own lily divides, then we can help you with that task. Just give us a call before you bring your lily or lilies to the nursery so we can properly accommodate your needs. You may bring your lily or lilies to the nursery where, for a small fee, we’ll divide, repot them to the same pot, and give them fertilizer to jumpstart them so you can enjoy their lovely blooms this summer.
References
Trinklein, David. (2017, May). “Water lilies: Easier than you think”. Accessed on June 6, 2019 from https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2017/5/Water_Lilies/.
Custom Floating Holiday Arrangements
We at Golden Pond would like to thank all of you for yet another inspiring growing season! We had a great time meeting our newest clients, welcoming back our loyal and long-time customers, as well as being awarded the “Landscapers’ Challenge Award” at the Auburn Home and Garden Show Spring 2016, and lastly, being a featured nursery in the September 2016 edition of The Sacramento Magazine.
Your inspiration has challenged our creativity, and as a result, we came up with two new ideas for this holiday season:
- Custom Floating Holiday Arrangements
- Custom Holiday Floral Arrangements
Custom Floating Holiday Arrangements
A must for that holiday shopper who is looking for a special and unique gift for friends and family! Not only are these arrangements gorgeous, their beauty is long lasting, adding color and cheer wherever displayed – in your home, office, and backyard pond. These arrangements are approximately 18” by 18” and may be displayed in any water holding tray or container you choose, as well as adorning and “ringing in the holidays” while floating in your backyard pond or water feature or outdoor container. Best of all, these arrangements have multi-use capabilities; and, can be brought back to Golden Pond during our open season (April through September 2017) for replanting and refurbishing (for a small fee) to become a permanent floating island for your pond or water feature.
The Custom Floating Holiday Arrangement is only $25 and you can reserve your arrangement by completing the contact form on our website. To have it available for Hanukah and Christmas holidays, please make your reservation on or before December 21st. We will call you and arrange payment. Local delivery within a 15 mile radius of the nursery is available and included in the price. If you live beyond this radius, we will arrange pick up dates and times with you.
Custom Holiday Floral Arrangements
Golden Pond Custom Holiday Floral Arrangements are like no others you could find in a retail setting. Each arrangement is thoughtfully designed and creatively produced to deliver one of the most beautiful and attractive centerpieces for your holiday entertaining. Seasonal greens, festive flowers, and holiday accents adorn each arrangement, sized at 18” long and 10” wide.
The Custom Holiday Floral Arrangement is only $30 and you can reserve your arrangement by completing the contact form on our website. To have it available for Hanukah and Christmas holidays, please make your reservation on or before December 21st. We will call you and arrange payment. Local delivery within a 15 mile radius of the nursery is available and included in the price. If you live beyond this radius, we will arrange pick up dates and times with you.
Here’s wishing you happy holidays and cheer! Looking forward to seeing all of you in Spring 2017!
An Outhouse Like No Other…
Our clients often travel many miles, and some for many hours, to visit our specialty nursery. Soon after their arrival, many of these same clients need to use a restroom to freshen up. For years, this need went more or less unnoticed by all of us at Golden Pond Aquatic Nursery in Loomis, CA. For fifteen years we had a rustic little outhouse that was erected for use as a toilet for both workers and our customers alike. It was big on history and no so big on comfort or style. It served a valuable purpose until it literally collapsed last winter due to old age and the elements.
When clients were being sent down the road to the nearest restroom, we knew we needed to put another bathroom up fast. We didn’t want the same style of shanty and really wanted something special this time, something that reflected our vision and us. A wonderful place a guest could relax in, that was comfortable, with fresh air and connected with the nursery by plants, water and architecture. We wanted a bathroom that actually invited folks to linger and even encourage them to stop by the nursery to visit, shop and to use the new facilities.
From the drawing board to completion, we spent almost 3 months constructing this new bathroom. It is 16ft x 20ft and made of mostly cedar and redwood, new and reclaimed, and a variety of river cobbles and stone. The central feature within is a grand open air wooden structure that is enhanced by several key design elements, either incorporated or created from scratch, including; a lush fifty foot tall redwood tree, a custom water feature spreading water down both sides of a galvanized roof onto polished stones adjacent to both sides of the toilet seating area and a corner water feature containing numerous visually appealing aquatic plants. Our bathroom is cooling, soothing and makes a lovely rainfall sound that is not too loud, but is just right to encourage the occupant to relax and to become immersed in the experience.
We set out to create something truly unique, a special retreat that a patron may only visit for a few minutes, but that will leave them with a lasting impression of a place where, when nature calls, they smile and will answer gladly.
Have You Seen Our New Greenhouse?
We have a new, top of the line, 24ft x 36ft triple door greenhouse.
Our new greenhouse will be a place to showcase a variety of pond plants, our seasonal special offerings throughout the year and to hold classes and workshops. A custom built inside with a living roof above and a custom koi pond below that will both be connected via a closed nutrient recirculating system.
If you haven’t been by the nursery yet this year, please come on by and see all the new changes we made over the winter. The greenhouse is one of many, but it is one you can’t miss when you come by and we are excited to share it with you.
Pug Pen
We have two new additions to the nursery staff. Come visit and enjoy their explorations with us!
