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The Des Moines area group met on Tuesday, June 17 starting at the Selin's home in Indianola. There were about 15 or so members and guests present and we all had a great time viewing the Selin's ponds. They have spent countless hours landscaping and developing their whole yard into different theme areas with big and little ponds in various places. It is truly a beautiful spot in which to relax in either the little alcove by the Japanese garden or the swing that goes over the stream! (But it doesn't sound like they have much time to relax as they stated they love working in their yard every night!)
After we finished at the Selin's, the group went down the street to the home of Dan and Kathy Ripperger to see their pond and hosta garden. The Ripperger's raise hostas of many varieties for sale and also have some imported koi to sell. It was fun to see the different hostas as well as their pond and some members were able to purchase plants for their own gardens at very reasonable prices. Thank you to both families for sharing your ponds and gardens with the group.
The next meeting will be held at the home of Jim and Sue Kline at 7 PM on July 22 (note back to our regular meeting night). We will again have an opportunity to view a pond and gain more ideas for our own ponds! Directions to the Kline's are as follows: take highway 141 to Granger, turn into town at the Casey store and go to the second stop sign (four-way stop). Turn left one block, right two blocks, around the corner and the Kline's are the 4th house (blue) on the left. (If someone would be kind enough to volunteer to bring treats to the meeting, please contact Carol Culmer at 277-0509.)
The Top of Iowa Water Garden Club met at the home of Roger & Linda Beier at 19786A 280th Street, Mason City IA. 22 members and guests were present. After everyone had a chance to view their beautiful yard and pond, Ed Schroeder called the meeting to order. In the secretary's absence, Ed read the previous minutes. With a slight correction in the treasurer's report, the minutes were approved. The treasurer reported a previous balance of $397.00, $65 in dues not yet deposited with $28 in fees due to CIWGA, leaving a balance of $434.00.
Old Business - Ed reminded everyone that yearly dues are now payable and that Pat Dall- Winther had the new cards to hand out. Thank you Kathy Schroeder for once again printing our membership cards.
New Business - Pat Dall-Winther shared some upcoming events that might be of interest. A Tour of Ponds will begin at 10:00 a.m. (rain or shine) on Saturday, June 21st in St. Ansgar, Iowa, as part of their Sesquicentennial Events. Tickets are $5 per person. The Iowa State Extension pamphlet lists a Backyard Ponds event on August 28th, at 7:00 p.m. A $3 pre-registration is required with the location to be announced.
Guests were polled to see if their attendance was due to the distribution of the brochures in Mason City. No one had seen a brochure, but responded either to a personal invitation or the meeting notice in the newspaper. A few more brochures were taken for distribution.
Ed shared pictures of Lizzy 2 enjoying his pond this past month. He also shared a story to remind everyone to consider the water temperature when moving a lily from warmer water to a cooler pond. If the water is too cold, the plant may go dormant.
In lieu of a program, Roger shared some experiences while planning, constructing and maintaining his pond. His 6,000-gallon pond is 4¾' deep which works well for over- wintering both fish and plants. He placed a burm beneath the bridge which aids in cleaning, allowing him to place the fish in one side while completely emptying the other side. He mentioned some items that he wished he had done differently, such as wider and more level shelves. He utilized limestone from abandoned barns not only for the waterfall and edging, but also constructed some benches surrounding the pond for relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Roger came up with a very clever idea to camouflage his electrical source by hollowing out a tree log to place over the outlet. He also stated that he spent more money on chemicals during the first year than what he spent for an ultra-violet filter the second year. The chemicals were not at all effective while he has been very pleased with his filter. He encouraged people that algae blooms will happen, but to be patient as they will go away.
A drawing was held for a very nice door prize donated by Kathy's Krafts (Kathy Schroeder) and Glennis Lee was the lucky winner of a garden welcome stone. Glennis then drew Nels Dall-Winther for providing Lizzy a new home this next month. Nels didn't start out very well as he left Lizzy at the Beier residence when the group traveled to Dennis & Jodi Lewerke's residence at 1446 N Carolina Ave in Mason City.
The Lewerke's pond is located behind their home along the Winnebego River. Dennis just completed the construction of an awesome cedar pagoda, which provides ample shade for his 1,700-gallon pond and is home to about 80 fish, the newest being a GIANT Koi he recently received as a Father's Day gift. Dennis shared that his pond actually has a beautiful tile bottom, which he soon realized that he needed to cover with rock. His crystal clear water is maintained with filters impregnated with barley straw and is also kept at a constant level with the aid of something that is more complicated than this writer's mind could remember. Please contact Dennis as he will certainly share his ponding experiences.
At the close of our meeting, Ed thanked the Beier's and Lewerke's for sharing their ponds and Rose Kruger for providing treats. Rose, your cookies decorated with edible flowers were fantastic! The next meeting will be at the Fitz-Reading Gardens located at 14 6th Street SE, Rockford, IA. Stan's garden is visited by thousands of guests each summer, so don't miss this!
Submitted by an anonymous member who is mechanically challenged, and therefore apologizes for any information that may have been reported incorrectly.
For more information or to obtain a brochure, call or email Ed Schroeder at 641-923-3512 or krafty@ncn.net.