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This last month all three chapters of our very diverse organization have received my full-blown presentation on getting our ponds ready for winter. It sure was great to get to all the chapters and I hope to do this again within the next year. During these presentations I hope that everybody learns a lot, of course, but what I want everybody to know, is that I learn also. We usually have a good dialogue during these talks so that you can benefit from my knowledge but I can also benefit from your knowledge and experiences. I have always said that I learn as much as you guys whenever I do these presentations. I then distill everything in this pea brain of mine and spit it back out in future talks. Thank you for the great attendance and discussions.
I've got some great news and then I also have some greater news!! Our Central Iowa Tour of Water Gardens is already being planned. This is a big change from previous years' tours. I was the one organizing things before and it seemed like I never could get going on it until the last minute. It always turned out great until this year and, when I had to get things done -- I got sick. Uh Oh, I had to drop the ball but a bunch of key volunteers came forward and put a great tour together. One of those being Greg Knop. Now, we have a new leader at the helm of the tour -- Greg. Greg, and his wife Carolyn, are our membership chairs and have decided to take on more of a leadership role this year with the tour. Thank you Greg!!
The tour this year is scheduled the third weekend in July -- those dates are July 17th and 18th. Mark your calendars and let everybody know we have this weekend locked in and let's plan for one of the biggest and best tours ever. On Saturday, we will be touring in the Ames area and South -- which will include the Huxley area. We may include some gardens from the Nevada area. Then on Sunday we will be checking out the water gardens in the Des Moines, Indianola and Norwalk areas.
If you know of nice garden that we must see, please get a hold of Greg or me and we will make sure to try and include it. It really does not have to have a large elaborate water garden to qualify -- it just needs to be a nice garden that people will want to see. Of course, it is important that it does have a water feature of some sort.
Okay, that was the great news -- now for the even greater news!! I have arranged some very interesting and very diverse programs for the year. To lead off for this October, Jackie Allsup, the former President of the Eastern Iowa Pond Society and currently the Secretary, is going to present to us on Pond Filtration. She will cover all types of filters -- this includes biological, mechanical, UV, and veggie filters. Most of you will remember Jackie and the excellent presentation that she and Chris Wendell did on equipment that you can make which makes ponding a lot easier; one of our more popular presentations. Believe me you will not want to miss this one. She has a great personality and is very knowledgeable. It shows in her presentations!!
The meeting will start at 7:00PM sharp on October 13 at the Alliant facility. Bring your friends and anybody interested. It is very important for everybody to know that you don't have to be a member to come to our meetings. However, to benefit from the discounts at the retailers who have signed on our Fountain of Supporters, you will have to be a member. There is always a catch -- isn't there??!!
I have been working on some guest presenters that are know nationally for their expertise on water gardening. I do have such a person lined up already. His name is Don Bryne from Florida who has traveled extensively in the Amazon region of South America searching for the Victoria water lily. He has routinely lead groups down there and has come back with lots of pictures, stories and plant material. Don is very active in the International Water Lily and Water Gardening Society and this is where I met him several years ago in Denver. A very dynamic individual, he will hold you to your chair with his experiences. It looked like Don could have come in October of this year but for a variety of reasons had to hold off on coming to Iowa. He has committed to coming this coming spring. We have to nail down a date yet. I will keep you posted with plenty of advance notice. This guy and his wife, Shirley, are people that you want to meet and listen to.
I also want to let everybody know that I am working on another program of this caliber to happen within the next few months. Jackie Allsup and I have been scheming and we have some exciting individuals to invite. So.... stay tuned. I hope to see everybody on the 13th.
The Big Toad, Jamie