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I first want to remind everyone about the Water Garden Symposium on March 14. It is the most exciting event that we have ever planned for water gardeners. The presenters and the presentations are the best that the industry has to offer. Reiman Gardens will have to limit the number of people that can attend due to seating capacities of the Hughes Auditorium. Landscapers and gardeners that are attending the Shade Tree Short Course are getting the information in the mail about the same time that you are receiving this newsletter. In other words do not delay in signing up. Contact Reiman Gardens to register - remember that CIWGA members are getting a substantial discount off the registration fee. For more information, please refer to our last newsletter.
This month and this year marks our 4 year anniversary. When looking over the membership list is it interesting to see the large number of charter members that have been with the organization since the beginning. Congratulations to those members as well as to the members that have joined since. To be a member and especially, to be a charter member, of any successful organization is something to be really proud of.
What is the value of a membership in CIWGA? Well, let me point it out to everyone even though some of these may be obvious.
Monthly presentations with an expert explaining, in laymen's terms, the way to build a pond or water garden. Or, maybe the subject is how to open or close a pond. Lighting for your water garden, or an expert on Japanese Gardens may speak. Koi or other kinds of fish may be the subject of the month. New products to enhance the beauty of your pond or water garden are introduced. The subject matter is varied. Meetings are free to members and guests are also welcome. Refreshments, contributed by volunteers, are served at each meeting.
Perhaps the most important aspect of being a member is knowing that if anything new that will be of help to water gardeners, comes along - you will be the first to know what it is. This has happened on several occasions already and you were the first to know.
Of course, your 10 percent discount at area retailers. This in itself is worth the cost of the membership. I cannot figure out why anyone would let their membership lapse just because of this.
Another benefit of membership that I want to highlight is knowing that you support the hobby of water gardening. To this I say Thank You. Then there are there are those retailers that offers us discounts. These businesses really support our hobby and are not "just-in-it-for- the-money". I know that our membership really do benefit from having a source of quality merchandise, fish and plants. There is no way that I do business with any that are not supporters of CIWGA.
Of course, our newsletter is also a conduit for information about the hobby of water gardening. We are committed on providing a quality newsletter with quality information.
What else can I say? Everybody that has a water garden or water feature should be member - hands down!!
Our program for this month is Rob Pritchard and Weston Wunder of Liquid Landscape Designers. They are going to be going over on how to install a type of water feature called a "Pondless Waterfall". It is the only type of water feature that is absolutely safe for children but yet you still have the great sound of water. It is the "rage" right now. This type of feature has been around awhile but has not been marketed very well. They will be combining this talk with a way to install a wetland in your landscape. There are some similarities between the two. You will need to come to figure out how.
Rob and Weston are without a doubt a couple of the best installers in Iowa. You will be hearing a how to session from the best. There is little more that I can say other than, that I have recommended them many times and each job that they do is very good quality. It will be a great presentation.
The program and meeting is on Monday, January 10, 2005 at Reiman Gardens. It will be in the Hughes Auditorium and start at 7:00 PM sharp and will be over at 9:00 PM. Rob and Weston are only an example of the quality of experts that we provide our membership.
Hope to see everyone there. I might mention that we will have registration forms for the Water Garden Symposium at the meeting.
The Big Toad, Jamie