Essential Equipment for Proper Water Gardens

Transcription

1 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. LOUIS WATER GARDENING SOCIETY June 2014 Essential Equipment for Proper Water Gardens I Don t Miss This! t s not the pretty part of your water garden, but it is essential to keeping it pretty a pump that circulates the water, adds oxygen to it, and gives us the lovely sound of water spilling over rocks. Choosing the right one and understanding how it works is very important, and no one understands pump technology any better than Jon Lottes, owner and chief executive officer of Anjon Manufacturing. Lottes earned a bachelors degree in finance and marketing from the University of Missouri while working in his family s wholesale Jon Lottes building supplies business in Cape Girardeau, Mo. In 1996, he started a new division of the company that focused on water gardening and discovered that he had a passion for water features. He took the new division to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in O Fallon, Mo., that offered efficient distribution of products to an expanding water garden community. First distributing products from other manufacturers, Lottes also began to manufacture his own Anjon Exclusive lines. In 2007, he became the sole owner of Anjon Manufacturing. Understanding that the key to success in any endeavor is knowledge, Lottes has taught classes on pond construction, profitability and product innovation, primarily for his wholesale customers. He says his company still operates with a family mentality as it grows to meet customer needs. Don t miss this opportunity to hear about the latest innovations in pump technology directly from a manufacturer. What: Pump Technology Where: Missouri Botanical Garden, Beaumont Room When: Tuesday, June 17 the THIRD Tuesday of June, at 7 p.m. Who: Jon Lottes, Anjon Manufacturing, O Fallon, Mo. Last Chance for Members to Pick Up Pond-O-Rama Tickets St. Louis Water Gardening Society members will have one final chance to get their tickets for the 2014 tour at no charge. Tickets will be available at the June 17 general meeting. All member households are entitled to two free ticket booklets as a benefit of membership. Members who cannot come to a meeting to get their tickets may request that they be mailed, but they must pay a postage and handling fee of $2 for each book. No tickets will be mailed after June 17 since the tour begins on Saturday, June 21 and continues on Sunday, June 22. Members free tickets cannot be picked up at retail locations that are selling tour tickets. The tour includes 47 locations spread across two days. Water Word, June

2 Kurt and Debbie Bokamper, left, donated a week s stay at their Colorado condo for a raffle prize. It was won by Marty and Bert Brady, right. Koi Auction Deemed Successful Organizers of the fourth annual St. Louis Water Gardening Society koi auction have declared the event successful. Rick Jokerst said the weather was great, attendance good and bidding brisk. Proceeds are still being tallied, but Jokerst said preliminary numbers put total income for the day at about $8,800, including sales of fish, fish food, water lilies and raffle tickets. Costs for the sale are still being determined. Up for auction, in addition to the imported toasi (fish in their first year) were a number of imported koi from previous auctions that had been grown out by Jokerst. The top price paid for a tosai in the auction was $750, and the best bid on a grown-out fish was $770. The lowest bid on a tosai was $35 and the lowest on a grown-out fish was $130. Jokerst said willing volunteers working on the event contributed most to its success. A big thank you to the members who were able to assist with the auction and all the members who attended and supported this event. It takes everyone to make it successful and our club did just that once again. For those that were unable to attend, we hope we see you next year. For those that were bidding but didn't get the fish you Gerry Hoormann, left, won the butterfly koi raffle while Tom and Betsy Meier, right, won the tosai raffle. Continued on page 9 SLWGS Board members and volunteers kept busy with tasks at the auction. Pam Jokerst and Gail Abernathy, above left, sold raffle tickets, handed out door prize tickets and signed up new members. Above center, Ginny Mueller, Pond-O-Rama chairman, promoted the upcoming tour and Rita Zeitz, treasurer, signed up bidders, tracked sales and collected checks. For many in attendance on a hot afternoon, a seat in the shade was a prize in itself, right. 2 Water Word, June 2014

3 Presidential Ponderings Our speaker for May was Jeff Dawson who shared his favorite topic the life and times of turtles. Although I did not make the meeting to hear his presentation, I heard from many of you who said that you enjoyed the topic quite a lot. Since I had a personal interest in finding out more about the turtles living in my yard, I was sorry to miss it, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Finding topics and more importantly speakers to cover a topic is one of the tasks that the president of this Society must achieve. I m very pleased about the positive feedback I have received so far this year. As always, if a topic is of interest to you or if you heard through the grapevine that a particular speaker was good, please do pass that information along to a member of the Board of Directors. Getting a jump on next year s lineup is always a good idea. Since the May meeting we have added a red-eared slider turtle to our pond. We found this tot at Chalily in one of the displays and thought it would add some fun to our already turtle populated paradise. Many of you know that I missed the May meeting because of the passing of my older brother, Robert. I do appreciate the notes and cards we have received and all the kind words that have been shared. My brother was just 46, and he left behind two teenage children whose mother, unfortunately, died 14 years ago in an auto accident. My nephew, Alex, is coming to stay with us, and will be joining us at Chalily for the summer. He would like to return to his home in Southern Illinois when school resumes in the fall to finish his senior year in high school as class president. His sister, my niece, Victoria, will be starting college in the fall. Please keep these kids in your thoughts. Our speaker for June is Jon Lottes. I think we are in for a real treat as Jon really knows the pond business. He will be focusing on the pump aspect in a manner that I know will be very beneficial for us. Technology is changing everything, even our pond pumps. Yep you guessed it. You can now control the flow of your waterfall from your smart phone! In favor of full disclosure, I need to let you know I worked for Jon for about five years. He and I traveled the world together talking ponds and pumps for hours on end. I am very grateful to have learned so much from him and I am excited to have booked him for our group. It s nice to have gone from an employee to calling Jon and his family friends. We still travel together at least once a year, but now it s just for fun. This past winter we hit the ski slopes together with our families and never once did we talk about pond pumps! I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say. Thank you for allowing me to serve. Joe Summers Water Word, June

4 St. Louis Water Gardening Society Calendar of Events S. Old Highway 94 St. Charles, MO (636) (800) HOURS: Seasonal OPEN 7 DAYS Looking for more information about pond building, plants or fish care? Visit our website, Check out our Articles of Interest section and Links We Like for help. Membership meetings in 2014 will be held on the dates and at the locations listed below between 7 and 9 p.m. Meetings will be held at the Missouri Botanical Garden Ridgway Center, Beaumont Room unless otherwise noted. June 17 Pump Technology by Jon Lottes of Anjon Manufacturing, O Fallon, MO. This is the THIRD TUESDAY of June. June th annual Pond-O-Rama pond and garden tour, open to the public. Members in good standing get two free tickets. July 1 Board of Directors Meeting, Young s Restaurant & Catering, 206 Meramec Station Road, Valley Park, MO 63088, 7 p.m. Open to all members. July Kansas City Bus Trip to visit Powell Gardens and Kauffman Memorial Garden. $100 per person. Mail your reservation checks to Pam Jokerst at 305 Wyndmoor Terrace Court, St. Louis, MO For more information, contact Jokerst at pamjokerst@gmail.com, (314) July 29 Growing Perfect Lotus, presented by Kelly Billings, Maryland Aquatic Nurseries, Inc. This is the LAST TUESDAY of July. August 26 Annual Awards Banquet at the Jewel Box in Forest Park with a program by Jason Delany, bulb collections specialist at Missouri Botanical Garden. This is the LAST TUESDAY of August. September 30 Uncommon Facts about Common Birds presented by Stan Tekiela, naturalist, wildlife photographer and writer. This is the LAST TUESDAY of September. October 28 Water Plants for 2015, by Brandon McLane, Florida Aquatic Nurseries. This is the LAST TUESDAY of October. November 18 Annual member potluck dinner and election of officers. This is the THIRD TUESDAY of November. 4 Water Word, June 2014

5 Did You Miss This? For the Love of Turtles Everybody knows a turtle when he sees one, said Jeff Dawson, but there may be a lot you don t know about them. For instance, did you know the threetoed box turtle is the official state reptile of Missouri? Dawson did he knows quite a lot about turtles and tortoises and loves to talk about them. He brought his considerable expertise to the May meeting of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society. What s the difference between a tortoise and a turtle? Several things distinguish them, said Dawson. A tortoise is a terrestrial animal. Some have a highdomed shell and large feet to support their weight. Neither turtles or tortoises have teeth, but the tortoise has a serrated beak to cut its favorite meal grass and other vegetation. The turtle is primarily an aquatic being although some also are terrestrial. Its shell is lower and its smaller feet have webbing to help it move through the water. Turtles will eat anything vegetation or fish! They are not especially good pond-mates, for fish, he said,. The turtle is a cold-blooded being that has to rely on external sources to heat it s body. If you see a turtle or a group of turtles on a log, they are Jeff Dawson, a a zoo keeper at the St. Louis Zoo Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium, brought his love of turtles and tortoises to the May meeting of the St. Louis Water Gardening Society. basking storing up heat to help them survive. Basking also helps dry algae that may be in the water and on the turtle. Once the turtle lays its eggs, it generally loses interest in them. There is little or no parental care of nests or babies, Dawson said. There is a high mortality rate of eggs and young turtles. That fact, however, is countered by the high survivorship rate of those that do reach adulthood. For example, box turtles that reach adulthood can live years. The giant tortoises generally outlive those who are trying to document their age. The best guess is that they can live to be 100, 175 maybe 200, he said. The sex of babies is determined differently in different species, he said. In some species, the sex is established at conception by chromosomes as in other animals. This is called Genotypic Sex Determination Ponds * Creeks * Waterfalls Natural Stone Walks Brick Paver Patios & Driveways Mark Couch frogman112211@hotmail 527 Crescent Drive Kirkwood, MO Two Ways to Get Water Word Your issue of Water Word will arrive in your mail box each month, prior to the monthly meeting, unless you prefer to have it delivered via . To sign up for delivery only, contact membership co-ordinator Gail Abernathy at abernat@swbell.net Continued on page 7 Water Word, June

6 JAEGER Greenhouses 2369 Creve Coeur Mill Road Maryland Heights, MO Master Grower Since 1985 Vigorous Annuals and Hanging Baskets Heirloom and Hybrid Vegetables Aquatics Premium Potting & Soil Amendments Monday-Saturday 9-6;Sunday 11-4 Need fish, fish food, pond equipment/supplies, landscapes and/or pond designs or plants? All that and more is available from our advertisers. Drop by or give them a call when you need help. Water Word is published by the St. Louis Water Gardening Society 10 times annually, and is distributed to all members. The newsletter contains information about water gardening and fish-keeping, as well as information about SLWGS meetings and activities. Contributions of articles and photos are welcome and should be sent to the Water Word editor listed below. Documents should be in common text formats, and photos should be in high resolution (300 dpi or higher) jpeg format. The deadline for submissions is the first of each month. SLWGS membership dues are $20 annually per household. Information about the Society, including how to join, can be found at our website, or from any of the officers, board members or coordinators listed below SLWGS Officers and Board Members President Joe Summers (636) chalilypond@aol.com Vice President Alice Gibson (618) alice1628@att.net Treasurer Rita Zeitz (314) ritazeitz@sbcglobal.net Recording Secretary Diane Heuvelman (314) dianeheuvelman@charter.net Publicity Chairman Virginia Mueller (314) vcmueller16@hotmail.com Special Events Chairman Pam Jokerst (314) pamjokerst@gmail.com Society Shirt Sales Chairman Ruth Mosley (314) rgbmosley@aol.com Librarian Katie Williams (314) beezey696@hotmail.com Membership/ Chairman Gail Abernathy (314) abernat@swbell.net Jewel Box Chairman Kay Miskell (618) km99@att.net Water Word Editor Alice Gibson (618) alice1628@att.net Website Chairman Mary Nies (636) marycnies@gmail.com AKCA Representative Steve Metzler (314) stevenmetzler@att.net Pond-O-Rama Chairman Virginia Mueller (314) vcmueller16@hotmail.com Parliamentarian Jeanne Lehr (314) jeannelehr@yahoo.com Historian Joe Summers (636) chalilypond@aol.com Hospitality Chairman Cindy Williams (636) happyclub@hotmail.com Past President David Stahre (618) dstahre@hotmail.com Members-at-Large Carolyn Haus (314) carolynhaus@sbcglobal.net John Nies (636) jtnies@gmail.com 6 Water Word, June 2014

7 For the Love of Turtles (continued from page 5) (GSD). In other species however, the sex of the offspring is determined by environmental conditions. In Environmental Sex Determination (ESD) the temperature determines the sext. At a very low temperature for hatching, 100% of babies will be male. Conversely at very high temperature, 100% will be female. For these species, the impact of global warming could be severe, Dawson said. The incubation period also is different for various species. For some, it may be as little as 90 days. For others it may be as long as a year, Dawson said. There are hundreds of different species, and many are endangered nine known species already have gone extinct, Dawson said. Species seen in Missouri and Illinois include the common Snapping Turtle, Alligator Snapping turtle, Mississippi Mud and the Eastern Mud Turtle. Dawson listed a number of concerns that threaten various turtle species, including climate change and the continuously rising temperatures that create concern. Other problems include: Disease: While turtles are generally resilient some have been recently exposed to diseases from former pets that have been released in the wild. If you have a pet turtle you no longer want, don t just release it, Try to find it a new home, Dawson said. Pollution: Plastic bottles and bags are a problem for sea turtles. Plastic bags floating in the water look like jelly fish to the turtles, and they try to consume them, he said. Predators: Racoons are very fond of turtle eggs. They have an uncanny ability to smell and find nests and eat the eggs. In some areas 90% of nests are destroyed by raccoons. Vehicles: Many turtles are crushed on roadways. You can help if you see a turtle on the road, he said. You can pick it up and set it safely across These 13 turtles on a log were not just being cute or photogenic they were performing the life-saving chore of basking, said Jeff Dawson. As cold-blooded animals, they must store up heat from external sources. the roadway. However, he said, it is very important to move them to the side of the road to which they were headed. They will have a specific reason for crossing the road, and if you put them back on the same side, they will just start again in the same direction. Dawson said he is a part of the Turtle Survival Alliance which partners with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on conservation issues. For more information about the Turtle Survival Alliance, visit Dawson also has advice for anyone who is considering keeping a turtle as a pet. Do some research first, he said. Find out about the kind of turtle you want to buy or attract to your pond or landscape. Make sure you can provide suitable holding enclosures, good basking spots for those living in the water, and appropriate diet and nutrition for both. If you want a turtle that lives indoors, provide ultraviolet light and a place for basking out of the water. Water Word, June

8 Ask Laura Lynne Photo Tips for the Artist in You Learn to Find and Enjoy the Contrasts in the World Hot and cold, smooth and rough, male and female, yin and yang, light and dark, soft and hard. Contrast is everywhere in our world and it creates both connections and clarity. Without contrast, everything would be bland, vanilla, neutral. When we experience contrast, we get to make a choice about which of those available we prefer. When presented with such choices, we naturally want to gravitate to that which feels familiar and comfortable to us. Which kinds of contrast do you choose? The photos you take will show you where you land on the contrast scale. Look carefully at your photos and see if you like extremes such as angular architecture and deep shadows that have a masculine style, or do you prefer soft curves and pastels that lead you into a space to relax? At high noon our water features are illuminated by a torch of sunshine and our attention focuses on the intensity of the beam. This is Looking at your photos will tell you whether you gravitate to sharp angles or soft focus shots or both. Take what you find and add more contrast to your life. Planning Underway for Kansas City Trip Planning is well underway for a St. Louis Water Gardening Society overnight bus trip to Kansas City on July 19-20, said Pam Jokerst, special events chairman. She has arranged a number of interesting activities, including a stop in Columbia, Mo., on the way for a look at a member s pond. Then the bus moves on to Powell Gardens in Kingsville for lunch and a guided tour of the water gardens. After checking in at the hotel, the group will meet for dinner at a local restaurant. After breakfast the next morning, the group will go to Kauffmann Memorial Garden and the native garden across the street, followed by a tour of several ponds belonging masculine energy. In the early and late evening the light softens and the pond has a more feminine feel. In water garden and landscape design I blend angles and curves to satisfy our sense of order, structure and symmetry and to acknowledge our desire for freedom and ease. Find this in yourself as you sit and observe the scene around you. How is your home decorated with hard surfaces or soft? Did you choose a waterfall that roars or one that trickles? Do you love black and white photography or do you prefer to show all the colors? Which is better? The answer is both. We need a balance of ideas in our design, in our photography and in our relationships to make life interesting. When there is too much contrast like seen in the play of lighting at high noon we can lose the details in the deep shadows and the extreme whites. Your personality shows up in your photography. Edgy angular architecture, or smooth and silky looks both have their place. Whatever your typical style, why not try something new. Go for a photographic play day and seek images that you probably would usually avoid. There may be an aspect of you that is holding back on adventure. If you love mashed potatoes, go for Indian food! Take a risk and add some contrast to your world. to the Kansas City Garden Club. The group will return to St. Louis by 6 p.m. on July 20. Cost for the trip is $100 each, based on double occupancy. Because the trip is subsidized by SLWGS, the low fee paid by members covers all lodging and meals. (The charge for single persons who can t share a room will be slightly more, Jokerst said.) Reservation checks can be mailed to Jokerst at 305 Wyndmoor Terrace Court, St. Louis, MO 63141, or brought to the June 17 meeting. Jokerst said she will hold space for those who have signed up indicating an interest in the trip until that date. The last bus 8 Water Word, June 2014

9 Koi Auction (Continued from page 2) wanted, please visit our advertisers to look for that special addition to your pond. Many local retailers offer high-quality Japanese imported fish. Buyers should always ask where the fish they purchase come from and get as much information as possible about them. Jokerst said the group owes a big debt to Steve and Terry Metzler for once again hosting the event in their backyard, as well as to Pat Tosie, our stellar auctioneer. It was hot and thunderstorms were predicted, so Pat moved pretty quickly without a break through the auction, he said. There were many happy shoppers and winners during the afternoon. Marty and Bert Brady can spend a week in Colorado thanks to winning the raffle prize donated by Kurt and Debbie Bokamper. Tom and Betsy Meier will have a new occupant in their pond as they won the raffle for a toasi koi. The same goes for Gerry Hoormann who won the butterfly koi raffle. The Cardinals Diamond Box seats, donated by Jokerst and Bokamper, were won by Dennis and Cathy Frey. A number of attendees also took home attendance prizes and six new members were added to the St. Louis Water Gardening Society. Top Row: Steve Metzler and Rick Jokerst spent much of the afternoon talking to members about potential purchases and netting their choices. Metzler introduced Pat Tosie, auctioneer, who kept the event rolling through a hot afternoon. Photos by Irv Schallenberg and Bob Temper The St. Louis Water Gardening Society is a member of the Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA). Visit the association s website at Water Word, June

10 SLWGS Water Word Killdare Court St. Ann, MO Join Other SLWGS Members For An Overnight Trip to Kansas City. Make Your Reservation Now! Details on Page 8. Inside this edition: Essential Equipment for Proper Water Gardens... Page 1 Also inside: Last Chance for Members to Pick Up Pond-O-Rama Tickets... Page 1 Koi Auction Deemed Successful... Page 2 Presidential Ponderings... Page 3 SLWGS Calendar of Events... Page 4 Did You Miss This? For the Love of Turtles... Page SLWGS Officers and Board Members... Page 6 Ask Laura Lynne Photo Tips for the Artist in You: Learn to Find and Enjoy The Contrasts in the World... Page 8 Planning Underway for Kansas City Trip... Page 8 Photo of the Month... Page 10 Photo of Celebrating St. Louis The Jewel Box in Forest Park is helping St. Louis celebrate its 250th anniversary by offering visitors a cake created by a local artist, one of 250 scattered acriss the city.. The lily pools we plant and maintain got their own layer in the artist s cake design. Stop by and take at look at what we have helped to inspire. The photo was taken by Alice Gibson during the May 31 work session to plant the 2014 tropical lily collection. Volunteers will now meet every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. to maintain the plantings. Come out an join the crew! 10 Water Word, June 2014