caleb’s eclectic collection. - slwgs site... · caleb’s eclectic collection. water word,...

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. LOUIS WATER GARDENING SOCIETY

WWW.SLWGS.ORG January 2016

Caleb’s Eclectic Collection.

1 Water Word, January 2016

Bauer Falls, LLC. is a family owned company with combined experience of over 20 years. Bauer Falls, LLC. prides itself on its ability to recreate the wonders of nature in your own personal setting.

Caleb Bauer is one of the co-owners of Bauer Falls, LLC. He has more than 14 years of experience constructing, maintaining, and designing ponds and water features. He has lots of new ideas to help make your water feature beautiful, safe, and

low maintenance. Caleb will be talking about his

interesting creations and projects he does in his off season. He will be bring some samples of what he

will be talking about that evening.

Don’t Miss This!

What: Where: Missouri Botanical Garden, Ridgway Center Beaumont Room When: Tuesday, January 26th, at 7pm Who: Caleb Bauer co-owner of Bauer Falls, LLC

Caleb's Eclectic Collection

Caleb Bauer

SLWGS Officers Elected at November Pot Luck Meeting

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society held its 2015 biennial election at the meeting in November, which also included the annual pot luck dinner and social. Taking office this year for a 2 year term was Steve Metzler as vice president. Steve Harris was elected treasurer . Congratulations !!!!

Steve Metzler Steve Harris

Did you get to see the garden glow?

Proposed by law change by the President is that the membership fee be changed from $20 to $25 per household per year, more on page 9.


Dear SLWGS Members: Carolyn and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve as Chairpersons of Pond-O-Rama for the past three years. It has been a privilege and honor to coordinate, publicize, and chair one of the best pond and garden tours in the St Louis area. Pond-O-Rama is a wonderful event that brings together our members, the public, and the community. It's an opportunity to educate and share the love and passion for water gardening, gardening, and our knowledge of koi and goldfish. We especially want to thank all those members who made extra special efforts to make POR a great event. Our member hosts are fantastic in the way they are so welcoming to the public, friendly, and going above and beyond to share their special places. Those two special Pond-O-Rama days in June keep us in awe and excited about what we see, share and enjoy! It's always great fun, and we come away with new friends and new ideas. Our advertisers and ticket sellers provide amazing support of Pond-O-Rama and the St Louis Water Garden Society. We are always so appreciative of what they do for us as a society! Each year Carolyn and I, and a stellar POR

committee, have worked for months to make Pond-O-Rama special for everyone. We hope we have succeeded in doing so. Certainly we have learned and experienced many things along the way. We are grateful for the confidence and support you have given us. 2016 will be an exciting year. Change can be good! We both have new adventures and challenges to keep us busy in 2016; and we know that in doing so, we cannot devote the necessary time to effectively Chair POR in 2016. Therefore, we must resign as Chairpersons of Pond-O-Rama this year. There are so many talented and creative people among our membership, that when given the opportunity, hopefully they will step up and will continue to make this event sustainable and better than ever. So volunteer and challenge yourself. Enjoy what POR brings to you personally, and what you can bring to others. Go for it! Thank you for all your assistance and to all the members who have been part of the POR committee. We are grateful. Thanks so much..................

Ginny Mueller and Carolyn Haus

Pond-O- Rama!!!!!!!!

JAEGER Greenhouses 2369 Creve Coeur Mill Road

Maryland Heights, MO 63043 314-739-1507

www.jaegergreenhouses.com

Master Grower Since 1985 Vigorous Annuals and Hanging Baskets

Heirloom and Hybrid Vegetables Aquatics

Premium Potting & Soil Amendments


Hi folks: Well here we are with another new year! We’ve got some challenges ahead of us. Item number one is to get a budget approved. If you missed the

November meeting, then you probably don’t know that we were not able to come to a decision. Our big revenue source, the Koi Auction, does not look like it is a possibility this year. That would have meant a large deficit for 2016! Although we have enough in reserve funds to cover that, the decision was made for the board to give it another try. The new budget, while it still has a deficit, it is significantly less than the surplus we ended 2015 with. We have a couple of bylaw changes that are designed to deal with the issue starting in 2017, more on that elsewhere in this newsletter. The other challenge we have is Pond-O-Rama. Ginny Mueller announced at the January board meeting that she will not be continuing as the chairperson. Ginny has done an outstanding job with Pond-O-Rama and will be difficult to replace, but it must be done if we are to be successful this year. If you are interested in chairing the committee, or working on Pond-O-Rama (we need lots of help), please let me or another board member know as soon as possible. I’m still putting the programs together for this year. I have scheduled Aaron Burkett to give a presentation on pond lighting in February, Abbie Lapides from Sugar Creek Nursery will talk about “Best New Plants and Spring Garden Tips” in March, we’ll have an expanded plant auction in April with Steffie Littlefield elaborating on the selections. Straightup Solar is tentatively scheduled for May to give us ideas on saving energy while also powering our ponds. Steve Hogenmiller is on tap for June to talk about Tower

Grove Park, and we’re looking at a tour of the park sometime after that. We’re going to revive the regular auction in July. The rest of the year is still in the planning stage but I’ll keep you posted! Last month I talked about the start of winter 2013. The pond that Sherry and I were building we had closed down for the winter. I erected a frame around the pond and positioned a net over it. If you’ve followed my past exploits with frames and netting you may remember that I’ve had problems with them collapsing when it snows. This time I decided to use heavier pipe, I doubled the thickness! It seemed sturdy enough though I did not have support at the corners (trying to reduce the number of fittings used). Things went fine with it until the first snow. As it turned out it was a wet one and it stuck to the netting. Well, didn’t take long for the weight to start affecting the structure. Although most of it stood up to the load but one corner gave way and collapsed! This meant that netting ended up in the pond and then everything froze. This meant that it had to stay there until there was a thaw! One good note: Sherry bought me a LARGE air pump for Christmas, just in time for the snow storm and some really thick ice! Trudging into the snow and playing with the ice sheet I managed to get a good flow of air going under the ice. More next month!

Dave Stahre

Presidential Ponderings


St. Louis Water Gardening Society Calendar of Events

Membership meetings in 2016 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. They are the last Tuesday unless noted.

January 26— By Caleb Bauer of Bauer Falls LLC talking about “Caleb’s Eclectics Collection”. February 23— Aaron Burkett of Pond Market talking about “Pond Lighting”. March 29— Abbie Lapides of Sugar Creek Nursery talking about “Best New Plants and Spring Garden Tips” April 26— Steffie Littlefeild Also a plant auction like last year. May 31— TBD — of Striaghtup Solar talking about “Solar Power for your Pond and Home”. June 15 Wednesday—Pond-o-Rama Host meeting. June 21— Steve Hogenmiller of Tower Grove Park talking about “Tower Grove Park”. This is the Third Tuesday. July 26— Auction—bring your unused items. August 23— Annual Banquet at the Jewel Box. This is the Fourth Tuesday. September 20— TBD This is the Third Tuesday. September 24— TIKKI TOUR October 25— TBD November 22— Annual Potluck & Elections This happens to be the week of Thanksgiving. This is the Fourth Tuesday

Looking for more

information about pond

building, plants or fish care?

Visit our website,

www.slwgs.org Check out our

“Articles of Interest”

section and “Links We Like”

for help.

5 Water Word , January 2016

Year-End Wrap Up…. Did You Miss the Potluck?

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society finished out 2015 with our annual Potluck in November. There was a good turnout for the annual pot luck dinner, great food and lots of conversation. There was business to attend to as well—the election of officers and an amendment to the by-laws. Cindy Williams did another fantastic job set-ting everything up, decorating the tables and de-signing a trivia game. Everyone had a great time.


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, www.slwgs.org or from any of the officers, board members or coordinators listed.

2015 SLWGS Officers and Board Members

President Dave Stahre (618) 623-9341 [email protected] Vice President Steve Metzler (314) 845-3902 [email protected] Treasurer Steve Harris (314) 968-8432 [email protected] Recording Secretary Sherry Nelms (618) 365-1057 [email protected] Publicity Chairman Ginny Mueller (314) 831-3063 [email protected] Special Events Chairman Pam Jokerst (314) 276-9461 [email protected] Society Shirt Sales Chairman Ruth Mosley (314) 878-7281 [email protected] Librarian Katie Williams (314) 210-2919 [email protected] Membership/E-mail Chairman Gail Abernathy (314) 428-3037 [email protected] Jewel Box Chairman Kay Miskell (618) 344-6216 [email protected] Water Word Editor Gail Abernathy (314) 428-3037 [email protected] Website Chairman Mary Nies (636) 458-2149 [email protected] AKCA Representative Steve Metzler (314) 845-3902 [email protected] Pond-O-Rama Chairman Jeanne Lehr (314) 432-2842 [email protected] Historian Joe Summers (636) 527-2001 [email protected] Hospitality Chairman Cindy Williams (636) 394-9214 [email protected] Past President Joe Summers (636) 527-2001 [email protected] Members-at-Large Carolyn Haus (314) 993-0985 [email protected] John Nies (636) 458-2149 [email protected] Alice Gibson (618) 876-1628 [email protected]

The St. Louis Water Gardening Society is

a member of the Associated Koi Clubs of America (AKCA).

Visit the association’s website at

www.akca.org.

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 e-mail. To sign up for e-mail delivery

only, contact membership

chairman Gail Abernathy at

[email protected]


Ponds * Creeks * Waterfalls Natural Stone Walks Brick Paver Patios & Driveways

Mark Couch frogman112211@hotmail 527 Crescent Drive www.woodlandgardenponds.com Kirkwood, MO 63122

1757 S. Old Highway 94 St. Charles, MO 63303

(636) 946-2242 (800) 598-9413

HOURS: Seasonal “OPEN 7 DAYS”

From the Editor’s Desk...

Library and Learning Center The Library and Learning center would like to remind anybody that may have interesting photos or articles about Koi, pond care or pond construction to please bring them to the next meeting. Photos can be reclaimed at the end of the meeting or donated to the library. As mentioned at the October meeting, the library has bought a digital photo frame. So if you have a favorite photo of your fish or pond bring it in on a jump drive and it can be added to the photo frame. You can also email them to Katie at [email protected] and she can upload them

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Is there a certain topic you would like information on? Then email or call the president and let him know what it is. He will see what he can do to get information about it. Pond-O-Rama 2016 We need people to work on committees. Please think about it. We needed a lot of help to make things go smoothly. Especially this year!

In a recent Board Meeting, Dave Stahre, presented a proposal to the board to raise membership from $20 per year (currently) to $25 per year in 2017. There has not been an increase in dues since 2006. At that time the dues were increased from $15 to $20. That time the increase was necessary since we wanted Water Word to be partially printed in color which started in 2007 for our members. Now the SLWGS newsletter is printed totally in color. It was also proposed by our President to not only increase the membership fee, but to add an additional $5 for anyone receiving Water Word thru the mail. Any increase to fees must be voted on and approved by the membership. We all know that the

cost of mailing has increased and will continue to do so. Receiving Water Word online does decrease some cost of mailing. The board certainly encourages our members to received our newsletter online if at all possible. Some of our members cannot receive our newsletter online and mailing to them is part of our membership benefits. It is the opinion of the editor and membership chair that increasing the membership fee will offset some mailing costs and not add additional costs to those receiving our newsletter in the mail. Water Word is a great source of information of the Water Gardening Society to keep our members informed of events and ideas. We certainly hope our members find it a valuable part of their membership.

Out on a Limb and need some help? Find resources at

www.slwgs.org!


I hope your holidays were merry and a Happy Healthy New Year to All! During these winter months, we still need to pay attention to our ponds. Even though we have “put them to bed” so to speak, they are still awake. With the leaves off the trees by now, make sure debris and other organic matter is not decaying on the bottom. Ideally, we all netted our ponds before the leaves fell. The warmer than normal temperatures we have been experiencing on some days has our fish begging for food. Resist that urge! Remember, our koi are cold-blooded and without stomachs. Their metabolism is very slow at this time. There is plenty of algae for them to graze on to satisfy their needs. That is why it is important to feed a high quality protein food during the summer and into the warmer days of fall to prepare them for this fasting time. Also, the nitrifying bacteria are dormant for all practical purposes due to the cold and cannot break down the extra waste the fish would produce. This would quickly foul the water. Water changes and filter maintenance, when possible during the winter, are still good husbandry practices to follow to maintain the health of your koi until the warmer days of spring arrive. Plan your week by keeping an eye on the weather forecast so you are prepared when we get a warmer day to complete these tasks. When the weather brings ice-covered water, we need to keep an airway open in the ice for the exchange of gases. Heaters are available at your favorite pond store. They are relatively inexpensive

and come with a good warranty. Keep that receipt in your pond file! Some have a thermostat¸ so keeping them plugged in throughout the winter season is a convenient and safe thing to do. They will automatically come on when the water temperature dips. If you have a heater, try placing it in front of the skimmer box as a safeguard from freezing. Never break the ice by hammering it. A pot of hot water to make a hole is safer for your fish in an emergency, but be careful. Use these wintry days to reflect back on this past pondering season. Do you need to organize the beautiful pictures you took of your pond and others? Are there changes you would make to your filtering system to ease maintenance? Are you considering enlarging or changing the design of your pond for additional fish and plants? Did you see a pond on one of the tours or did a speaker at one of the meetings give you an idea to enhance the aesthetics of your pond? This is the perfect time to start saving funds and making plans to enjoy your piece of paradise even more. And when that’s done, please consider volunteering with SLWGS. You will gain knowledge and friends at the same time. We need you! Spring will be here before we know it. Enjoy this “down time”.

314-368-2652 [email protected]

WINTER POND CARE by Rick Jokerst


Send this form with your $20 check payable to the St. Louis Water Gardening Society to Gail Abernathy, 10922 Kildare Court, St. Ann, MO 63074 Please print or type Clearly Name(s) (Include Spouse) ______________________________________ Alternate Name (Company or Organiza on) ___________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City_________________________State______ZIP_________ Phone_______________________ e‐mail _____________________________________________________

New Membership Annual renewal (Renewals are due in January) Would you prefer to receive your copies of Water Word : via e‐mail only? Or by regular mail? Circle One Please.

Time to Renew! Membership renewals for all St. Louis Water Gardening Society members are due in January. If you have not sent in your dues yet you may make your payment in person at the January meeting, or mail a check to Gail Abernathy, Membership Chairman, using the form at left. Dues are $20 per household. While non-member guests always are welcome at SLWGS meetings, there are definite benefits to membership. For example, all members receive two free Pond-O-Rama tickets, a $30 value. In addition, all members receive the regular issues of Water Word, and may participate in a number of special events throughout the year, including tours and field trips that are arranged for members only. Don’t miss out on the fun of 2016.

Article III - Membership, Section 2 - Dues Sentence one currently reads: The annual dues for members shall be twenty dollars ($20) per year per household/family residing at the same address. **The proposed change would read: The annual dues for members shall be twenty-five dollars ($25) per year per household/family residing at the same address. ***A member household/family residing at the same address may elect to receive the newsletter by con-ventional mail for a five dollar ($5) annual fee payable at the same time as annual dues or at the time they decide to receive the newsletter by conventional mail.

Article III—Membership Section 1. Membership Eligibility and Admission Procedure Membership in this Society is open to anyone with an interest in water gardening. Anyone can become a member of this Society by filling out and returning a membership form and paying dues as required. Section 2. Dues The annual dues for members shall be twenty dollars ($20) per year per household/family residing at the same address. Dues are payable in advance (in January for the calendar year) and may be paid by mail or in person. A reminder that dues are payable

shall be published in the January newsletter. Dues are delinquent on March 31st and those who have not paid their dues by April 1st shall be automatically dropped from membership in the Society. Section 3. Membership Responsibilities Members are encouraged to expand their own personal interest in water gardening, share what they know with others, participate in Society activities, attend meetings, volunteer for Society officer and committee positions, and submit articles and photos of interest to the newsletter editor and website chairman.

Proposed By-law changes

How By-laws Read Now…..


SLWGS Water Word 10922 Killdare Court St. Ann, MO 63074 www.slwgs.org

Photo of the Month Inside this edition: Caleb’s Eclectic Collection and Election results ..................................... Page 1 Also Inside:

Pond-O-Rama .......................................... Page 2

Presidential Ponderings ............................ Page 3

SLWGS Calendar of Events ................... Page 4

Year-End Wrap Up...Potluck ..................... Page 5

2016 SLWGS Officers and Board Members ................................. Page 6

From the Editor’s Desk ........................... Page 7

Winter Pond Care………. .……………….Page 8

Proposed Bylaw changes…………...…… Page 9

Photo of the Month .................................

A little fun with nature and design. Anyone know what this is? It is a kaleidoscope of the Queen of Siam water lily from the Jewel Box.