Members enjoy private pond tour

Doug and Marikay Peterman were the next stop for the tour goers. Everyone was impressed with their vegetable garden as well as their pond. The Peterman's squeeze a lot into a small space, but they raise nice veggies in the small garden. A plant that caught people's attention in the flower garden was tansy, a fernie type plant that is very interesting.

Traveling to northwest Topeka, we enjoyed visiting Don and Sandy Regier’s pond and all held our breaths while their cat chased a baby bunny into the bushes. We never learned the fate of the bunny but we suspected it wasn’t a good one. Don attributes his crystal clear water in his pond to the few black walnuts that he put into his skimmer. (A tip suggested by Doug Grimm, the speaker in April, from Grimm’s Gardens in Hiawatha, who said he had found that a few walnuts sure cleared up the water.)

Our final stop was at the Brickyard Barn, owned by Scott and Truanna Nickel, where we enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner on their patio, looking at their pond and touring their bed and breakfast. The old barn holds a lot of history and Scott enjoyed telling us all about the barn and its previous owners. Scott and Truanna have been members of TAWGS since last August but we had not had a chance to meet them until the potluck.

Members who enjoyed the tour were: Duane & Mary Eberhardt, Mark & Kim Weaver & their daughter, Mr. & Mrs. Jim Roberts, Allen & Connie Ellis, Don and Sandy Regier, Phil & Amy Thompson, Doug & Marikay Peterman, Pam Kluck & Rod Peterson, Tom & Helen Platis, Tom & Pat Routh, Kent & Colleen Hampton, Linda Reynolds & Floyd & Diane Gruver. Doug and Kim Young who were pond hosts for the public tour also accepted our invitation to join us on the tour.

Many thanks to Scott & Truanna Nickel for inviting us to have our potluck at their excellent facility. Also many thanks to Doug Peterman for organizing the tour and ordering the excellent weather.