Deb Spencer from Waters Edge in Lawrence gave an informative talk at TAWGS September meeting. It was a good reminder for some of us who have had a pond for a long time and very helpful to those who are fairly new at water gardening.

September & October clean-up
1. Stop fertilizing plants about a month before the first anticipated freeze
2. Divide iris, reeds and rushes
3. Trim dying foliage before it falls to the bottom
4. Groom and refresh anacharis pots. Cut off summer's growth and plant in sand or dirt
5. Dredge/vacuum the muck (pond gold) off the bottom of the pond. The muck is great fertilizer for landscape plants
6. Check/adjust the Kh (alkaline) Use baking soda if low
7. Last application of sludge eating bacteria (Aqua One or One Fix)
8. Skim or net falling leaves

Two scientists from the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment (KDHE) gave an interesting program at the July TAWGS meeting. Diana Lehman, an Environmental Scientist and Training Coordinator discussed various kinds of algae and Clint Goodrich, Environmental Scientist, talked about the various invertebrates that use our water gardens in the early stages of their lives.

Diana listed reasons that we have algae and how to get rid of it.

Kip Walker gave a very interesting program on the new products that are available for pond and landscape lighting. He said there are a lot of changes happening in the industry right now. There will be huge changes in the next few years. Prices are coming down.

The new LED lighting is much more dependable, cooler and longer lasting than the old types of pond and landscape lighting. The housing in older lighting causes the bulbs to get hot and burn out. He said that can even happen with interior lighting if the bulb is too confined.

"LED's stay nice and cool," Kip said. "Most LED's work on 12 Volt DC. A good LED bulb starts at about $75," he said. "Yellow and true whites are the most expensive."There is a large range of colors of LED lights and they can be programmed to give a light display like some of us have seen in Christmas light displays.

Kip is the owner of Professional Aquatic Designs and Supplies (PADS). He has been working with concert lighting since 1980. He also worked at Puddles -N-Pads for several years.

"I think there are exciting things in the future of LED lighting," Kip said. "I look forward to showing you what we can do." Kip will demonstrate some of the things that he can do with pond lighting at the August meeting which will be held at the pond of Amy and Phil Thompson.

Marcia Henry, Henrys' Plant Farm, brought several annuals to show that grow well in this area.

She began her presentation by explaining the importance of planting in a larger container; the bigger the container the better for the plant. Pots that are too small can get hot and dry out quickly. Pots should be 16" in diameter or bigger.

Clay pots won't blow over easily, but they tend to dry out quickly. Resin pots are lightweight, but subject to spilling. Wood will not dry out but it will rot. Her recommendation was glazed pottery.

Next she covered what goes in the pot. Don't use dirt from the garden; it will get hard and chunky. She recommends using a soiless potting mix with a container that drains well. Use liquid fertilizer every two months. Put fresh potting soil in your pots every year and don’t allow the soil to freeze and thaw.

Marcia then displayed and discussed each of the following annuals: