November Meeting

November 17, 2004, 7 pm

Butterfield Youth Services

1180 Highway WW, Marshall, MO

Our program will be on making garden features.  Larry wants you to have something to do during the cold winter months.  Ideas will include bird feeders, garden arbors, Wood Duck nest boxes, Blue Bird houses, Wren houses, and much more.

Part of the November meeting will be our

annual photo contest. 

You may enter one photo in each of the following categories.

Water garden views

People in the garden

Flowers

Garden features

Fish and frogs

Most unusual

You could be a winner, so look through your pictures to pick out one for each category.

The rules are simple—the photo must be taken by a club member, but the picture can be of any garden.  Write your name on the back of the picture so we can identify the winners.

NEW THIS YEAR---Our out of town members can mail their photos to us at PO Box 555, Marshall, MO 65340.

We will enter your photos in the contest for you.  Put your name on the back and the category you want the picture entered in.  The photos must reach us by Tuesday, November 15.

The members present will vote on their favorite picture in each category and the best overall photo.  A gift certificate from Granddaddy’s Garden will be awarded in each category.  The prizes will be awarded at the Christmas Dinner in December.  As an added incentive, we will have a special prize drawing for those contestants present at the meeting.  You will get your name in the drawing one time for each photo entered in the contest.

The winning photos will be displayed at the Christmas dinner, printed in a future issue of Fins and Friends, and put on our website.  This photo by Steve Drake was the “Best Overall” winner from last year.  To see more of last year’s winning photos, go to www.Finsandfriends.com then click on 2004 photo contest. 

Thoughts To Ponder

What do fish say when they hit a concrete wall?

Dam

Dear Polly,

In a house I recently purchased, there was a small preformed water pond in a shady area of the yard.  It contained only water and debris.  I cleaned it, refilled it, added neutralizing chemicals, and added an assortment of floating and marginal plants.  The water test was good.  I would like to add a couple of gold fish, snails and a frog or two.  How will I know if/when there is enough oxygen for this?  I am using a solar pump and since the pond is in the shade, it runs only periodically.  Thank you.

                                          Gwen

Dear Gwen,

You said that you had a small preformed pond.  If it is the very small ponds that they sell, you will have to limit your fish to a few small ones.  The smaller the pond, the more it heats up and therefore reduces the amount of oxygen in the water.  The best thing would be to add a small fountain or bubbler that will circulate the water through the air and add additional oxygen to the water.  Your solar pump may not be enough if it only runs periodically.  I would go ahead and add the fish and see how they do.  If they start acting like they are not getting enough oxygen, get a fountain going quickly.  You can get cheap gold fish at most bait shops.  That way you can try it out without killing some valuable fish.  But then, many water gardeners consider all their fish valuable.

                                           Polly

To learn more about Polly Ponders and view other Polly Ponders articles, click here.

December Christmas Dinner

The Christmas dinner will be held on December 15.  We are having some problem finding a good location for the dinner.  We will send a postcard to all members to tell where it will be held.  Get your centerpieces ready for the centerpiece contest.

Back to top

To view other newsletters, go to Archives.