Thank you for a great 2008! Your help requested for preparing for 2009.

Thank you for a great 2008! We have had a great time working and talking with all of you this year. We are looking forward to the people we get to meet and the projects we get to complete in 2009.

I don’t think anyone will argue with me saying that winter has definitely set in this year already. The snow, the ice, the cold, the wind chills, the brief thaws, the freezing rain, and everything else that comes with winter has been thrown at us already. It is snowing now, and they are forecasting 8” to 12”+ for Thursday, more on Saturday, and again for next week.

What does this have to do with your pond, aquatic plants, and fish? Hopefully you did not hold off on your winterization too long and were able to remove and clean the filters, remove the organic debris, and trim the aquatic plants back. If you removed the pump from the system for the winter, you should be storing it in water to keep the seals from drying and possibly cracking. Be sure to check the water level in the container periodically throughout the winter to make sure the water did not evaporate away. Add water as needed.

Your aquatic plants and fish should be just fine with the temperature fluctuations that we are having. With the snow that has fallen in some areas already this year, there is plenty of protection for your plants (e.g. their roots are protected from drying out). The water temperature in your pond likely did not fluctuate much, if at all, with the short warm-up. If you have a stream running with large drops, the water temperature may have changed a bit a bit more. However, the layer of ice over your pond probably just melted a bit more (like ice cubes in a glass of lemonade).

Your fish are probably just hanging out at the bottom of the pond, dreaming of warmer more active days. Our pond was about 4/5 open two days ago. Overnight, if froze over to only be about ¼ open, with the small pump and de-icer being responsible for maintaining the openings – so far so good. If you have not put a de-icer in your pond yet this year, you will want to do that now. There several varieties of de-icer's available. Make sure that you get one that is suitable for your pond. The size of your pond (volume of water), and the type of liner present are the main factors to consider when choosing the one for you. The varieties available through us are save for EPDM liner ponds (i.e. even if they came in contact with the liner, they won’t melt a hole through it – very important!!!).

If our pond has frozen over and you still need to get the pump and/or de-icer installed yet, do not “bang” or “pound” on the ice. The sound waves are detrimental to your fish. Some de-icer's are able to melt their way through the ice if it is relatively thin yet. One approach is to use hot water, but that can take a while. I have heard of people using ice augers. This should be fine as long as there is no banging. Also, be sure you do not fall through the ice, and make sure your family members or your neighbors are not around to take pictures of you with the auger on your pond – but the stories could be interesting.

With winter set in and our fish resting until spring, we are busy preparing for next year. We are currently working on a couple of designs for some projects to get started as soon as the frost is gone next spring, and then there is all that paperwork – a necessary evil. Where we would like your help, is with assessing and improving our services, product line, and availability. We strive to provide excellent customer service, and high quality products. We are continuing to attend seminars and training events that are focused on the landscaping and water gardening industry, and on operating a successful business. In 2006, we joined the Water Garden Excellence (WGE) program, and in 2007, we were honored to become part of the Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC) program. Anyone interested in joining the WGE can do so, but only a select few are allowed into the CAC program. We are proud of being accepted into the CAC program. We are currently the only CAC in this area of Wisconsin.

We have offered, and will continue to offer, the full Aquascape, Inc. product line – both the Aquascape™ products for DIY consumers (available directly through us or at Dave’s Milton Ace Hardware store, and Dave’s Evansville Ace Hardware store), and the AquascapePro™ products that are available to contractors that we use when installing water features for you (you can get these through us or as special order items through Dave’s Ace Hardware stores). In addition to the pond products, we also use high quality material for the landscaping projects such as the edging for planting beds and quality plants from well-established nurseries, and hardscaping projects such as quality blocks for paver patios and walkways, and retaining walls.

Please contact us and give us your feedback. We want to hear from you regarding what you like, and dislike regarding our current products and services. Are there products that that you would like us to offer, such as something that you are having a hard time finding? We hope to improve our website over the winter, so let us know what you would like to have available there? Are there any services that you would like us to offer, that we currently do not. We are currently developing a maintenance program for those of you that want someone to do all the dirty work for you (monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, etc.). Let us know if you are interested in taking advantage of this.

Are there improvements that we need to make to our existing service, whether it is when we are on-site working on projects, or are there things we can improve on regarding how we handle your calls and emails? We are here to serve you and help give you the lifestyle that you want and deserve.

Thank you in advance for your feedback. Have a great winter!