We have a couple small ponds in our back yard. One, the goldfish pond, is home to 8 ordinary goldfish. Unlike the expensive species, these goldfish cost 10 cents each and will probably live forever. Nancy enjoys feeding them while I’m thinking they would make really good bait. Our other impoundment is a lily garden, which occasionally hosts a frog or two, depending on how hungry the local garter snake is. For 5 or 6 years, a beautiful water lily has flourished in the small pond, but this year it didn’t make it through the winter. We found out after the fact that the underwater roots should be re-potted every couple of years, lest they crowd the pot and use up all the nutrients. Now we know, and we also know exactly where to buy another water lily – Springdale Water Gardens in Greenville, one of my favorite places to visit.
I’m not aware of any local nursery that sells water plants and accessories to any extent, but Springdale has it all. They offer Virginia grown aquatic plants, ornamental fish and scavengers, fountain equipment, pond construction products, fish food, pond management supplies and tons of gifts and accessories for water gardens. And, they sell baby frogs and tadpoles for restocking.
Nancy and I took a beautiful road trip across the mountain last Sunday. I bought a small tadpole with legs and Nancy purchased a new water lily, plus some pond accessories.
A water garden in a backyard is an amazing addition, offering beauty, enjoyment and an attractant for birds. But a leaky or poorly constructed pond brings only expense and headaches. The experts at Springdale sell quality pond products and offer free advice on how to go about installing an efficient water garden. Owners, Tish and Keith Folsom, opened their beautiful garden store back in 1993. They have acres and acres of fish and plants, and to get there, it’s a beautiful drive through some of Virginia’s most scenic countryside. The water gardens are located about 3 miles east of Greenville off of Rt. 622.
Exact directions are on their website at www.springdalegardens.com. From March through September, they are open 7 days a week. On Sundays, they open at noon and not before. Even if you don’t have a water garden, it’s worth taking a trip to Springdale Water Gardens. Call 540-337-4507 for more details.