Enthusiasts gush over water gardens and ponds.
It’s an element of outdoor living that continues to spur interest in fountains, waterfalls, streams, natural and manmade ponds, water gardens, bogs and decorative landscaping.
The public can soak up the ambiance and atmosphere during the Northern Iowa Pond and Koi Club’s annual tour. It takes from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine, featuring more than a dozen ponds and gardens Parkersburg, Ackley, Eldora and Wellsburg.
“We all strive to develop our own little piece of paradise. That’s sometimes a small cubby in the backyard where we can come home from work and completely immerse ourselves in tranquility and peacefulness, if only for a short minute. Like the flickering flame of a winter fireplace, the garden pond, with its trickling water sounds, has the same soothing effects,” says Jackie Allsup, club president.
Whether the project is large or small, the relaxing sound of water is one layer in creating a serene retreat. With the availability of materials, filtration systems and supplies, as well as plant material, it’s easier than ever to build and maintain a water feature. And if you don’t have a backyard, containers can be transformed into simple water gardens with the addition of a submersible pump or a fountain set to burbling with a solar cell system.
For people pondering the hobby, the tour is a good time to ask questions. Club members will be available at all pond locations.
Admission is $5 per person; children under 12 are free. Participants can start at any pond site for maps, tickets and information.
Featured gardens are:
Parkersburg: 908 S. Johnson, 1023 Conn St. , 1211 Wemple St. , 405 Lincoln St. and 506 Third St.
Ackley: 104 Prospect Drive, 1021 First Ave., 509 Seventh Ave.
Eldora: 1401 22nd St. , 1509 Eighth Ave.
Wellsburg: 610 Eighth St., 608 Seventh St., 805 S. Monroe St., 501 W. Fourth St., 309 N. Jefferson St. and 200 N. Washington.
Free brats — one for each ticket purchased — will be available at 501 W. Fourth St., in Wellsburg.
Club members will be available at all pond locations to answer questions.
Many of the communities on this year’s tour have been hard-hit by recent flooding. The club hopes to use proceeds to help beautification efforts raised by showcasing members’ ponds.
The Northern Iowa Pond and Koi Club, established in 1999, is a non-profit organization. The club promotes the hobbies of ponds and aquatic gardening and keeping koi and goldfish, and includes educational and social activities. Membership includes areas surrounding the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.
Meetings take place at members’ ponds on the third Tuesday of each month from February through November. Membership is $12 annually per family and includes a monthly newsletter.
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