Volume 24 Number 4 June 2007

Coming in 2007…

June 10: CWGS AnnualPlant Sale

9 AM to 3 PM MorrisonCenter, Denver BotanicGardens

July 14/15: Pond Tour(10 AM to 4 PM) andPicnic (July 14 at 5 PM)This year, a special two-day “tandem” tour with theKoi Club! CWGS tour inLakewood and NorthLittleton. Shared picnic tofollow. Koi Club tour onJuly 15.

Aug. 11: Water BlossomFestival 9:30 AM to 3:30PM Monet Pond, DBG

Sep. 9: Annual Mtg.&Board Elections1:30 PM Gates Hall, DBG

Dec. 1: Holiday Banquet:6 to 9 PMMorrison Ctr., DBG

of the year. You also get to peek at theplants first and pick up quite a lot of newinformation, camaraderie, and probablydonuts.

We need help with set up the day before andall during the sale. Come for the whole dayor a short time; we’ll put you to work!

We have our plant list made up and I thinkthey’ll be something for everyone. Shopearly for the best selection. Some items willgo quickly.

The Morrison Center is located at thesoutheast corner York and Eleventh, justacross the street from DBG.

continued on page 5

Visit us online at www.colowatergardensociety.org

Sunday June 10:CWGS Annual Plant SaleMorrison CenterDenver Botanic Gardens

Members only 9 to 10 AMPublic welcome 10 to 3 PMAdmission free to all!

Members Only 9 to 10 AMPublic welcome 10 to 3 PM

Free admission!

Nymphaea ‘Mrs. E.G. Hutchins’ (picturedleft) is a tropical night bloomer that will beoffered at the sale.

CWGS Plant SaleOur sale returns to theMorrison Center June 10By Vicki Aber

Are you ready for our annual plant saleextravaganza? I know I look forward to it eachyear and always say I don’t need more plantsbut buy a bunch anyway and am always happywith the plants I buy.

This year we are back at the Botanic Gardens’Morrison center. CWGS members will get ahead start from 9 to 10 am; then the generalpublic will be admitted. There is no admissioncharge for the event or to access the MorrisonCenter.

We will not be holding a plant swap inconjunction with the sale, but we are more thanhappy to take donations. Set-up for the sale ison Saturday June 9 from 9:00 to 2:00, anddonations may be brought then. If you can’tmake Saturday but have something to donate,give one of the plant sale committee a call andwe’ll see what can be arranged.

As always, we will need lots of help from themembers to pull this off. Our membership isalways so generous with their time. This is ourmajor fundraiser to support the club for the rest

PresidentGary Blubaugh 303.989.4464

Vice PresidentJim Arneill 303.843.9619

SecretaryBill Bathurst 303.421.1144

TreasurerKen Lange 303.393.8410

Members-At-LargeJonathan Hough 303.499.6578

Joyce Blubaugh 303.989.4464

April Hough 303.499.6578

Marge Oleson 303.989.4809

Vicki Aber 303.432.9216

Janet Bathurst 303.421.1144

Bill Powell 303.355.8098

http://www.colowatergardensociety.org

Please Note:Opinions expressed by authors in this publication are their own.Products reviewed and/or advertised are not specifically endorsed byCWGS. Please contact Bill Powell, Newsletter Editor, to obtainpermission to reproduce materials published in The Water Garden.Reproductions should credit CWGS and the author.

NewsletterBill Powell 303.355.8098

MembershipKen Lange 303.393.8410Janet Bathurst 303.421.1144ProgramBill Bathurst 303.421.1144

PublicityJim Arneill 303.843.9619

EducationCyndie Thomas 303.755.1885

Get Wet EventJim Arneill 303.834.9619

CWGS June Plant SaleVicki Aber 303.423.9216April Hough 303.499.6578Janet Bathurst 303.421.1144

Pond Tour / PicnicGary Blubaugh 303.989.4464Jonathan Hough 303.499.6578

Water Blossom FestivalDuff Kerr 303.871.0336Gary Blubaugh 303.989.4464 Joyce Blubaugh 303.989.4464

Holiday BanquetJoyce Blubaugh 303.989.4464April Hough 303.499.6578

Publicity / OutreachJim Arneill 303.843.9619Marge Oleson 303.989.4809

WebPage / ArchivesCyndie Thomas 303.755.1885

DBG Plant Sale & VolunteersBill Powell 303.355.8098Marge Oleson 303.989.4809

The Water Garden is the officialjournal of the Colorado WaterGarden Society (CWGS)Copyright © 1983-2007

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2007 Board of Directors & Committee / Event Chairs MarketPlace

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Thanks to our supporting advertisers!

Plant Swap and Round TableDiscussion Kick-off SpringCleanup by Gary Blubaugh

If you missed the CWGS General Meetingon May 6th, you missed an opportunity toacquire water plants to introduce into yourpond this spring. Many plants wereexchanged and members got a chance toget reacquainted.

The round table discussion provided tips onhow to get rid of sludge, deal with stringalgae blooms, scare off blue herons, andimprove water quality. Members weremade aware of water gardening productsthat are available to help insure that theupcoming water gardening season is asuccess.

Editor’s note: One of the May 6 roundtable topics(water gardens and Blue Heron) is the subject ofanother article in this issue. See page 8.

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Membership Features

Express Membership ApplicationMembership Fees: $15.00 Individual; $20.00 FamilyJoin or Renew Today!

Make checks payable to Colorado Water Garden Society;DO NOT send cash; Check or Money Order only, please. Thank you.Return this form with your payment to:

CWGS Membership100 Glencoe St.Denver, CO 80220(Please Print)Name(s) ________________________________________________Street __________________________________________________City ____________________________ State _______ Zip ________Home Phone ( ) _____________________________E-Mail * __________________________________________________Signature _______________________________________________Date ___________________________________________________Pond Experience (Beginner) _____ (Some Skill) _____ (Pro) _____

* Note: Providing your e-mail address authorizes and enables CWGS to send younotifications of interest from time to time. CWGS does not share e-mail addresses withother entities.

Contact me concerning volunteer opportunities I have checked below:DBG Volunteer Sundays ____ Water Plants booth, DBG May Sale ____Hudson Gardens ____Newsletter_____ CWGS Plant Sale (June) ____ Pond Tour (July) _____Water Blossom Festival (Aug.)_____ Holiday Party (Dec.) _____

Or…Did you know?You can now pay your dues online at www.colowatergardensociety.org

using PayPal

Members exchangeold plants for newat the May 6 general meetingin Gates Hall.

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CWGS Board Business Meetings in 2007The Board will meet as follows. All members arewelcomed and encouraged to attend!

July 22: 2:00 PM in Waring House, DBG

Sep. 9: 12:00 PM in Gates Hall, DBG(preceding the scheduled 1:30 program)

Oct. 7: 2:30 PM at the Blubaugh’s home3064 S. Holland Ct., Lakewood

Features

The next newsletter, our July Pond TourIssue, will provide directions and additionaldetail regarding the pond tours and the jointpicnic.

To offset the cost of the picnic, adults will becharged $5 per plate; children under 12, $3.RSVP for the picnic to Gary Blubaugh (or justshow up). Pay at the picnic.

There will be no charge for admission to themany ponds. See you there!

Did you know?…Denver Botanic Gardens offers $5 off itsinitial annual membership to members ofCWGS.

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New and Renewing Members:Joyce and Gary Blubaugh

Lakewood, COJim Carlson

Denver, COJack Curtin

Denver. COTom and Ann Herbst,

Aurora. COLinda Krueger

Elizabeth COMarge Oleson

Lakewood, CODierdre Parker

Boulder, CONancy and Trey Styler

Greenwood Village, COLouise and Leon Thomas

Centennial, CO

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’07 Pond Tour and PicnicNew this Year: A Tandem Tour

By Gary Blubaugh,CWGS Board President

Mark your calendars for July 14th and15th.You will have an opportunity to visitCWGS ponds in Lakewood and NorthLittleton, as well as see Rocky Mt. Koi Clubponds and visit with members of the RockyMt. Koi Club this year at a joint picnic.

The Boards of CWGS and The Rocky Mt. KoiClub have decided to provide members fromboth our societies a chance to enjoy a widevariety of ponds over two days and also getacquainted with one another and share ideasat a joint picnic.

On Saturday, July 14th CWGS ponds inLakewood and North Littleton will be on thePond Tour from 10am to 4pm. At 5pmmembers from both CWGS and the RockyMt. Koi Club will enjoy a picnic at VickieAber’s home in North Arvada. On SundayJuly 15th, Rocky Mt. Koi Club Ponds will beon the Pond Tour for all to enjoy.

You will have an opportunity to ask questionsabout your wet friends and answer questionsabout water gardening. This should prove tobe an entertaining and educational learningexperience for members from bothorganizations.

natural diet. Some people use plasticalligators and this could very well work.

Herons do not land on the water and oftenfeed from the side of the pond. Make pond-side as uncomfortable to the heron aspossible. Their toes are meant to navigatemuddy lake bottoms. They don’t walk easilyon loose gravel or tiny rocks, nor are theycapable of navigating slippery rocks. Createyour own heron "moat" around the pond.

Place netting over the pond to make it evenmore difficult for the heron to walk in theshallows. Whenever you use netting, lowerthe water level down a couple of inches ifpossible or build a frame for the netting sothat the netting does not float on the top ofthe water. We have actually seen a blueheron standing on the netting and poking hisbeak through the openings. He wassuccessful with capturing and killing onegoldfish before we ran him off.

The Pond scarecrow is a highly effectiveproduct for protecting the pond not only fromthe Great Blue Heron but from otherpredators as well. It is a motion-detecteddevice that squirts water when set off. The upside of the Scarecrow is that it does squirtand scare off furry and feathery intruders.The down side of the Scarecrow is that itdoes squirt YOU and all pets and childrenthat move around it. This could be pleasant,however, on hot August days.

The threat of being visited by a Great BlueHeron is real. It happens often when youleast expect it. If the heron cannot find food,chances are he won’t waste his time andreturn. If he does find food, he will return andeat until all the food is gone. Protect your fishand your investment by putting a few - or all -of these safeguards in place.

The above article was originally published in theMillennium Edition of What's Up, Doc?, February2000_© Copyright 2000 by The Pond Doc's WaterGarden Center. Consent of “The Pond Doc” wasobtained to include the article here. The article wasedited for length and regional appropriateness.

For information on commercial products described in thearticle, visit www.PondDoc.com

Annual report on the CWGSWater Garden Fund at DenverBotanic Gardens

In a letter dated May 16, 2007 John E.Freyer, Chairman of the DBGEndowment reported that as of Dec.2006, the CWGS Endowment was$46,194.

2006 Distribution (50% of the totalincome accrued from principle at anannualized rate of 18.99%) was $1,973.Joe Tomocik, DBG Water GardenCurator, administered the use of thesefunds. The remaining $1,973 wasreinvested in the endowment.

The Water Garden Fund is part of thegreater Denver Botanic GardensEndowment. The fund was establishedin 1986.

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Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Actof 1918, the Great Blue Heron hasflourished. Increased reports of sightingsof these magnificent, but predatory, birdsindicate that they are in abundance now. It's now not unusual to spot blue heronseven in your own back yard! This has pondkeepers on edge - and rightly so.

The Heron is a skilled fisherman and hasall the latest equipment to make his jobeasier. His long legs allow him to wadethrough water as deep as 2 feet, and hissharp bill is perfect for grasping andspearing even the largest koi in the pond.He has patience and will wait for a fish tocome to him. Although fish is his favoritefood, he also enjoys frogs, snakes, miceand insects. As long as he knows he canget a meal from a pond he will keepreturning. Given free reign he can clean outa small pond in a matter of days.

You can’t lawfully kill a heron. The fine canbe as much as $10,000. So, what do youdo to protect the wildlife in your pond? Bystudying the Great Blue Heron’s eating andmating habits we can install safeguards tominimize the threat to our ponds.

Herons pick their partners in early spring. Aheron decoy placed by the pond duringMarch and April can actually draw a malein search of a mate. It’s best to wait untillate May to put out the decoy. The decoy isa very effective method in June throughFebruary because once he picks his matethe heron then defends his territory. Heronsstay out of other herons’ defendedterritories when not in search of a mate.Remember when you use a decoy,periodically move it around to keep up theappearance of a live bird.

A heron’s natural predators are fox, minks,hawks and raccoons, but we wouldn’tsuggest keeping any of them around toward off a possible heron attack. Raccoonsare the second most common pondpredators. Minks are little devils that love toeat fish and can swim like one and will eatcats as well. Fox do not normally eat fishbut make very unhappy pets, plus theirodors can be as "pleasing" as a skunk’s.

Herons do not like large dogs. If you haveone, use him! Some say a rubber snakewill keep herons away. I don’t agree withthis notion because the snake is part of theheron’s

Plant Sale (continued from front page)

Limited lot parking is available next to theMorrison Center. Enter via Eleventh Sreet.You may also park in the main BotanicGardens parking lot and as permitted onadjacent streets.

For additional information, or to volunteerfor set-up or to work the event, call any ofthe committee:

Vicki Aber 303-423-9216April Hough 303-499-6578Janet Bathurst 303-421-1144

Something for everyone..Just a few of the many plants that will beoffered at the June 10 sale…

Tropical Waterlillies:‘Mrs. E.G. Hutchins’ (pictured and described onthe front page)‘Wood’s White Knight”‘Islamorada’‘Colorata’‘St. Louis Gold’‘Mrs. Martin Randig’‘Dauben’

Hardy Waterlilies:‘Clyde Ikins’‘Laydekeri Lilacea’‘Texas Dawn’(pictured right)‘Helvola’‘Little Sue’‘Perry’s Fire Opal’

Marginals:Saururus ChinensisKing Tut Papyrus(pictured left)Dulichium AundinaceumWater Orchid (CypellaAquatica pictured at right.)Florida Leather Fern(pictured below right)Gunnera Chilensis,Pink SpriteWater Hawthorne.(pictured above)

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King Tut Papyrus, acompact form said to bemore shade tolerant

Water Hawthorne haswhite, fragrant fall flowers

Florida Leather Fern forbold foliage

N. ‘Texas Dawn’in bloom

CypellaAquatica

CWGS BalanceAs of April 30, 2007$ 16,804.31

Treasurer’s Report

TheGreat

BlueHeron

Heron are frequent visitors toDenver and the Botanic Gardensas this photo by CWGS memberJoe Mascarenas shows

Features Features

Cannas for CoLor By Joe Tomocik Curator of Water Gardens at DBG,

With bold foliage, easy cultivation and anabundance of flowers of exuberant colorsor subtle hues, Cannas have long been afavorite of Denver Parks and DenverBotanic Gardens.HistoryCannas have been cultivated for severalcenturies. Hybridization in the second halfof the nineteenth century brought amultitude of varieties to the gardeningenthusiast.

In France Theodore Annee developedcultivars growing over ten feet tall.Working in Italy in the 1890s Carl LudwigSprenger developed hardier selections ofthe color ‘yellow.’ Canna ‘Italia” with it’sgolden to vermillion flowers was one of hisprized creations. The importance ofCannas was featured in the November 23,1893 edition of The Gardener’s Chronicle,perhaps the most famous of all horticulturalperiodicals.

Cannas gained popularity in the UnitedStates at the World’s Columbian Expositionin 1893. Antoine Wintzer hybridized nearlya hundred cultivars before his death in1923. Two of his most remarkablevarieties C. Wyoming’ (orange flowers withbronze leaves) and C. ‘President’ (red) are

still popular.

Select Varieties:Taxonomists agree that there are ten orless Canna species. The yellow C. flaccidais native to Florida, the Carolinas, andGeorgia. C. glauca is native from the WestIndies to Paraguay. The red to yellow C.Indica ranges from Brazil to the WestIndies.

Several thousand cannas have beendeveloped over the years, and newCannas are always coming to market. C.‘Pretoria’ featuring orange flowers and lightgreen variegated leaves has long been afavorite of Denver Parks. C. ‘Tropicana’(syn. ‘Durban’, ‘Phasion’) sports brightorange flowers and richly variegated purpleleaves.

Cultivars recently displayed at DenverBotanic Gardens include C. ‘StadtFellbach’ (apricot pink), C. ‘Black Knight”(crimson flowers with stunning purple

foliage), and the gorgeous white flowering C.‘Ermine.’

A huge splash was made by Canna‘Cleopatra,’ which has striking red/yellowpetals. Curious chestnut blotches areoccasionally found on the leaves.

Another favorite in the Gardens is C.‘Australia.” Its bold brown leaves show wellagainst other green-leaf varieties.

Water Canna:In 1986 Denver Botanic Gardens receivedthree water Canna that had been hybridizedby Robert J. Armstrong at Pennsylvania’sLongwood Gardens. These varieties are inpart derived from C. glauca, a native of theswampy areas of South America and theWest Indies.

C. ‘Ra’ has yellow flowers. C. ‘Erebus’ haspink blooms; and C. ‘Endeavour’, red. Thesevarieties do very well when submerged inwater two to six inches deep. The leaves ofthese Longwood hybrids also have narrowerleaves than other selections.

Cultivation of Canna:Although not hardy to Denver, Canna are notreally delicate and cultivation is not difficult.Young plants grow from rhizomes that areplanted after the danger of frost is past.

Canna thrive in the abundant Colorado sun,flowering continuously throughout thesummer. A foliar feed water-soluble fertilizer,

applied weekly, produces more spectacularplants.

Plants that are brought inside before frost arecapable of flowering well into the wintermonths. Rhizomes can be storedsuccessfully in a wet soil mix as long as thetemperature is kept above freezing.Rhizomes can also be kept in watermaintained between forty and sixty degrees.Check weekly and change water regularly.

Note: This article was adapted from a hand-out preparedby Joe Tomocik, Curator of the Water Gardens atDenver Botanic Gardens. Text has been edited forlength and appropriateness to format.

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Canna ‘Austria’(Italian Group)photo fromWikipedia.org

Did You Know?! Although native to the new world, the

genus name Canna is believed tohave been derived from the Celticword for cane or reed.

! Canna discolor has been hybridized toproduce many canna used foragricultural purposes. The rootstock(rhizomes) yield an edible starch. Theleaves and young seed are alsoedible.

! Canna starch is a promising candidatefor use as bio-fuel.

! Terrestrial Canna that are watertolerant and known to perform well inwet bogs include: ‘Florence Vaughn’‘Intrigue’, and ‘Panache.’

For additional information regarding Canna, consultthe following sources: Canna – Wikipedia, the onlineencyclopedia and “the Encyclopedia of Water GardenPlants” © 2004 by Greg and Sue Speichert.