Pahrump Valley Gazette, Thursday, August 28, 1997 AA13
Ponds for the soul
Continued from page AA7
Some people want a fountain in the center of the patio.
Others, will benefit from a pond in a more private
environment. A place to relax and meditate. Fish folk may
want to raise Koi or catfish, and water gardens will be an
additional choice.
Fish will require a larger, deeper pond. Both fish and
water plants will need an area with protection from the wind
and tree debris.
Building can be a rewarding project. Local rock is
colorful and can make beautiful waterfalls and pond edging.
Concrete makes a good liner or a commercial fiberglass or
PVC plastic liner can be used. Metal can be artistic, especially
as it colors with weathering. Tile is always a choice. Brick
and flagstone are more options.
If you want to see a few ponds before you decide, start
:T
Continued from page AAZ
The remaining summer vegetables will soon be
gleaned to clear the canvas for the fall gardenscape,
Page will create her new painting with lettuce.
spinach, carrots, onions, broccoli and other cool weather
crops. She will plant while the ground has enough heat
to germinate the seeds. The artistic gardener always starts
with seed. Most seed is collected from her own plants.
and many have become uniquely adapted to their desert
environment. Each season, she tries new plants from
purchased seeds to continually add fresh interest to her
garden painting.
The artist prepares her canvas prior to each planting
by adding mulch mixture of dairy manure, vegetable
scraps, tree and plant debris. Her garden is free of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Selecting a garden site
Mesquite trees has aided her organic efforts by recludng
plant stress.
Page has loved to she
helped her mother. She has
years, seven of them at her
at Phrump's three nurseries. Jensen Nursery located on
Dyer has a large, fish filled pond with a cascading waterfall
at one end. Mr. Jensen built the pond and is always eager
to share information. This is his second pond in Pahrump,
and he has just completed a third. He plants the area
surrounding the pond with mature plants which gives the
pond a look and feel of having existed for a long time.
Pat De Jean, owner of Jordan/Chelsa Design and
Nursery located on Highway 372 near Highway 160, has a
three tiered po, ld made with preformed plastic liners. She
has used soil, rock and plants to create an appearance of a
natural occurring woodland area. The soothing sound of the
water ;s a treat for all the nursery patrons. De Jean offers a
select ,umber of artistic preformed fountains for sale.
Art Belk, at Pahrump Nursery on Wilson, has a large
were spent gardening on the adjoining two and a half
acres.
Using her creave talent to encourage her two
children, Brittany, 12. and Joey, 10, to share her love of
growing, last year Page created a P.za garden. She
planted tomatoes, oregano, bell peppers, onions and
used red concrete rounds for pepperoni. Another year,
she planted a "sweet tooth" garden to try to entice the
two to join her. The sweet peas, sweet corn, sweet
melons, and sweet onions didn't lure them to her garden
domain, but the Jccesfful harvest fed Page's enthusiasm.
A small greenhouse where she starts seeds gives her
the winter. She will also use it to start more of the
A.ked what one thing she would reco for an
inspired desert gardener, Page says install a drip watering
system, The
selection of ready made fountains in a wide variety of sizes.
Some are small enough to place indoors. Fountains gurgle
and splash merrily to the delight of his customers. His happy
fountains suit the man who heartily greets everyone with,
"It's a lovely day in Pahrump." Belk has built numerous
ponds and carries many of the required supplies. He is
delighted to disperse pond/fountain/plant information for
the asking.
Jerry and Ivy Bortvit's pond at Oakridge Landing is
open to the public. You may want to take a picnic and a
fishing pole when you go check out this well stocked pond.
The Bortvits welcome guests and are generous with pond
information.
They may refer you to Phil Richards who was their
pond guru. Richards and his wife, Ellen, built the huge pond
where they raise catfish. Their pond is no longer open to
the public, but they welcome people who call ahead.
Visit Frank Snow to see the ultimate pond in the desert.
Snow has a large, indoor pond where he raises prize Koi.
Snow was a pond veteran, he had already built five, when
he moved to north Pahrump 12 years ago. He and his wife,
Joan, spent about five months building their concrete pond
and the massive, stepped waterfall that filters the water as
it flows to the pond.
The couple dug the pond by hand using the time-
tested shovel and wheel barrow technique. They gathered
all the rock for the waterfall and pond edging. The two
mixed and poured the concrete and set all the rock. To
complete the pond, Frank designed his own filtering
system.
The water is crystal clear making it easy to enjoy the
brilliant colored Koi. The fish, a 25 year hobby, swim to
the edge of the pond to be petted and fed. The 70 to 75
adult fish have plenty of room to swim with the 300 babies,
Snow has built a deck for barbecuing and entertaining
at the north end of the enclosed pond. There are plenty
of chairs along the gravel paths to relax and watch the fish.
A sun screen material lets in light while it gives shelter from
the wind and protection from solar rays that encourage
algae growth. The "Koi man" will share his superb pond
and wealth of knowledge. All you need to do is ask. His
number is 727-8321.
II I I IIIII
Cactus- Cactus
Largest Selection in Nevada
Desert Plants Succulents
Lots of native Nevada plants including:
Red Barrels, Cholla, Yucca, Mound Cactus, Clariet
Teddy Bear, Beaver Tail, Prickly Pear, Saguaro
Golden Barrels, Organ Pipe, Desert Willow
Blue Pale Verde, Ocotillo, Mexican Fence
Post, Agave and Extremely Nice
Nevada Joshua Trees
FliU!II CACl'U$ Say you saw it in the Gazette, limit of one.
OPEN: 9am -- 5pm Daily, Sun. 10-Spm 12740 Blue Diamond Road, 1/2
Mile off 160 W. on Blue Diamond Rd. (Hwy. 159)
j
Discover'
I
!1
....... ) IIMOKE IH
751968 i--=
170218
In
Fax (702) 875-1913 -'==.=- '
IIIIIII II --
