Water Gardening Archives | Arett Outlook Presented by Arett University

OASE: Selecting The Right Filtration System

Warmer weather is finally here and your customers are enjoying their valuable time outside. Over the next few months their yard will be an extension of their home. Water gardens are a focus in many of the best backyards and utilizing OASE’s Clear Water Guarantee items will ensure that water gardening enthusiasts are using more time for enjoyment and less time for maintenance.

OASE offers a line of products that, when used in conjunction as a complete filtration system, qualify for the Clear Water Guarantee. When the products are used correctly and registered online, OASE will provide VIP customer service should any issues arise during the life of the filtration system. There are two types of OASE Clear Water Guarantee systems: Pressurized and Flow through filtration. All qualifying products proudly display the Clear Water Guarantee icon on the packaging.

Your customers will have their own ideas on how to incorporate a water feature into their garden or yard. Whether it’s a pond rehab or a new water installation, OASE products provide the easiest, most cost effective solutions to do it right. When assisting your customer with their water gardening needs, the OASE system is broken down into three essential parts:

The Filter – size and type based off the size of the water feature;
The Pump – an AquaMax OASE pump that is predetermined base on the size of the filter;
The UV Clarifier – to help clear the green out of the water.

OASE provides a simple chart and set of questions to determine the appropriate solution. The following questions will determine the product choice:

Determine your pond size.
Determine the fish load.
Refer to the chart to determine the appropriate products for your pond.

With a tidy landscape and a new or upgraded water feature – your customer can now enjoy every minute outdoor in their yard. OASE’s line of Clear Water Guaranteed products will allow the pond owner to spend less time maintaining and more time enjoying their time outside – making their yard feel more like home all season long.

Order Now Using Program Number: G54E1

DRAMM Celebrating 75 Years of Design and Manufacturing of Quality Watering Tools

Dramm Corporation has been a leader in watering tools and accessories for 75 years. Imagine it all started with a man named John G. Dramm and his invention that revolutionized the way greenhouses; nurseries and gardeners water their plants.

In 1941, John G. Dramm produced cut flowers for his florist shop in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Johnny, as everyone knew him, always had a passion and a gift for invention. In order to water greenhouse crops quickly, Johnny saw the need for a nozzle to apply very large quantities of water in a soft stream. Thus, he designed the 400 Water Breaker, which applied water with no damage to plants. This nozzle is the standard of commercial growers worldwide.

The company developed from a “basement operation” to a 70,000 sq. ft. facility, employing over 50 people.

News quickly spread about this innovative watering tool and requests for the new nozzle were received. Johnny continued to work in his floral shop during the day and constructed the 400 Water Breaker® orders at night. As the business began expanding, tragedy struck. John G. Dramm passed away suddenly in 1951 at age 47. He was survived by his wife, Perdita, and two sons ages 12 and 18.

His family had no Social Security benefits and now struggled to keep the business going. Subcontracting the parts and assembly, Perdita packed the orders, attended to all of the paperwork and, using her lunch hours while she worked as a school librarian, drove to the post office and mailed out the shipments. Taking no salary from the Dramm Company, Perdita used the modest profits to put her two sons through college.

After the two boys went to college they continued the tradition of contributing to the growth of the family business. By the late 1950s and into the early 1960s, John Peter, the older son, started working out of his own basement. He eventually rented a small factory and gave it the name Dramm Manufacturing Company. Like his father, he had a natural interest and talent for invention. He evolved into a self-taught engineer, designing specialized equipment for Dramm products.

In 1967, younger brother Kurt William, the born salesman of the family, purchased The Dramm Company from his mother, Perdita. Although there were two companies, being a close family, they operated as one entity. In 1978, at an early age of 45, John P. Dramm passed away and the two companies became one under the name Dramm Corporation.

While the original products were designed for the professionals working in greenhouses and nurseries, requests from the public were building. The avid home gardener wanted to use the same watering tools the “pros” were using. And the “pros” were all using Dramm.

The company continued to grow in the retail industry by expanding into a full line of Rain Wands, sprinklers, and watering tools accessories. In the 1990’s, Dramm Corporation revolutionized watering tools by introducing color into the full line of Rain Wands, sprinklers, and watering tools with six rainbow colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and berry. Now gardeners could choose a color to fit each individual’s personality and it would not get lost in the lawn. Since then, competitors have often copied but have never matched the complete style, color, and quality of Dramm’s products.

In July of 2013, Kurt and Marlene Dramm announced the completed ownership transfer to the their son Hans Dramm and daughter Heidi Dramm Becker. Hans Dramm is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Heidi Dramm Becker is Executive Vice President and appears in many of Dramm’s TV commercials and lifestyle photos.

Family involvement has been an integral part of the growth and success of the company and is still a vital ingredient today. Hans Dramm’s daughter and Heidi Dramm Becker’s children also appear in TV commercials and lifestyle photos. Kurt Becker, son-in-law, is the Executive Vice President and the Director or Commercial Sales and Marketing. Kurt Dramm is still active with the company as the Chairman Emeritus.

Today, Dramm continues to provide quality, durable, and professional watering tools, accessories, and natural fertilizers to nurseries, greenhouses, and avid gardeners nationwide. Dramm strives to produce products that save time and energy while providing quality products that will last a lifetime.

Order Now Using Program Number: D40E2

Danner: Proven, Trusted, & Engineered to Last

Since 1934, Danner Manufacturing (a family owned and operated business) has been devoted to developing and refining the process of efficiently moving and filtering water better than anyone. Over 80 years later, their sophisticated and energy-efficient, magnetically driven and hybrid pumps continue to be popular products that continue to develop thousands of satisfied and loyal customers.

Their innovative technologies are well-known by consumers and professional alike in the areas of pond and water gardening, aquariums, pool, and hydroponics. Through their family of top-quality, distinctive brands, including Pondmaster, Supreme, ProLine, Mainstream, Cover-Care, and Clearguard, Danner has attracted scores of dedicated customers and businesses that rely on their performance and support to help make their experiences successful.

They are continually working on additions and improvements to help consumers and professionals do better, faster, and more reliable installations.

Their newest introductions include the Danner, energy-efficient LED lights, which are perfect for any underwater or landscape lighting application! Use the High Brilliance 2.0 W LEDS to illuminate ponds, paths, walkways, or outdoor statuary. The lights come with 4 interchangeable, UV-protected, impact-resistant, polycarbonate lenses. They feature a 20′ power cord from each light to the 12 volt transformer and are available in 1 and 3 light sets. They have a built-in dusk/dawn sensor and are low voltage ETL listed. These Danner LED lights would be a great addition to your spring water gardening section.

Order Now Using Program Number: S99S4

Introducing The New Pocket Hose ULTRA

outlook_t13_banner Pocket Hose ULTRA is the all new and improved prototype of the original expanding Pocket Hose. It is now 3 times stronger than the original, and is built to last! Here are the new features:

Pocket Hose ULTRA is equipped with tight seal technology, guaranteed to give you a water tight seal every time – no more leaks. The secret is the super strong material of the amber tip connectors that are 3 times more durable than the original!

Pocket Hose ULTRA is made with double layer construction just like a fire hose, with a scientifically developed elastomer hose on the inside. The elastomer hose expands with water pressure, while the new and improved outer lining protects it – no more rips or breakthroughs. And the new Solar Stripe Shield protects the Pocket Hose ULTRA from damaging UV rays and extends the life of the hose!

Pocket Hose Ultra is an expandable hose that’s small enough to fit in your pocket. No more heavy, or kinked hoses. Easy to manage, Pocket Hose ULTRA makes watering plants and outdoor cleaning quick and convenient. The compact, lightweight, accordion design is easy to store and carry, and is now 3 times stronger! As seen on TV, Pocket Hose ULTRA expands to a tangle-free, 50′ full-length hose. Fits standard spigots and nozzles. Durable polypropylene/plastic.

Super lightweight and easy to handle
Never kinks, twists or tangles like ordinary hoses!
Expandable accordion design up to 50′
Perfect for gardens, terraces, patios and more

Order Now Using Program Number: T13E1

Half-Built on Success

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By Pete Mihalek, Managing Editor, Lawn & Garden Retailer

While finished displays are great, the staff at Hill Country Water Gardens uses a half-built approach to encourage and educate their DIY customers.

Hill Country Water Gardens keeps a lot of pottery in stock — approximately four containers worth — and for good reason. This business turns 40 to 50 percent of it into disappearing fountains, “which is a top-selling item for us and something we’ve sold since day one,” says owner Steve Kainer.

Disappearing fountains look great in a landscape or worked into a pottery display, but if a customer is new to the concept, they might not understand how it works and what is takes to get them running.

Kainer and his staff introduce this water feature through their half-built disappearing fountain displays.

“Basically, this means we’ve taken a feature that would be installed in a customer’s home and instead of showing how the finished project would look, we do not completely install it into the ground,” Kainer explains. “We only cover half of it with gravel, leaving parts exposed that normally wouldn’t be.” This way customers can see the grates, the mesh and the kit that makes the fountain run.

Building Their Confidence

After seeing something day in and day out, year after year, sometimes we can get into the habit of thinking something’s stale or obvious. But Kainer says it can be a very neat thing to witness a customer see a disappearing fountain for the very first time and not quite understand how they work.

“Our Learning Center will play host to four to six instructional seminars in the spring and summer on disappearing fountains, which typically draw 30 to 40 people,” he says. “At any given time, though, this area is also a great sales tool, too.”

Set toward the back of Hill Country’s layout, ponds, water gardens, half-built disappearing streams and rainwater collection systems are also on display for better understanding.

He adds, in this area, customers will walk up to a half-built display and get an easy “aha!” moment and go, “Oh, I get it now.”

Staff of Experts

During the peak season, Hill Country will have 25 to 30 staff on hand. Part of their training is the disappearing fountain’s road to a sale.

“Our staff is great at interacting with customers who are still unsure of how a disappearing fountain works,” Kainer says. “They’ll walk the customer back to our learning center to see the concept ‘in the works.’ There, they’ll receive a pamphlet and checklist detailing the project.”

This is a multi-faceted project that includes a reservoir, pump, gravel and the feature, which can be pottery, travertine stones and boulders.

Making Sense

Once customers leave the Learning Center, they are now able to walk the yard with a better sense of how this water feature can work for them.

Kainer says, “They’ll say, ‘Okay, now I know how they did that. It’s easy enough for us to do it, too.’”

They also know the cost of the disappearing fountain kit. There’s no gray area. All shoppers have to do is add the feature (pottery, travertine stones and boulders) and they’ll know exactly what they’re spending.

(Article provided by Lawn and Garden Retailer.)

Choosing the Right Pump for Your Water Feature

By Todd Rosendahl and Victor T. Romero

This article will help you determine what size pump to use and which pump is the most energy-efficient for your pond or water feature. Whether you own or maintain a pond, fountain or an elaborate waterfall, one of the most important factors is determining the right size pump to ensure a sufficient amount of water circulates throughout the entire feature.

First, you must determine how many gallons of water your feature can safely hold. Most professionals use the following formula: (Length (ft.) x Width (ft.) x Avg. Depth (ft.) x 7.5 = Total Gallons). A circular pond should be measured (Diameter (ft.) x Diameter (ft.) x Avg. Depth (ft.) x 5.9 = Total Gallons). Most pond and fountain pumps are classified by GPH which stands for Gallons Per Hour, so if your pump has a GPH of 500, then it should be able to pump 500 gallons of water every hour; however, there are a few other factors to consider before you decide to purchase your pump.

Keep in mind; it’s always better to have a bit more GPH as opposed to less. If the pond is 500 gallons and you are pumping water through tubing or PVC pipe, every 10 feet or any bends in the pipe create friction loss. You also have to take into consideration how high up you are pumping the water because this will also reduce the flow rate. So if you have a 500 gallon pond and you select a 500 GPH pump, you will most likely have a low flow rate output and you may need to invest in a stronger pump.

Although there are many ways to calculate which pump is best for your pond or water garden, it becomes very simple if you follow a standard rule of thumb which is; water feature pumps should turn over your pond water at least 1 time per hour.

After you have determined the right size pump for your water feature, now it’s time to determine which pump will save you the most money in energy costs. To determine which brand of pond pump is the most energy efficient, most professionals use the following formula: (Divide Gallons Per Hour by Watts). Most pond and fountain pumps will have this information on the packaging. The pumps with the most gallons per hour per watt will save you the most money. For example, if pump “A” has a 350 GPH and uses 25 watts and pump “B” has a 400 GPH and uses 32 watts, pump “A” is more efficient because it will give you 14 gallons per watt and pump “B” will only give you 12.5 gallons per watt.

If your pump is not strong enough, you will have several problems develop slowly within your water feature such as the following; algae, sludge, and organic debris will eventually build-up, your pond water may become murky and develop a foul odor, and mosquitoes will be able to nest on the surface of the water. Sufficient water circulation and aeration is the key to avoiding these problems and maintaining a healthy, balanced eco-system for your backyard pond or water feature.

Waking Up Your Pond for the Spring

By Todd Rosendahl and Victor T. Romero
Now that winter is finally over, it’s time to get outdoors and wake up your pond for the spring! During the winter months your pond or water garden naturally goes into its own form of hibernation. The cold weather slows down all natural activity of plants and organisms living in your pond or water garden. This is why it becomes important to “wake-up” the pond every spring to help promote a thriving and well-balanced ecosystem for your pond or water garden.
A good way to explain the importance of this activity would be to use fish as an example. Because fish generally cannot regulate their own body temperature, their temperature is usually the same as the water in which they live. For example, if the water temperature is 50 degrees, their body temperature is 50 degrees. Through the winter months, fish tend to slow down their activity level and basically hibernate and go to sleep. As spring arrives and the water temperature increases, they become more and more active. As they become more active, they gradually begin to get their appetites and start to feed, therefore producing more waste. The amount of waste can be controlled in a well-balanced ecosystem.
The following tips can help you succeed at having a well- balanced eco-system for your pond or water feature as well as help your fish and aquatic plants looking healthy and vibrant.
It is extremely important to test your pond water so you will be able to determine exactly what it needs, to identify an existing problem and prevent a potential problem. There are two types of water test kits you can use and they are test strip kits and liquid test kits. The strips are the preferred method because they are easier to use. You may also want to invest in a pond thermometer as this will help you determine what condition your pond is in.
If you add water to your pond or water feature and high levels of chlorine are present, you should use a Chlorine Remover to de-chlorinate the water because chlorine and chloramines can harm your fish. You should also add beneficial Cold Water Bacteria to give your pond a “jump-start”, as most of the beneficial bacteria will have already died off over the winter. This “jump-start” is needed to seed the biological process and reduce ammonia, nitrates and nitrites that can cause problems in your pond or water garden. This process is highly recommended annually at the start of the spring season. Warm Water Bacteria can also be used to improve the health of your pond when the water temperature is above 55°F.
If you have aquatic plants it is very important to thin-them-out and re-plant, to give them a healthy start for the spring. By “thinning out” we mean, after a year or two we recommend that you take potted plants out of their container, and separate them. If plants do not have their own space to grow, it can cause problems in the health of your pond water. Aquatic Planting Media with zeolites is highly recommended for aquatic plant growth.
If you see a buildup of organic material on the bottom of the pond you will want to use a Sludge Remover that will help reduce the load. Think of the organic material on the bottom of the pond as a compost pile. As the water temperature increases, the compost pile starts to break down, using oxygen in the break down process. If this continues over a period of time your pond water will suffer from a number of health problems, due to lack of oxygen in the water.
Fountains and waterfalls help improve aeration and add more oxygen to the water. UV pond and waterfall pumps will also help reduce harmful bacteria. Additional filters may be required to collect debris if your pond or water garden is surrounded by low lying trees. All of the previously mentioned water treatments, pumps, and filters are available under the pond boss® brand.
Taking these steps early is the key to success for a healthy, optimized pond or water garden. We hope you have a wonderful water gardening season!
Order Now Using Program Number: G54S2