Remaking the fish pond.

Awesome! Beautiful! The pond looks great, how did they do that? These are just a few of the comments from visitors to the Flower Bin indoor fish pond, lately. And it has been an amazing transformation, one that took over a week to accomplish. Luis started with a vision of how he wanted the pond to look. It had been more than 10 years since we first installed the fish pond at The Flower Bin and over those years, the fish and the pond have been a popular destination spot at the ‘Bin.

 Luis, with Nacho (pictured) and Rick’s help, began by removing as much of the old pond as possible, while leaving the fish alone as long as possible.  To finish the excavation, the fish were moved to a temporary holding tank, with supplemental pumps running for oxygenation.

Next, a woven fabric underlay was installed and then the rubber liner was set in place.

The old skimmer was replaced with one that holds two pumps instead of one. Piping was installed along both sides of the pond to feed each up-flow filter, at the top of the waterfall.

The skimmer and both up-flow filters act together to keep the pond water clear and healthy for the fish. The addition of two large sandstone slabs allows the fish to swim under the walk. This also hides the aeration pump, which runs 24 hours a day.

 Moss rock was carefully added to the exterior of the pond and a large piece of flagstone was set to enhance the waterfall. A stone path was laid to allow easy access to the pond.

The fish were carefully returned to their new home, where they enjoy entertaining visitors of all ages. Are you interested in adding a pond to your garden? Bring us your ideas and we will help you design the pond you’ve always wanted, including ordering the right equipment to keep your pond healthy and low maintenance. Go to our Pinterest account to see more images of the pond rebuilding project:   http://www.pinterest.com/flowbinco/rebuilding-the-pond/

 

Gifts for the bird lovers on your list.

 

We carry a full line of feeders and seed including suet and suet feeders.

Suet offers nutrition and attracts birds that might not come to other types of feeders.

Tube feeders and platform feeders are a great way to provide seed mixtures to your birds. We also carry feeders designed to deter squirrels.

We have hand-painted bird baths, as well as glazed bird baths with matching pottery.

 

We have heaters, designed to keep water open when temperatures fall.

We have hanging humming bird feeders and ones that stick in the ground.

And for something different, we have bat houses in stock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gifts for the discriminating Gardener

Christmas shopping at the ‘Bin means great gifts for everyone, with choices from premier designers such as San Pacific International, Woodstock Chimes, Campania International, Good Directions and many more. In this blog, we highlight some of the items that special gardener in your life will enjoy receiving. We choose our outdoor décor items ranging from metal garden art,

 

to hand painted bird baths

to concrete statues

to unique and functional bird feeders.

You will transform your garden into a vibrant experience for all to enjoy with the gift of Flower Bin high quality garden décor.

Some gift ideas from the 'Bin

 

Some gift ideas from the ‘Bin. Choosing the right Christmas gift is important and you’ll find just what you’re looking for at The Flower Bin. Along with our spectacular poinsettias, our fresh Christmas trees, wreaths and garland, our gift house offers an excellent variety of candles, calendars, lotions, ornaments,

nativity scenes,

wind chimes

and so much more. We have wide brimmed hats that let you garden in style while protecting you from the sun. Choose from an assortment of colors, designs and sizes.

We have gardening gloves, aprons, hand towels and bags. We have handcrafted Bolga baskets.

 

Shop our indoor display of hand painted birdbaths, fountains and statuary (look closely to find the T-Rex statue).

  

We strive to carry unique gifts and holiday decorations. Shopping at the ‘Bin means great gifts for everyone.  We invite you to make us a part of your Christmas Tradition.

How to Care for Poinsettias.

How to Care for Poinsettias.

Here are some simple facts about poinsettias. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and Central America. Poinsettias were introduced in the United States by Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist, physician and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. They were soon a very popular Christmas plant. December 12^th is Poinsettia Day, which marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1851. Poinsettias are not poisonous, though some people are sensitive to the white sap they produce.  Poinsettias have thin foliage leaves that vary in color from pale to dark green. The showy parts of the poinsettia that most people think of as flowers are actually specialized leaves, called bracts.

 

The actual flowers are these tiny yellow clusters found at the very center of the bracts. In nature, the brightly colored bracts are there to protect the plant and to attract insects to the flowers in order to spread the pollen. Poinsettias are available in a wide variety of breathtaking colors from solid red to variegated leaves.

Proper care for your poinsettia begins before you leave the store. We will carefully bag your poinsettia when it’s cold to protect it on its way home. Once you get your poinsettia home, unwrap it and place it in a room where it will get bright light, but not direct sunlight.  Poinsettias don’t like drafts, either hot or cold, so keep away heater vents, fireplaces, doors and cold windows. The ideal room temperature should be around 72°F during the day and no cooler than 60°F at night. Place the plant high enough to be out of the reach of children and pets and away from traffic. Set the plant in a water-proof saucer. If the pot is wrapped in foil, be sure to cut a drain hole in the wrapper (we cut a drain hole in the foil on the plants we wrap). Water your plant thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Water the plant enough to soak the soil to the bottom of the pot. Remember to discard any excess water from the saucer. Poinsettias don’t like to sit in water. With the proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and retain its beauty well into the New Year.

 At The Flower Bin, we grow all of our own poinsettias, so you can be assured that the plant you are purchasing is locally grown and of the highest quality.