Tag: Gardening

Meet Victoria, co owner of Sunset Koi and Pond Supply in Redding.

Sunset Koi sells Japanese Koi from their ponds just south of the Redding airport. Seen below, Queen Victoria summons her aquatic subjects with just a wave of her hand. This waterfall and pond contains her pets.

I’ve been pondering Koi recently, since I spent several months feeding fish daily for a client who had moved away and left me to sell her house -along with the fish. Feeding Cheerios to friendly and beautiful Koi while watching them swim about is a very calming activity. The home I had listed for sale on Bear Mountain Road sold a few days ago, and the buyer actually wrote the fish into the purchase agreement!

Koi added value to the home.

Click any image to enlarge. Turns out, there is an active group of Koi enthusiasts in the Northstate, although judging from their club website they seem to be between leaders. It happens.

So pretty!

Koi are domesticated Carp, as are Goldfish. They have been selectively bred over time for color and scale variations.

Seen here are their fish for sale. Sunset Koi sells fish in a price range from $15 to $400. Victoria knows many of the Koi people in town, and after I told her my Koi home sale story, she told me of a local home that recently sold for close to a million dollars, where the owner would actually fly to Japan to purchase fish. Not sure if the fish went with the house! I have also seen a deep Koi pond at a Redding home, where you could literally swim with the fish. The Koi lifestyle seems a pursuit you could spend as much or as little as you’d like. They are like swimming art objects. It’s quite handy that you can get pond kits that are easy to install from sites like https://lovefishtank.com/best-pond-kits/, as they’re a great way of helping you move into the hobby of caring for Koi on a budget, before you spend the big bucks and have a huge pond installed!

Sunset Koi also sells fancy goldfish, fish supplies, and waterplants. And a multitude of pond making and sustaining supplies.

So soothing to watch.

Below, from the Sunset Koi Facebook page. They are hosting a contest (“Pondtest,” actually) that will allow you a day of self guided tours of 9 local ponds:

“For those who haven’t heard of the Pondtest; it’s a fun little event that Sunsetkoi put together back in 2014. People opened their ponds for public viewing for one day over the summer and the public got the chance to view the ponds and vote on which was their favorite. Top tip: oxygenators are useful for your ponds, because it stops the growth of algae. The plants absorb excess nutrients to prevent feeding the algae, and keep the pond cool (algae love warm conditions). Puddle Plants sell plenty of oxygenating plants for your pond if you’re interested.

We are currently putting together the list of ponds and sponsors and are in need of at least two more ponds for the Pondtest which will be held June 18th from 9am to 4pm. If you are interested please message us over facebook or email us at vldolan2006@yahoo.com.

For those who don’t wish to be on the Pondtest but would like to view ponds tickets will be available April 1st at Sunset Koi, and a few select stores that will be announced at a later date. You are more than welcome to call Sunset Koi or check out the website for more info.”

Swimming art in soothing ponds. That’s Really Redding.

All the rain brought in a fairy ring of Morels popping up right out of the gravel driveway of this house in Shasta Lake City. I think they are edible, but somehow the idea of foraging a driveway for mushrooms just isn’t very appetizing, Interesting, though.Later, on Facebook, I was informed there is a variation of these called False Morel that can be poisonous. I wasn’t planning on eating these anyway, but good to know.

This unseasonable Spring started last December, apparently. The lovely Karry put some peas in the garden, and here they are coming into production, well before the end of January. So crisp in stir fry!

Beautiful variegated leaf patterns can make it hard to find the pods. No wonder they charge so much for these at the store.
Peas on Earth, it’s Really Redding.

Added a new link to vegetable garden blogger Bill Bird’s excellent Sacramento Vegetable Gardening blog.
Although not exactly a Redding resource, I imagine Sacramento vegetable gardeners face many of the same challenges as we do. His posts are written in an entertaining and informative personal style you will enjoy. Click on over for a good read, and to catch up with Bill and The Wife That Is Venus.