Current Pond 48° F
Updated: 2.22.25
Spring is almost here! Mark your calendars for March 20th, the first day of spring in 2025! We’re already gearing up at Falling Water Gardens to help you make the most of the season. If you’re dreaming of a vibrant summer garden, now is the perfect time to start planning for a successful spring garden—let us bring your vision to life!
New spring plants and garden art are arriving almost daily at the nursery, including a variety of stunning sculptures and bubbling fountains. Now is the perfect time to start planning for summer—whether you’re adding fresh plants or considering bigger upgrades to your space.
For those with koi and goldfish ponds, feeding season is just around the corner, and there are essential spring maintenance tasks to tackle.
We’re now booking pond cleanings and other maintenance services, and our schedule fills up fast as we head into summer. If you want your pond refreshed before the warm weather arrives, now’s the time to schedule your service!
If you’ve been around the garden center in the past, this is probably something you’ve heard us talk about before. If you’ve never tried mason bees, this is your year!
Mason Bees help get gardens, and especially fruit trees, pollinated early in the season. Mason Bees are significantly more effective at pollinating a garden than Bumble or Honeybees. Unlike the Honey or the Bumble bee, Mason Bees do not have a hive, so the pollen they collect stays in their possession. They are less tidy transporting the pollen they collect so more pollen gets spread across many more flowers. Mason Bees are so docile it is nearly impossible to get one to sting so you don’t need to fear them.
Mason Bees start to emerge in early spring when temperatures are still a bit cool for other bees. When fruit trees begin to bloom, you will usually see Mason Bees getting to work, so If you want increased fruit production you should definitely have Mason Bees in your garden. When it is about 50°F outside in your local area, you put the cocoons outside. Until then you store the Mason Bee cocoons in the fridge to keep them cold.
Mason Bees lay their eggs in small hollow holes or tubes. Mason Bee houses are a collection of perfectly sized tubes to ensure you get a large colony of Mason Bees next year.
Place Mason Bee houses in an area near the spaces you want pollinated. Mason Bees need to be located close to the area you want them to pollinate because they fly far shorter distances than honey bees. Mason Bees love morning sunshine, so you should look for an east or south facing spot. A fence or wall or side of a building is good. Avoid a spot under a swaying branch since the bees don’t like dappled shade. Your spot should be about four feet above ground.
We have everything you need to be successful with Mason Bees. We always sell out of Mason Bees so visit the gift shop now!
If you’ve been waiting to add new fish to your pond, the wait is nearly over! We start getting new fish available for sale in mid-April. Make sure to come visit us as soon as our greenhouse is open!
When To Feed Your Koi
Water Temperature & Fish Hibernation: Fish conserve energy by remaining closer to the bottom of the pond when the water temperature is below the mid 50°F’s. This is their way of hibernation, called Torpor.
Fish do not generate their own body heat, and their body temperature is reliant on both water temperature and their environment.
When do I feed?
Once the temperature of your pond water is consistently above 50°F, it is safe to feed your fish all-season fish food again.
Do you know the temperature of your pond? We sell pond thermometers at the nursery or you can check our webpage for the current temperature in our nursery Koi pond.
The secret to a great summer garden is taking care of the right tasks at the start of spring! Now is the time to break out your gardening gloves and get your garden prepared for planting and blooming.
Task 1: Clearing
After the last frost is a great time to move away debris, and clear dead stems, because this is our last opportunity to do so before new growth starts.
Task 2: Dividing
Take a look around your garden and see what you can possibly divide and plant. If you see areas of congested plants like iris’ or geraniums, actually anything with lots of stems, you can divide. Dividing and replanting allows you to decrease overall garden congestion, see what areas need to be filled in with complimentary plants or areas that need complete replacement and support.
Task 3: Early Planting
If you have areas within your garden for edible plants/crops now a good time to plant permanent crops like asparagus and strawberries, and also early plantings of crops of shallots, potatoes and onions.
Task 4: Pond Cleaning & Scheduling Maintenance
If you do not have fish in your pond, you may clean your pond this month. If you do have fish in your pond, wait until the water temperature is at a consistent 50° degrees as your fish are immune suppressed below 50. In our area fish ponds reach 50 closer to April.
If you are a DYI person, you may visit our nursery to purchase your pond supplies. We have a great article on Spring Pond Maintenance and check out this great video on how to clean your pond.
If you want to schedule a professional pond cleaning by our crew, email us to get your pond cleaning scheduled.
Visit our page on seasonal pond-care tasks for more tips on how to get your pond ready for summer
Here are this month’s featured plants! These are a handful of plants that are in bloom right now and would make great additions to your garden.
We often have these featured blooms planted around the garden center, as well as for sale near the barn. Aquatic plants are tucked between the barn and the greenhouse that holds the fish.
Helleborus, commonly known as hellebores or Lenten roses, are hardy, early-blooming perennials that bring elegant color to late winter and early spring gardens. With their nodding, cup-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, and green, they thrive in shady spots and are deer-resistant. These low-maintenance plants are perfect for adding year-round interest with their evergreen foliage and long-lasting blooms.
You can find these dotted around the garden center, including on both sides of our bubbling garden brook!
Marsh marigold is perfect for water gardens, pond edges, rain gardens, and wet, boggy areas in the landscape because it requires constant moisture and tolerates wet soil. It is an early bloomer in the spring with striking yellow flowers on tall, 12 to 18 inch, hollow, branching stems. For best flowering, you should set the plant in full sun, however, full sun in the summer may force the plant to go dormant.
Marsh Marigold is usually found in our large goldfish pond near the fish greenhouse, but you’re likely to spot it in other ponds as well!
Daphne shrubs are fragrant, evergreen or deciduous plants known for their clusters of small, sweetly scented flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring. They thrive in well-drained, slightly acidic soil and prefer partial shade. Though beautiful, many species, such as Daphne odora, are toxic if ingested. Their delicate, colorful blooms and glossy foliage make them a popular choice for gardens, but they can be finicky to grow, requiring careful attention to soil conditions and moisture levels.
Camellias are elegant evergreen shrubs prized for their glossy foliage and stunning, rose-like blooms that appear in late fall, winter, or early spring. Available in shades of white, pink, and red, they thrive in partial shade and well-drained, acidic soil. With their long-lasting flowers and year-round greenery, camellias add timeless beauty to gardens and landscapes.
Incredibly, we still have a handful of dates remaining for weddings this summer!
Also, mark your calendars for Mother’s Day weekend, as we are once again hosting our Wedding open house on Saturday, May 10th. Last year’s event was packed on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, with dozens of wedding vendors on site to put on a show!
If you’re interested in a tour of the facility, contact us to schedule a guided walkthrough.
Falling Water Designs is an award-winning Seattle, Washington-based landscape design and pond installation company serving the following areas: Seattle, Bothell, Bellevue, Sammamish, Redmond, Kirkland, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Clyde Hill, Medina, Mercer Island, and more.
