I try to update the front page of my website about once a month ... this month, I found a quote I really like ... so I thought I would share it:
Innes wrote "March comes in like a lion, they tell us, and goes out like a lamb, but a March lion wears a prophetic garland of shamrock, and with all the blustering of the wind, there is bound to be, we know, the scent of spring in its wake. The hobbyist's cue is to put plans formulated in January and February into effect by commencing his breeding programs and to welcome generally a new season.
"Orders for tropical lilies should be placed by now and although nurseries will not begin shipments until the danger of frost no longer worries us, early lists will receive their first consideration. On a fair and breezy afternoon, we might clean out the garden pool, and prepare the soil around it for border plantings, if new ideas for such have been included in our garden scheme.
"Aquarium gardening is not, of course, limited to those hobbyists who have installed out-of-doors pools. The cultivation of aquatic plants is an integral part of the aquarium hobby, and although we try to maintain a consistent climate in our tanks, spring has a way of slipping in, and suddenly we find our plants taking a new lease on life. Longer exposure to daylight, of course, is part of the reason for this, but even the plants that seldom bask in natural light seem to respond to spring. Take advantage of this period that stimulates growth by rooting clippings from pruned plants in tanks that have room for them. It is an excellent time to introduce new species of plants to aquariums, too, and dealers are now receiving fresh stocks. Attractively potted house plants add much beauty to the fish room, and every five and ten cent store and super market is now showing lush shelves of philodendron, pothos, and ivy. These and many other house plants respond well to the moist air of the fish room and earn whatever small attention they demand by making any corner more attractive.
"All spare tanks should be in good and usable condition now, and it is well to have them set up, planted, and ready to receive fry resulting from spring spawnings. Setting the tanks up early gives the plants time to take hold and it also conditions the water, making it suitable for young fish."
I think Innes words, written decades and decades ago, still ring true ...
Innes wrote "March comes in like a lion, they tell us, and goes out like a lamb, but a March lion wears a prophetic garland of shamrock, and with all the blustering of the wind, there is bound to be, we know, the scent of spring in its wake. The hobbyist's cue is to put plans formulated in January and February into effect by commencing his breeding programs and to welcome generally a new season.
"Orders for tropical lilies should be placed by now and although nurseries will not begin shipments until the danger of frost no longer worries us, early lists will receive their first consideration. On a fair and breezy afternoon, we might clean out the garden pool, and prepare the soil around it for border plantings, if new ideas for such have been included in our garden scheme.
"Aquarium gardening is not, of course, limited to those hobbyists who have installed out-of-doors pools. The cultivation of aquatic plants is an integral part of the aquarium hobby, and although we try to maintain a consistent climate in our tanks, spring has a way of slipping in, and suddenly we find our plants taking a new lease on life. Longer exposure to daylight, of course, is part of the reason for this, but even the plants that seldom bask in natural light seem to respond to spring. Take advantage of this period that stimulates growth by rooting clippings from pruned plants in tanks that have room for them. It is an excellent time to introduce new species of plants to aquariums, too, and dealers are now receiving fresh stocks. Attractively potted house plants add much beauty to the fish room, and every five and ten cent store and super market is now showing lush shelves of philodendron, pothos, and ivy. These and many other house plants respond well to the moist air of the fish room and earn whatever small attention they demand by making any corner more attractive.
"All spare tanks should be in good and usable condition now, and it is well to have them set up, planted, and ready to receive fry resulting from spring spawnings. Setting the tanks up early gives the plants time to take hold and it also conditions the water, making it suitable for young fish."
I think Innes words, written decades and decades ago, still ring true ...
