Dress up landscape with living jewels

By Marty Metzger
Correspondent

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The Japanese, who've raised and loved them for thousands of years, call koi "living jewels." The magnificent, exotic carp certainly look the part. And, with prolific sub-types, sizes and amazing colors from which to select, the aspiring pond hobbyist is assured a plethora of possibilities.

For example, Doitsu koi, developed more than 100 years ago in Germany, are scale-free and available in multi-hued varieties. Butterfly koi glide gracefully through the water, propelled by flowing, wing-like tails that elegantly mimic their namesake.

Koi ponds provide an excellent form of xeriscaping, requiring far less water than do grass and most plants. Once filled, they need only be topped off for evaporation. And, a pond's horizontal or vertical interest can be increased with the addition of hardy or tropical water plants, such as lilies, or marginals, such as cattails, reeds or iris.

Donna Reinke and husband Don installed their 3,000-gallon, 3-feet-deep water lily pond 10 years ago. The following season, they added a 5,000-gallon, 4-feet-deep koi habitat. This boomerang-shaped pond now sustains 25 koi of several sizes.

Other creatures can be introduced into the water garden. Red slider turtles and bullfrogs call Dan and Sharon Rogers' ponds home.

This Fort Collins couple maintains, as do the Reinkes, two ponds, ages seven and five years. The former is 1,500 gallons, the latter about 9,000 gallons. Twenty koi live there, although this spring two were lost to herons, a big problem for area koi owners.

Rogers' ponds, which include hyacinth, water lilies, a redwood bench that conceals pumps and a waterfall backing up to a large pine tree, is like the famous Field of Dreams. Rogers built his Pond of Dreams, and they came.

They are the wild toads, birds seeking a drink and a bath, thirsty deer and summer barbecue guests that all gravitated to Rogers' ponds. The ponds also set the scene for two weddings.

The cares of a hectic world float away at a koi pond. Watching the mesmerizing creatures and listening to accompanying fountain or waterfall features soothe the stressed soul.

Koi are very sociable fish and recognize Rogers. All his koi act coy in the presence of strangers, yet happily follow him as he strolls around the pond.

The Reinkes' unique setup allows visitors to sit on the ponds' edges, which are raised 2.5 feet. The height, along with good depth, discourages predators such as raccoons and herons. Supplementing this protection is a motion-activated scarecrow (heron) hose attachment. Its sudden sprays shoo away the big, fish-seeking birds.

All of the Reinkes' koi are Japanese, some hand-imported. Reinke chuckled as she recalled plane trips on which her and hubby's carry-ons were koi, transported from California. The "flying fish" safely and cozily traveled in a ventilated bag within a box.

The Reinkes and Rogers are ardent koi proponents. Said Reinke, "It's so enjoyable watching them grow and learning about the history of koi."

Rogers' enthusiasm is contagious. One friend has now put in a pond, and Rogers' son and a neighbor will soon be installing their own.

Koi keeping is no fleeting proposition. Casey Sparks, who with wife Hannah owns Alpine Koi, said the geriatric record is held by a specimen from Japan that died a few years ago at 226 years of age. That country's koi often outlive owners and are passed down generations. In the United States, life-spans are shortened to an average 25 to 70 years due to water treatment; nevertheless, it's a long-term responsibility.

One cherished, noteworthy individual is Bob, a 15-year-old Copper Ogon Butterfly koi. Four years ago, a Denver-area couple purchased Bob from Alpine Koi. In fall 2006 they moved and, concerned their property's new owners might not properly care for their favorite fish, asked Sparks to take him back. He agreed, offering visitation rights, which they've already used several times. Bob now has a forever home at Alpine Koi.

Koi are prolific breeders. One fish can produce 250,000 eggs per season, although most don't survive. To control overpopulation, Golden Orfe (a trout species) that eat baby koi can be added to a pond, Sparks said.

Whether with three or 30 koi, the water gardening hobby is exploding in northern Colorado, enticing thousands of devotees. In fact, 10 percent of the U.S. population now has a water garden feature, which is less than Europeans' 30 percent, but still rapidly growing.

In Fort Collins, Koi Lagoon, 2000 E. Lincoln, specializes in complete pond habitats, service, upgrades and installations. Alpine Koi, 2715 E. Mulberry, is a water garden center offering koi, supplies, yard accessories, wild bird food, houses and feeders.

Want to explore a living, breathing koi pond? A tour of 10 to 12 ponds will be held July 15, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All proceeds go to Larimer County Search and Rescue. For details, call Alpine Koi at 224-3663.