Geneva Area Pond Club's free meeting on September 21

We can admire two distinctive ponds during this meeting, both designed and built by Guy in the garden he and Frances created on what was once farm land. The deep pond right next to the house is home to very large koi carp and grass carp, two species notorious for eating aquatic vegetation. Because not many plants can grow in that pond anyway, it's shaded by a slatted pergola. The shade serves to keep the water cool, and also to hide the fish from predatory herons flying overhead. A small cascade and exuberant fountain circulate the water and provide the active fish with lots of oxygen. An impressive variety of tall and short bog plants decorate the pond's perimeter.

Guy's second pond is hidden away at the other end of the large property, in a cosy valley shaded by an impressive weeping willow. This pond houses many goldfish and other small varieties, with visiting frogs enhancing the pond's appeal. It has various water lilies, a wide range of other aquatic and bog plants, and a small cascade to add a lilting sound and sparkling motion. It looks as if the pond had always been there as a gift from nature.

The club will meet in the hosts' lovely glass-enclosed conservatory, unless an overflow crowd decides to meet on the extensive lawn surrounded by blooming flower beds. The lawn is occasionally used for playing croquet. The main topic of discussion at this meeting will be water quality for our ponds, because different species of fish and plants thrive better in different waters. Many other subjects come up at these meetings, so bring your questions for the experts to answer, and contribute suggestions based on your own ponding experiences.

Full details of the September 21 meeting are on the club's web site at http://ponds.meetup.c.... Road maps and driving directions to reach the hosts' home are accessible on the same page. Click on the blue link above their address to get a Google map of the neighborhood, on which you can zoom in and out to get your bearings. Then click on the link marked 'Directions' to get a larger map of the surrounding area. You can type your own address in the box marked 'From' and click 'Get Directions.' You'll then see turn-by-turn driving directions for the best route from your home to the hosts' home. Park in the car park behind the Mairie (entrance in the Route de Collex just behind the school), and walk the 250 meters or so.

If you're not able to attend the September 21 event, check out the club's other free meetings in the web site's 'Calendar' section. Log on to http://ponds.meetup.c... for a list of upcoming events, then click on each meeting's title to read its location and full details. On that page please let the hosts know if you can or can't attend by submitting your RSVP on line. Just click Yes, Maybe, or No, optionally add a note in the box marked 'Comment,' then click 'Submit.' Visitors are always welcome at these free events, so invite interested friends and neighbors to come along.

If none of the dates or places of upcoming events are convenient for you, we can still accommodate your schedule. You can choose your own date, and host a club meeting in your own home or garden. The club always meets on the first and third Sundays of every month in various club members' gardens. To reserve your ideal date, call club leaders Suzanne and Peter in Nyon at 0041 22 362 03 60, or write to them at [masked]. Hosting a meeting chez vous will let the attendees admire the features of your own pond. You can also ask the experts for critiques on how to enhance your water garden.

You can get a preview of Guy and Frances's ponds by looking at their photo album in the 'Photos' section of the club's web site. Log on to http://ponds.meetup.c..., click on each photo to enlarge it, and click on each enlarged photo to enlarge it again. Then scan down the page to see many more albums of other club members' ponds. You can also get a photo album on our web site to display many views of your own pond. Just e-mail your digital photos to Peter, ideally with a caption for each, and he'll upload them onto the web site.

But first please submit your RSVP for the September 21 meeting to let Guy and Frances know whether you can or can't attend. If your plans change, just return to that page to revise your RSVP. We expect to have another informative and enjoyable meeting then, and hope to see you there.