Koi Feeding Begins Again
Garden volunteers hard at work getting the ever popular koi food ready for sale.
Visitors young and old all delight in feeding the koi in our pond. You will see them leaning over the railing of the moon viewing platform, or sitting down on the edge of the zig-zag bridge, dropping little pellets into the rounded mouths of the eager fish. The simplicity of the activity almost makes it as meditative as it is endlessly amusing.
Koi feeding is a much-missed activity during the cooler weather months of spring and fall, when we cease the sale of kibble. Koi lack the enzymes to digest food when the temperatures drop, making it unhealthy for them to try to eat--which they will, no matter how cold it gets.
There's some good news.
With more consistently warm temperatures upon us, it's once again safe to feed our koi. A team of willing volunteers got together today, May 6, to package up this season's allotment of kibble for sale. They laughed and talked as they busily moved their hands, scooping kibble into, and affixing lids on, one little container after another. Thank you, Bert, Mary Ann, Robert, Joanie, Libbie and Carol for your efforts and good cheer. Thank you also to Bill, Myrna, and Jeanne for getting the packing party started last Friday, May 1.
Koi kibble is available to visitors for $1 a package. Please inquire at the ticket booth. And enjoy!
(Click on the images to see them in full size)
Rumi Tsuchihashi is the Stewardship and Events Coordinator at Seattle Japanese Garden, and the blog editor.