It was an accidental fishery. He hadn't set out to be the purveyor of millions of fish. For G. L. Thomas Sr., it all began in 1917 with a goldfish hobby. To add beauty to his property, G.L. dug ponds in his tiered fields, which he then stocked full of hearty goldfish, topping them off with colorful water lilies. His efforts were met with resounding success and both goldfish and water lilies flourished. So much so that his son, Charles B. Thomas, on VictoriaAdventure.com wrote of his father, "He gave away a lot of fish in the early days and then, rather reluctantly, began to sell them as the demand grew. Almost without realizing it, he became a fisheries operator on a full-time basis." The demand for goldfish remained high, and G. L.'s success led him to buy over 300 acres of land in Adamstown for expansion, which he named Three Springs Fisheries. At one time, there were up to 800 ponds full of fish and water lilies across the sprawling acres. As the business grew into a national mail-order business, the postal service in 1932 agreed to place a post office at the Fisheries giving it the name Lilypons in honor of a famous star and opera singer, Miss Lily Pons.
As a fourth-generation owner of Lilypons, President Margaret Koogle has lived through the evolution of Three Springs Fisheries into Lilypons Water Gardens. Margaret's early memories of Three Springs Fisheries make her smile. She recalls it as "great fun" to come to the fishery along with her three sisters, each wearing Mary Janes and white anklets. "We would come and stuff the flyers into the catalogs, and since we rarely had treats at home, we were rewarded with getting to pull a bottle of orange soda from the old-fashioned soda machine!" she says. Margaret laughs while remembering another crystalline memory of her youth at the fishery. "Mr. Ernest Page worked his entire life for the Fisheries, from the time he was 20 until he was 89 years old. When the workers would drain the ponds, they would put the fish in buckets to sort. Well, Mr. Page would dump the bucket of fish onto the table, and then his hands would fly as he grabbed the fish to sort them into other buckets according to size! He had the quickest hands! I was always in wonder as I watched!" she says.
"It was in the 70s that my dad took over the Fisheries, and his passion was the water lily. He changed the emphasis of the business from fish to water lily production and direct to the consumer sales. Something that drove my dad's decision was the development of plastics, which made it much more affordable to have a water garden since the pond could now be made of plastic," Margaret says. The business has changed with the times beginning with a primarily mail-order business, to adding a telephone 800 service transitioning to mostly a phone order business, to now almost exclusively online; she has witnessed many changes through the years. The one thing that has stayed constant over the latter years was her father's drive to learn about and produce the most beautiful water lilies in the world and to educate others about creating and owning a water garden. Margaret and her team strive to carry out the legacy.
Today, Lilypons is still a leader in cultivating and shipping water lilies around the country as well as right here in Frederick. Lilypons provides guidance and the beautiful water lilies that adorn Carroll Creek at the Linear Promenade. "Lilypons is a treasure," says Angela Torchia, Lilypons Marketing Manager. "The spring is the best time to come when all the flowers and greenery are brightening up. We have a park-like atmosphere where you can bring the family and walk throughout the grounds. I enjoy going over to the retirement pond where people can bring their unwanted or too large koi and release them. They're fun to watch, and for a small fee, you can buy food to feed the fish. It's entertaining to see them all coming up to look at you hoping for a nibble," says Angela.
In the retail shop, there is a water garden for everyone. They can be small or elaborate, and some won't even need a bubbler. Angela says they plans to have complete water garden kits so that customers can pick up what is needed to complete their gardens without having to search high and low. She adds, "There is help available if you were thinking of something larger, and we do install and maintain water gardens. We want people to know that everyone can have a water garden! We really try to educate people on what we do and how much fun it is to have this new backyard that's very cool and so peaceful."
Pull Quote: Spring is the best time to go when all the flowers and greenery are brightening up. Lilypons.com