ABOUT THE OWNER:

A pond hobbyist since the age of 14, when he built his first pond, Sterling Herrmann has turned his hobby into a successful and flourishing business: Desert Water Gardens, which raises and sells over 100 kinds of pond plants both wholesale and retail. In addition, Sterling builds and services garden ponds.

Two of his commercial ponds are accessible by the public, one at Carmelle Reception center, on Highland Drive in Salt Lake City, and the other at Cactus & Tropicals Nursery, also in Salt Lake City. he is also a prominent builder of numerous residential ponds in the area. Sterling is a  graduate of the University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in aquatic biology and is currently a part time associate instructor there. Numerous groups have had Sterling lecture on water gardening  for them, including: Thanksgiving Point, Red Butte Gardens, the KSL Greenhouse Show, the Utah Green Convention, the Salt Lake Home & Garden show, several retail nurseries and various garden  clubs. In May of 2000, he spearheaded and promoted the organizational meeting which resulted in the formation of the Utah Water Garden Society, the first of its kind in the state. It now boasts over several dozen members.

Sterling owned a tropical fish store for seven years and has bred over 100 species of tropical  fish. Currently he is a member of the International Water Lily Society, National Pond Society, and the Goldfish Society of America. He is a Master Gardener and is also Certified by the National Pond Society as a Master of Ponds of which there are currently fewer than 100 nationwide.