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Texas Ponds and

Water Features

Before and After.......(and After That)

by Matt Boring

TexasPonds.com

  Many times potential clients tell me that they want to get a pond and a landscape for their yards.  They ask which one I suggest that they do first.  And my answer is always the same, “Put the pond in first and the landscape will then suggest itself.”  I've found that once the water garden, which usually becomes the focal point of the yard, is in place it's much easier to see the overall 'big picture' and plant placement then becomes almost obvious.  Sometimes I install water features for other landscape companies who come behind me with their landscape design.  Sometimes the customer installs their own landscape after the pond is installed.  Sometimes I install both a water garden and the landscape.  But even when I'm doing the landscape as well, I will generally give the customer only a plant list and tell them to trust that once the pond is in place, I will put the plants where they need to be to look and perform their best within the new setting. 

  A living breathing blooming ecosystem pond quickly becomes the center of attention in almost any yard and nothing really changes that.  No one (well, almost no one) will put in a bench across from a rose bush so that they can sit and watch their flowers bloom.  But no water garden is really complete without an adjacent sitting area, whether it be a patio, gazebo, or other type of shade structure.  Once the pond is installed, the placement of the seating area becomes more evident.  That's not to say that we can't build a pond next to an existing structure.  We can and do.  But when we're left alone to choose the place for the water feature, we take into consideration several factors to maximize the clients' overall enjoyment of their new waterscape.  For instance, we try to place it where it can be seen from as many viewpoints inside the house as we possibly can.  In many cases, there is an interesting view from the living room, the dining room, and several bedrooms on the back of the house.  If it's cold or raining or hot and muggy and you just don't want to be outside, you can still enjoy your beautiful waterfall and see the fish swimming around.  At night with the underwater lights on it's just magical.  And you can always add an adjacent seating area after the pond is finished that doesn't interfere with your views from the home.

  Some people landscape first, leaving room where they want their pond to be.  Some people have an existing landscape that has to be modified to make room for their water garden.  We can still make something beautiful in every situation.  We already do most of our work by hand to minimize the impact on our clients' properties.  We try to save as much existing vegetation as we can, sometimes digging up plants and then replanting them in the berm we build around our waterfalls, if appropriate, or in another place in the yard.  For those who have small yards or those who have only small spaces left in their larger yards but still want the sound and feel that moving water lends to a garden setting, pond-less waterfalls, spilling urns, spitting rocks and sculptures and other imaginative items can be made to fit almost anywhere.  These are also great front-yard water features as well and they can save energy by being turned off at night or when you're not around to hear them.  I mean if a water feature's running and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? 

  Ah, but my point in this article is that no matter who installs it, the landscaping around a water feature is really what makes it fit into the surroundings.  To illustrate this, I'd like to show a few examples of our water features immediately after they were finished and then again after the surrounding plant material has been established and some hardscaping has been installed.  Maybe these will give you some ideas about what can be done with your yard as well.  Remember-- it's not a pond, it's a lifestyle!

  Until next time I bid you..........................

Happy Pondering!