Energize the Landscape

By Jennifer Zuri

When sprucing up the landscape, water gardens go above and beyond the dutiful call of shrubs, trees and grass. Homeowners looking to set their landscape apart from their neighbors need look no further than their garden hose. Lugging the hose around to water the lawn and plantings during the summer can prove an arduous chore while swatting at hungry mosquitoes. But if the local community has implemented watering restrictions or worse yet, a full-fledged ban on watering, then homeowners are left with an entirely different problem. The challenge of keeping the landscape healthy and bountiful proves almost impossible to conquer.

Water gardens provide a breathtaking and practical solution toward energizing and beautifying any landscape, large or small. Although the initial filling of a backyard pond requires a fair amount of water, over time the same expanse of lawn actually takes more water to maintain. As a contractor looking to expand services and options for customers, water gardening is a great addition to your résumé and helps set you apart from your competition.

A sampling of landscape transformation projects proves that installation of water gardens takes a dramatic center stage in any yard and beautifies the space in a way that far exceeds traditional landscaping.

Grand entrance for suburban backyard

Before: This side entrance to a backyard is typical of suburban landscaping, but the homeowner yearned for something more impressive.

After: A beautifully landscaped water garden situated alongside a new sunroom packs a punch when friends and neighbors enter through the backyard gate. The sunroom allows for comfortable pondside viewing, no matter what the weather outside.

Before: This ho-hum corner of the yard needed more than a few perennials to transition between the patio and the charming fence beyond.

After: What a difference a water feature can make! Pops of impatiens dot the feature with color, while ferns and cannas create architectural interest.

Good start becomes knock-out

Before: Here, the homeowners were off to a good start with a mix of shrubs, perennials, rock and mulch. But nothing really pops and demands attention.

After: The pond and waterfall add drama to the yard, and give the eye a place to rest. The berm to the right was built using the soil excavated when digging the hole for the pond.

Create a curb-appealing splash

Before: An avid gardener, the homeowner longed for curb appeal that reflected her personality and creativity.

After: From ordinary to spectacular, a Pondless Waterfall was just the ticket to snuggle into this tight corner by the front door.

From tumble of weeds to water garden majesty

Before: A mass of weeds and rock is an eyesore next to a patio that holds a host of opportunity.

After: From tumbleweeds to a lush oasis, new landscaping, hardscaping and an ecosystem pond create a luxurious landscape that can be enjoyed to its full potential.

On a budget? No problem!

Before: A lackluster yard was in desperate need of color and texture. The homeowner’s patio failed to invite anyone to enjoy the backyard.

During: Since the pond is small due to a limited budget, excavation didn’t take a lot of time and effort.

After: The rewards of a day’s work come back tenfold as the small ecosystem pond now provides a focal point and beckons viewers to wander outside and enjoy the view.

Clearly, the aesthetic appeal of water gardening is obvious when viewing landscape makeovers. A pond can be large and impressive, filling most of the outdoor space or it can be small and tucked into any corner of the yard. Creating the vision of a water garden for the homeowner is critical, and often it’s beneficial to show transformation photos during the consultation. Go one step further and uncoil the garden hose to create an outline of the pond on the ground. Engage the customer by asking them to move the hose a bit and they’ve now become a part of the design process. Remind them how much they hate lugging that hose around the yard to water plants. Instead, they could be relaxing by their very own watery backyard paradise.

Jennifer Zuri, is marketing communications manager for Aquascape, Inc. For more information visit www.aquascapeinc.com.