Pond Decor And Landscaping

A BIG Pond Project

Big Ponds And Design

This might be a bit beyond the ability level of your typical do-it-yourselfer but we wanted to showcase how a really big backyard pond get’s put together. Warning: It may take some heavy equipment!

Seriously though, you have to love the look and design of this masterpiece. It was constructed at Aquascape headquarters and it’s design, as well as breadth, is impressive.

Here’s a few details on the build.

The construction used over 1500 tons of stone with some rocks weighing over 50,000 pounds.

It has several waterfalls ranging from 24 inches up to 10 feet high.

It holds 300,000 gallons of water with multiple pumps driving about 150,000 gallons per hour.

And this is just the raw numbers…the beauty is in the details!

This just goes to show, with a little creativity you can do just about anything. Well, it helps to have the right equipment, knowledge, and manpower too!

To learn more about this amazing project and view the various stages of construction, Acorn Landscaping’s Facebook page.

Pond Side: Outdoor Furniture Tips And Advice

By Mark

Although it’s sometimes an after-thought, many pond owners love to spend time around their ponds and relax once in awhile. With that in mind we wanted to cover a few tips that might help you select the best outdoor furniture for making this precious time as comfortable as can be and we wanted to insure that you’ll get great value for the dollars you might spend on chairs, tables, or other furniture around your pond.

Choose Your Outdoor Furniture Wisely

The problem a lot of people have when it comes to any furniture that’s used outdoors is that they go strictly for a “look” and don’t take into consideration the maintenance, quality, or versatility of the furniture itself. When you avoid considering different materials that best suit your environment you may end up with furniture that does not keep up with the wear and tear, fading, etc. that comes to your patio furniture.

There are so many “looks” that can be found within each kind of material of outdoor furniture that you should first consider your needs, the material that will fit your needs, and then find the “look” within those materials. Have you thought about which kind of patio furniture will hold up best on grass? Which material will hold up best when getting splashed on by you pond or pool? What will last longer when constantly exposed to sun? Which kind will take most of your time to maintain? Popular outdoor furniture materials include wicker, wooden, aluminum, and wrought iron. Getting to know these kinds of materials may help you in your decision when it comes to choosing the best outdoor furniture for you.

Wicker Furniture

We often assume that wicker furniture is made from wooden or natural fibers, but these days you can find wicker furniture in synthetic materials. Wicker actually refers to the style in which a material is woven.

If you are going to have your wicker furniture exposed to sun and other elements you will want to think about a plastic wicker. A natural fiber wicker will last longer if it is in a covered area so it won’t be exposed to elements that will swell the materials or fade it.

With the synthetic wicker you will find a lot of options. You can have any color you can imagine. All wicker is light weight and doesn’t scuff up as easily like other outdoor furniture. It does trap dust easily, but can be taken care of with a simple wipe down with a rag. Wicker furniture typically sits best on a hard surfaces but can be enjoyed on a grass surface as well.

Wooden Garden Furniture

A look we all of have gotten used to is wooden garden furniture. You should be especially aware of the elements your outdoor furniture is going to be exposed to as that can be your main guide to what kind of wood you invest in. Cedar is a good wood because it is insect and decay resistant. Other popular woods include cypress, pine, and teak.

Wood is definitely a high maintenance material. Making sure it has a proper finish on it initially is important. Then, cleaning it with warm water and a mild soap on a regular basis will help to keep it clean and looking good. Make sure you dry the furniture completely as to prevent build up or mold. When it comes to extreme weather it is going to benefit you to put the wooden garden furniture away to keep it from being exposed, especially from snow. Even teak (which will pretty much withstand anything) will have a much longer lasting life if you take these same precautions.

Aluminum Outdoor Furniture

Aluminum outdoor furniture has become one of the hottest, most popular trends today. The reason being: durability, versatility, and reasonable cost. You can find most any style that you are looking for with an aluminum frame. There are cushioned chairs, sling chairs, hard back chairs, tables and more. Aluminum is rust free, which makes it a great option to have next to your pond or other water source in your yard. There is no limit to the style if size of the pieces of furniture either. People love having options, and you get options with aluminum outdoor furniture.

Durability is always something to look for when you are seeking outdoor furniture. Aluminum outdoor furniture is manufactured in two different ways. Hollow or frame, and casted. The framed aluminum furniture is very popular. Though it is hollow in the middle, it doesn’t lack in its quality. It is very sturdy and will last for years. It is light weight furniture and may be blown around in harsh weather if left out in the elements. The finish on aluminum outdoor furniture is sprayed on by the manufacturer, and then baked on to make sure it adheres to the aluminum. This method results in furniture that can withstand a lot of use, with out worry about chipping or scuffing. Framed aluminum outdoor furniture should easily last you ten years or more if you have taken the time to maintain it.

Casted aluminum has all the same great qualities of framed aluminum except that it’s most likely that you will only have to go shopping for casted aluminum outdoor furniture once in your life. Though all casted aluminum furniture will last much longer, if you get a set that is put together by a craftsman, rather than a mass manufactured set, you will pay more but the quality of the product and overall attention to detail will be much greater.

Maintenance for aluminum is quite simple whether casted or frame, usually requiring a wipe or spray down a couple of times a year. Some people go further to put wax finishes on their furniture to help maintain its finish, but following the manufactures suggestions will be the best bet there. It is always a good idea to take your furniture out of extreme weather. However durable your furniture is, it’s going to last longer if it is exposed to less.

Wrought Iron Outdoor Furniture

Wrought Iron outdoor furniture is a classic, sturdy, and long lasting choice. There are also many different styles and option with wrought iron. It is easy to update and keep trendy by simply changing out the outdoor cushions, which usually accompany your wrought iron furniture. If you are looking for an elaborate style with your outdoor furniture, nothing beats the classic look that wrought iron can bring. Wrought iron outdoor furniture is often paired with tiles, glass, or granite which you cannot achieve with many other materials often used for patio or outdoor furniture.

Wrought iron outdoor furniture is, however, very heavy. If you are going to be pulling chairs towards or away from a table often, wrought iron may not be the material you would like to use. It also can rust; therefore you will need to keep up on maintenance, like applying a sealant on a yearly basis.

Make a choice

There are a lot of options out there. You should be able to find what you are looking for! Have no fear! Now that you know the details of your options, you can make a choice that will be best for you, for your level of use, and the environment that your outdoor furniture will be in.

Landscape Architecture in Pond Design

By Mark

Making the final decisions on your pond design can be a daunting task, but making those decisions ahead of time will be what makes the difference in the success, cleanliness, and your overall enjoyment of the pond. Taking a closer look at the landscape architecture that goes into pond design (the placement, size, style, etc.) will help you make the right decisions for your pond. So, to make it a little bit easier for everyone, here are our top pond design ideas, and tips.

Basic Pond Design Ideas and Tips

To start gathering ideas for your pond, take a closer look at the world around you, buy related magazines, and pay attention to ponds you see in your local area. These things will not only help you gather ideas for what you like and what you want in your pond design, but it will help you see what may work best in your particular environment.

When you start designing your pond on paper make sure your pond is open and doesn’t have any bends or narrow necks. Those are breeding grounds for stagnant water and algae build up. If those things can be avoided from the beginning, you will have a much easier time maintaining the pond in the long run.

Decide if you are going to have wildlife in your pond and what kind specifically. Once you decide, make sure you know if these creatures will need any specific type of design to optimize their habitat.

Tips for your Koi Pond Design

Koi ponds are becoming a very hot commodity, but a lot needs to be taken in to account when you are considering these beautiful creatures for your pond.

First off your pond should be large if you want to keep koi fish. They are large fish and need a lot of space if you are going to keep them healthy. Of course then, the more koi you want to have, the larger the pond you will need.

Second, you may want to steer away from having a lot of pond plants. Koi will munch on pretty much anything and having extra plants for them to munch will only contribute to their waste, which contributes to dirty water that you will want to avoid.

Third, from a maintenance perspective, koi fish eat a lot, which means they will also put a lot of waste in your pond. You may need to make extra efforts to keep your water clean and clear because of this. Investing in a good quality filtration system will be a must.

Koi fish are a beautiful design aspect to your pond (especially when viewed from above….yet another reason to keep the water clean) and you will be able to enjoy them in so many ways, for so many years.

Lounge the afternoon away next to your Backyard Pond

Backyard ponds are relaxing and serene. Even if you have a small backyard, you don’t have to give up having a pond. Big or small yard aside, planning your backyard pond design is going to be most important here.

Placement of your pond is going to be essential, especially if you have a small yard that is simply a square or another “normal” shape. Cater your small pond design to the shape and style of your yard. Put the pond in a place that will give life to the shape of your yard. Placing ponds in the corner of the yard or next to a deck rather than the center can give great depth and variety to your backyard pond design.

Broaden your scope for your Large Pond Design

If you have a large backyard or a lot of land you probably want a large pond. Keeping your large pond design looking informal may be the best route for you. An informal look refers to a natural, organic feel. You will want to use mainly, you guessed it, natural and organic materials to achieve this.

Go Modern with a Raised Pond Design

Choosing a modern pond design gives the age old idea of a pond a new and fresh twist. If you want to go modern with your pond, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Keep the landscape architecture surrounding your pond the same modern type feel. You wouldn’t want the classical style paths, plants, and fountains and then suddenly have a modern pond sticking out like a sore thumb. Modern can be very classy, so try to achieve this by keeping your whole garden and pond design within the same category.

Another great way to kick up your modern pond design a notch is by incorporating a raised pond design. Having an above ground, or raised, pond is a great way to keep the contemporary feel to your garden or backyard. While raised pond design can be catered to a classical style as well, it is going to be easier to make look modern than a pond that is dug into the ground would.

With raised ponds the outsides are going to be supported by stone or brick which means you have a lot of options to help make the pond take on the exact look that you are wanting.

Specialize your Garden Pond Design

Having a pond that is especially unique to your garden is another great option. If you truly want a “secret garden” feel then try to incorporate a few key things to make sure your garden pond design feels exclusive.

Incorporate paths into your landscape architecture. Brick, stone, or even dirt paths give so much character to your garden and can lead you and visitors to certain pond views and focal points that otherwise could not be achieved.

Consider adding a small wall fountain or even a small water fall flowing into your pond. These things can be simple to install and add so much personality to your garden.

Keeping your pond the focus or making it the climax of the journey through your garden is a great way to achieve a specialized, unique feel to your garden pond design whether you have a big or small pond.

Plan, Plan, Plan, is there more to say? The more you plan out your pond design the greater chance you will remember all the details, the greater chance you will be able to achieve exactly what fits your land and your personality, and the less chance you will end up making a mistake that will cost you time, money, and enjoyment of your pond.

Hopefully these tips and ideas gave you enough information to get the wheels turning in your head to consider the landscape architecture surrounding your pond and to finish up that pond design you’ve been dreaming of.

Decorative Wall Fountains

By Mark

Decorative wall fountains can bring your garden a level of fantasy, relaxation, and peace that no other flower or architectural design can. There are so many different features that you can add to a garden or pond that bring both beauty and grace to the environment, but decorative wall fountains can bring these things to the table, and more!

The thing about wall fountains is that there are so many kinds, so many sizes, and so many choices! Where do you start? Here are a few tips to help make your search for the perfect outdoor wall fountain a journey that will end in the perfect outdoor environment, fitting your style and your needs.

Classic or Contemporary?

First think about the overall sense and style of the area where you want your fountain. Do you already have modern art near by or does the area have an “old world” ambiance? Once you have figured out what the general feel of your garden or pond area is then you can at least cut your hunt in half.

If you are looking for garden wall fountains that are modern, go for sleek fountains that are made out of metal. These fountains often have the water flowing down a single metal sheet of some sort which reflects sunlight beautifully.

If classical is the way to go for you then look for a stone wall fountain. This gives the feeling that the fountain has been there for hundreds of years and has the history behind it, telling a story all on its own.

Where oh Where?

Once you have decided on which fountain you want to use in your garden or pond you will want to decide exactly where to place it. This also has mainly to do with what you want, but here are a few options to give you some ideas.

Decorative wall fountains can often be the focal point of your garden or pond. This proves to be a beautiful accent for any garden. Don’t forget about the other option though, hiding your wall fountain (or putting it in an unpredictable place) can give your area just what it needs for a mystical “secret garden” type atmosphere.

You can have a mounted wall fountain, or a built in wall fountain. Mounted wall fountains are simply mounted on a wall on the outside of your house or maybe on a wall in your garden. These can typically be mounted by just about anyone, though the fountains may be very heavy, so proper safety measure need to be taken! These fountains also typically work off of a self contained water pump where it reuses the water so it does not necessarily need to be near a water source. These need to be plugged by an electrical chord so make sure to have the correct grounded outlet that is protected from the elements.

Built in wall fountains may be built in to the side of a building or retaining wall. If it is built in to the side of a building then it can be hooked up right into the main plumbing and electricity systems of the building and be set up with an on/off switch from the inside.

Both mounted wall fountains and built in wall fountains may be set up to pour water into your pond, whether it has wildlife living in it or not. This can add a beautiful focal point for your water garden.

Take the blazed path, or blaze your own path?

Decorative wall fountains not only come in all different shapes and sizes but there are also many custom options through many different accredited companies. The main draw for customization is if you have a company logo you want on your wall fountain. Custom wall fountains can however be made for whomever is willing to pay. Many people like to custom make their fountains if they have a very specific type of material they want used, a particular size, or have certain lighting features that aren’t offered by a “normal” wall fountain distributor. If you fit any of these categories then custom wall fountains may be for you.

My pockets are empty!

Many people are concerned about the cost of decorative wall fountains, and therefore disregard the idea all together. Don’t give up too soon! There are plenty of inexpensive wall fountains available through wholesale distributing websites. Just take some time to look and you may end up getting the perfect outdoor wall fountain in your backyard for half the price of another retailer.

As you make your final decorative wall fountain decisions you can know with assurance that you are only going to add beauty, peace, and serenity to your outdoor paradise

Pond Lighting For Small Ponds And Water Gardens

By Mark

Pond lighting is one of the very best ways to set a particular mood, or highlight certain areas around a small pond or water garden. In this article we’ll provide a few tips and suggestions that will help you choose the right accents for your pond, and we’ll discuss some of the installations that can be done yourself, or when you might want to hire a pro to help.

Pond lighting can add ambiance to your pond and your garden and allow you to enjoy your pond and relax by it after sunset. A pond light is not very expensive to incorporate. You can easily set one or two submersible 20-watt lights into your pond for well under $700.00. You must take care to include proper mounting brackets so that the lights remain in an upright position. These lights can enhance the look of your pond or exterior area almost instantly.

Pond Lighting Options

Floating lights can also be used to improve the look of your pond and the area nearby. This type of pond lighting and underwater lighting can be either solar or electric. There are several types of led and floating lights available today that can be used to adorn gardens and ponds.

Bright LED lights and stellar lights can be placed anywhere without transformers, cords or electrical circuits. You can really set off your landscaping by using solar lights such as stellar lanterns along the path leading to the pond. Pond lights brighten up the surrounding areas and keep frogs and bugs out of your way while you are enjoying your evening snack in the garden. A pond light such as a rock light can give a whole new look to your pond because of its novel rock-shaped design. These low voltage lights can set the mood for the evening by greatly enhancing a plant or rock landscape.

Fiber Optic Pond Lighting

Another new concept when it comes to pond lighting or submersible lighting is fiber optic garden lighting, which can be very useful if your garden has a waterfall. In this case, light is transmitted to the water through cable; a color wheel is also used. However, the disadvantage of using this method is that it can be quite expensive since fiber optic cable itself is expensive.

Landscape Lighting Around The Pond

Oil lamps and candles are inexpensive ways to light up a garden. These minute lighting elements can add great ambiance to the entire setting without increasing your power bill drastically. This type of lighting also suggests that not every form of light needs to go in the pond itself. Much of the mood, as well as safety around the pond can be enhanced through the use of well placed landscape lighting. Some of these lights can be hidden in faux rocks, and conventional solar lighting can be used near walkways to create a safer environment.

Halogen Or LED Pond Lights?

Halogen lights cannot be considered superior underwater lighting because they may not last for a long time. When they fail, the pond has to be drained because it may not be safe to leave a failed garden lighting element in the water for a long time. LED lights that go in the water are a cost effective and viable alternative to halogen bulbs. The best advantage of using LED lighting for ponds is that it can emanate an array of colors and make all the other decorative pieces such as fountains and statues glow in splendor.

Individual features such as sculptures, rocks and waterfalls can be accentuated through various types of lighting. These lighting elements can cause a waterfall to sparkle or illuminate pieces of rock most appropriately. Most landscapers use pond lights such as LED lights for homes because of their economical nature. Pond lighting even with safe LED technology is a task that you must leave to the professionals. An experienced landscaper best installs these lights. He will mount them in the correct locations to get the desired results.

Pond Lighting – Illuminate Your Water Garden

By Mark

There are a many things you can add to a water garden to bring color and vitality to it’s appearance but few will have the impact like a well placed display of pond lighting. Add some underwater lighting to a koi pond and your fish will literally shine as they lazily swim along.

Many people truly enjoy spending time around their pond during the day but with proper pond lights in place you can extend your leisure time pondside well into the evening hours as well. Really in terms of designs and layouts, just about anything goes as there are a number of lighting options available.

Pond Lighting Options

In most ponds it’s suggested to use a variety of light placements and types for the best effects. Options to work with include submerged lighting, spotlights, floating light kits, fountain lights, light bars, and solar powered lighting. Not all lighting needs to go in the pond as well and landscaping and waterfall areas can be highlighted. Most kits come with optional colored lens or light diffusers to soften the lighting effects.

Many kit manufacturers are working on systems that will provide more presentation options with increasing colors, transitions, and some degree of programing which will make managing the effects more simple and easy.

Also keep an eye out for LED displays which use light emitting diodes to create illumination. Historically LED’s would give of a blue hue or blue cast that wasn’t consider attractive by many pond people. Recent advances in technology however have improved colors and LED’s use lower voltages than halogen bulbs. It’s important to consider the initial cost and working life of the various bulbs and usually the long term cost of running LED’s over halogens is better, despite the fact that LED’s may cost more upfront.

Planning The Light Layout

Ideally it’s best if you can do some pre-planning on the type of effects you want in your pond. Research presentations by looking through pond catalogs or online resources and try to determine what might look best in your pond and meet your personal tastes. It’s fairly easy to determine by looking what types of lighting are being used, and then it’s just a matter of finding the right components for your layout.

Power availability is useful but due to increased options and quality improvements, solar pond lighting is a viable choice for many installations. Depending on the models, these may not have quite the power of an AC system.

An additional thought that may not be mentioned often enough concerning light placements is to consider safety around the pond. Lighting can provide additional protection from various accidents if it’s used correctly and this is another reason why most pond owners eventually consider adding lights to their pond.

Additional Tools And Tips

We can’t leave the topic of safety without talking a little bit about electricity around the pond. All electrically powered devices, including lighting, must be powered by a line that includes a GFCI or ground fault circuit interrupter. GFCI’s protect you in several ways. First, they shut off the electrical current if a ground fault occurs, and secondly they’ll go off in the event of an overload on the circuit or something shorts out.

To save on costs, it’s suggested to use a timer with your lighting system if possible. This just makes life easier and it will save money in the long run. Some lighting kits are motion activated and these in particular are helpful in regards to pond safety. As odd as it may sound, people have accidentally fallen into a small pond in the dark.

If a pond lighting kit is set up correctly and proper precautions are in place, your pond can be a safe and tranquil gathering place for friends and family. No doubt many of them will remark that the lighting makes your pond stand out in ways that it never did before.