The images that a pond and waterfall evoke can be inspiring. The gentle splashing of the water as it flows over the rocks and crashes into the pond below, the brightly colored water lilies that decorate the water’s surface and the graceful movements of the fish as they explore the depths of the pond combine to create a soul inspiring, beautifully natural place where the stress and worries of the day just melt away. If your pond is all of that, then you are in good shape and you shouldn’t change a thing. On the other hand, if your pond inspires more stress and hard work that relaxation, then maybe it is time for your pond to get a makeover!
The Old Story
Unfortunately, in years gone by, many who tried to build their own pond or those who had an inexperienced builder create their pond may have experienced the exact opposite of inspiring. What they got for their hopes, dreams and hefty investment was a murky high-maintenance, leaking nightmare, choked with unsightly clumps of green algae and filled with stagnant water from debris-clogged pumps. If you mention to one of these disgruntled old style pond owners that you’re considering a backyard water garden, you’ll likely get a lengthy diatribe on the hidden, horrific perils of backyard pondering. News that “things have changed” will be lost on such folks. In fact, if you are considering a plunge into water gardening these days, it may be wise to keep the idea to yourself until you’ve got it installed. The traditional water features of the past were often more of a nuisance than a joy. Many people grew to hate their ponds, which is too bad. Most of these old-style installations were not sustainable without constant maintenance and frequent major repairs.
Large pond skimmer before removal 
ponds in need of a makeover 
starting a pond makeover
The New Story
Never fear, much has changed. We have been installing custom ponds and waterfalls for years. When I first dug ponds back in the 80’s we would just dig a big hole, let it fill with water and then wait for the algae to arrive. These ponds might have been pretty for a while, or they might be pretty from a distance, but I would never dig ponds like this today. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s we installed the Aquascape systems that revolutionized the water garden industry. These systems were head and shoulders above what the rest of the world was doing, but over time, we found that these systems had their drawbacks as well. These Aquascape systems worked well, and still do today, but they are more trouble than you need for a water garden. After years of installing these systems we learned that while the skimmer boxes and biofalls that we were installing solved certain problems like where to put the pump and how to filter the water, they created other problems like now we had filters to clean and mechanical connections to our rubber that would fail over time. Now, when we install a custom pond we never use any of these pre-manufactured boxes and gadgets. We do it all with rubber, and ingenuity. We no longer have any filters to clean and we no longer have any mechanical connections to fail nor do we need to buy these costly components. You’ll find thousands of people selling you all of the latest gadgets and boxes that will supposedly help you create a beautiful water garden, but they are all wrong. All of these gadgets over complicate the ponds that we know and love. We can create a pond that is more beautiful, more natural, less work and less money than the complicated gadget ponds that everyone else is selling.
So, if you want a truly natural looking, maintenance free water garden that will balance itself like any other natural pond and be beautiful without you needing to clean any filters or baskets, then just give us a call. We are the only company that I know of that has the patience, creativity and knowledge to create this type of pond. We can create one especially for you and your yard. Just like our customers, no two ponds are ever alike, and this is just the way we like it.
Doug Hurth