I had the pleasure of attending one of this year’s six “Puddle Jumping Water Garden Tours” sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Water Garden Society. First off, it was great to be out and about seeing pond folks again. I’ve been wanting to attend this water garden tour for a few years. They did …
The act of pond keeping is a powerful thing, with an appeal that is broad and deep. Pond keeping can mean many different things to as many different pond keepers. We all have our own reasons for keeping a pond. As a pond professional, I tend to lean toward the romantic side of ponds when …
A career in water has introduced me to many different industries. I am fortunate to have been involved in several of them over time — water features, natural lakes and ponds, and even wastewater — with water flow, filtration and aeration equipment the common factors. Working with water features led me to aquatic plants, and …
We like to say that anybody can dig a hole and fill it with water. But to master the craft of building water features that function properly with simple maintenance and a proper biological balance, all while exuding a lasting aesthetic beauty — well, it can be a bit more complicated. When I became a …
How to Master the Art of Building Water Features Read More »
Instead of “honorable mentions,” we’d prefer to call these projects silver medalists. Second place was a hard-fought battle again this year, with just a couple of votes separating the winners from these respectable runners-up. POND Trade magazine hosts the Water Artisans of the Year contest on an annual basis. It is the pond and water-garden …
In a year that kicked off with an unprecedented sense of optimism, 2020 quickly let us down in a lot of different ways. “Good riddance!” we cried in December, as we bid adieu to a year riddled with isolation, hardship and disappointment. Well, we’ve got good news. 2020 wasn’t all bad. As you will see, …
5th Annual Water Artisans of the Year Contest Results Read More »
I was taught early on as a pond professional not to put sand on the bottom of a pond, and I’ve always just accepted it as best practice in the pond-construction industry. After all, I have heard quite a few objections over the years. “Sand can’t be brushed or vacuumed effectively, so it will be …
>> This is a sidebar to Demi Fortuna’s main feature, “A Pump and Plumbing Pond Primer” What if you wanted to know the flow of an existing waterfall, perhaps because you want to recreate the same effect? You can measure the thickness of the water flowing over a spillway or fall rock. Turn a ruler …
A little over a year ago, I was in Englewood, Florida, a beautiful town right around the corner from Venice Beach and world-famous Siesta Key. It was my second trip in just a few months, as I helped my parents move up to Mathews, Virginia, where I make my home and operate my business. We …
Three Generations Team up for Intricate Koi Pond Build Read More »
Brad Steyskal & Jim Lewis, Lewis Landscape Services When we first met our client at his new home at the summit of a mountain in rural Hillsboro, Oregon, two things stood out — the size of his property and the prominence of the man who stood before us. At 7 feet 1 inch tall, the …