Like many of you, I love a good formal pond. I first discovered how cool a formal water feature could be after looking through some of last year’s entries in the Water Artisans of the Year contest — specifically the formal features and fountains category. We were blown away by the beauty of so many of these majestic, man-made features that showcase a true artist’s vision.
If you haven’t built a fountainscape or formal feature yet, or if you need some tips, be sure to dive into Tom Dieck and Dylan Arlotta’s cover story in this issue. Check out how they blend in certain naturalistic touches to create a hybrid formal-informal look that maximizes the best of both the formal and informal worlds. (I knew they would be the perfect dynamic duo to write on this topic!)
Speaking of intriguing content, we’ve got an issue brimming with it to round out 2021, starting with Carol Weise’s rundown of certain “freaky things” she’s heard from some of her pond customers. If you think you’ve heard it all from your customer base, you’ll definitely want to check out some of her quirky customer-service requests. We’re also happy to have Ed Beaulieu of Aquascape back in this issue with a top 10 list of avoidable pond-building mistakes. Whether you’re an experienced or novice builder, this list could come in handy as you and your team decide what to do (and what not to do) when it comes to a new pond build. Finally, I enjoyed reading Ben Heffner’s way-cool piece on carnivorous plants. The pictures are just wild, and I had no idea they were so easy to grow in most areas!
Make sure to start rounding up your photos and specs from this year’s pond season for our upcoming Water Artisans of the Year contest. The categories this year are Most Naturalistic, Best Pondless, Rock Artisans, Best Under $15,000 and — you guessed it — Fountains and Formal Features. We can’t wait to see all your labors of love in 2021. Entries are due by the end of November!
Happy PONDering!
