The Pond Beyond (thepondbeyond.net, Frankfort, IL) team was invited along with several Certified Aquascape Contractors (CAC’S) from the Chicagoland area to take part in a group build of a new outdoor living space at Greg Wittstock’s home, owner of Aquascape, Inc. With two days to build, the project created a new 8 x 11’ koi pond, bluestone patio, gas burning fire pit along with multiple plantings of trees and shrubs.
This location is what I would consider a typical suburbia backyard with no access for machines, a limited footprint, and an extremely small area to transition our koi pond and patio into the existing landscape. However, Brian Helfrich’s fantastic design allowed for us to complete the project within two days.
Greg selected aqua blue boulders for this project and this rough-edged stone truly fit the theme of this project, “contemporary meets traditional.” In total, approximately 7 tons of stone were utilized within this feature. This stone also allowed for a smooth transition from the pond to our newly laid bluestone patio.
Other Aquascape components of our build included the SLD Pumps and Power 4k to 7K gallons-per hour (GPH) variable speed pump, color-changing lights, stacked slate spheres and a multitude of plantings from Wasco’s Nursery.
Our pump and lights included an integrated wireless smartphone control feature via an app, and the project was finished with a patio that ended directly at waters edge. This was a slightly different transition then we typically apply to our builds, but it fit in with our modern theme. The brand new — available 2021 — faux stone gas fire pit was placed within the patio for a nice final touch.
Greg had just moved to this home approximately two weeks prior to the start of our build and I would absolutely stand by the statement that his neighbors without a doubt, know him now! This event was a great networking event amongst contractor, and should lead to overall satisfaction of customers served in the future.
My name is Brent Hullinger, and I am the owner of The Pond Beyond, LLC out of Frankfort, IL. We specialize in design, construction, maintenance, and repair of all water features. I am a career Firefighter/Paramedic since 2006, with a second career in the water feature industry. We are currently a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor and have been in business since 2016. www.thepondbeyond.net
