Reflections Water Gardens has received top honors and four prestigious design awards from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), Oak Brook, Ill.
The honors represent the “Specialty Element” category and were given during the recent ILCA industry banquet. Entries were voted on by industry peers who are association members.
A top award – the prestigious Platinum Award – is given to an entry that achieves the highest score the category. Reflections Water Gardens received the award for “Retirement Plan,” a stunning natural swimming pool with waterfall and lotus and lily beds.
“Backyard Streams” – receiving a Merit Award. Located along Chicago’s North Shore, the lovely, recirculating stream is designed and built overlooking a ravine. The small, pie-shaped backyard also featured new landscaping that became a delicate work-around for the company.
“Welcome Home” – receiving a Silver Award. Located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, the client requested a Northwoods welcome once the iron gates opened to his property. The result is an enormous waterfall at the entrance of the client’s driveway.
“Natural Connections” – receiving a Gold Award. Located along Chicago’s North Shore, a narrow stream emanates from a dry bed and runs parallel with the front of the home. The stream elbows and continues meandering along the side of the house as it gently rolls over small boulders and rocks to create several small waterfalls. The stream dallies in pebble-strewn pools, then continues down a carefully graded slope toward the backyard. Finally, near its destination, water cascades over a large waterfall and comes to rest in a serene natural pool.
“Retirement Plan” – In addition to receiving the top Platinum Award, this project also receives a Gold Award for its scope, versatility and attention to detail. Retired and a gardener, the client requested an irresistible space to tend her favorite perennials, shrubs and water plants, as well as a natural environment to enjoy with her husband and three dogs. Her retirement plan was to relax, watch birds, observe aquatic life, swim and entertain year-round.
To accomplish this, Reflections Water Gardens renovated an existing 5,000-square-foot pond, which retained water runoff, and designed and built a custom water feature including a 3-foot waterfall, separate water lily and lotus beds, an aspen inlet, perimeter walking path and sand beach.
The design included a Chicago Botanic Garden-inspired zig-zag bridge and deck, four-season gazebo and cottage-style barn for the pond’s mechanicals, including a 2,500 square foot filter. Enter the pond by the beach on one side and by limestone slab steps on the other.
“Our philosophy is to work hard, do our best and build water features that emulate nature’s. Receiving four prestigious awards for work we love to do for people we care about is humbling and an honor,” said Larry Carnes, founder and president. “Getting the Platinum award is exciting for us, totally unexpected and definitely inspiring.”
