As professional pond and waterfall designers and builders, we usually find ourselves working with a theme, such as a koi pond, backyard water garden, grotto waterfall, estate pond, etc. These types of features encourage tranquility, allow for the enjoyment of aquatic plants, or attract wildlife. So, what kind of questions will quickly pop into your […]
Adventure Pond: Where Wonder, Water, and Craft Collide Read More »
When the client first approached us, they had one dream: a recreational pond that felt less like a pool and more like a living, breathing aquatic retreat. Not just water in the backyard, but an experience: A backyard oasis like no other. They wanted a place to relax, recharge, and share a lifestyle built around
Vegas East: A Backyard Oasis Like No Other Read More »
Last year at this time, we were beginning construction on a massive grotto, waterfall and rain curtain in Palos Park, Illinois. While the winter started out mild, we work in the Chicago area. We knew what was coming. Some might shake their heads at starting such an ambitious build late in the season but at
Building a Waterfall Grotto in Winter Read More »
Every spring in the mountains of Niigata, Japan, a quiet but extraordinary ritual begins. In the shadow of snow-capped peaks, amidst neatly arranged rice paddies and cedar forests, generations of koi breeders rise before dawn. Their lives revolve around one singular pursuit: crafting the perfect koi. As The Koi Partner, I’ve had the rare privilege
The Art of Koi Breeding in Japan Read More »
By Demi Fortuna and Edwin Scott-Fortuna Our company, August Moon Designs recently complete a waterscape renovation in a historic rock garden at the Franklin Park Zoo. Franklin Park was first designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, creator of New York’s Central Park. Known as the jewel of the Emerald Necklace of parks encircling Boston, Olmstead would
Waterscape Renovation at Franklin Park Zoo Read More »
In November 2020, Mount Sinai Memorial Parks brought me in to turn their old, crumbling, leaking, hard-to-see concrete water feature into a DreamScape. This was a challenging and ultimately very rewarding project to work on. Being in a cemetery, we needed to follow certain rules — mainly being quiet when services were held. A few
Lifting Spirits: Pondless Waterfall Project Transforms Peaceful Resting Space Read More »
Does it sound counterintuitive to incorporate cut rock into a natural water garden, waterfall, stream, pond or swimming pond? Why would you even consider it? How could it successfully enhance the design, usefulness, interaction opportunities, and your client’s enjoyment? I’m guessing that when you think of cut rock, your mind may instantly go to straight
Rock Cutting for Beauty and Profit Read More »
After a rainy start to the British summer, July brought the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society (IWGS) symposium attendees flying in from all corners of the world to a week of beautiful sunshine and mild summer temperatures. Longtime IWGS members James Allison and James Bennett hosted the society in the South of England for
2024 IWGS Symposium Lands in Southern England Read More »
Brackish water environments, the least understood and replicated biotopes, offer a tremendous opportunity for pond builders to expand their business. Unfortunately, these dynamic zones have a reputation for being dreary and mucky. In nature, brackish water tidepools and backwater areas are turbid — but so are most of the rivers and streams from which our
Brackish Water Ponds: An Untapped Opportunity Read More »
What happens when two projects tie for first place? That’s a tough question we had to answer this year for the first time in the contest’s eight years. We ended up calling on our friend Tim Wood of Aquatic Edge Consulting, a three-time contest winner and past judge, to break the tie. (Yes, the rankings
2023 Water Artisans of the Year Runners-Up Read More »