Sunday, April 24, 2011

Made in Nature


As an avid landscaper, gardener I enjoyed transforming our waterfall/pond into a bubbling rock feature. It was time for a bit of a ''rock/face lift." (Click on photo for enhanced view.)

I totally dismantled our preexisting waterfall, took out the rubber liner, and partly refilled the small pond with soil. Then I reused the existing liner, constructed a two foot reservoir with concrete block supports, and covered them with two steel plates with holes. The back plate carries the bubbling rock waterfall, and the front plate is covered by the low rocks which can be taken away to service the pump and remove before winter sets in.

I utilized my existing rocks for a total transformation. I chose three weathered limestone rocks and rented a large drill with a 2 inch concrete bit and bore a hole through the rocks. Then through trial and error and a truckload of patience I maneuvered the rocks to get just the right cascading effect. (I found that a 1/4 horsepower submersible pump provided the right volume.) The real fun was placing the rocks around the feature to try to achieve a pristine, made in nature look.

A bonus was that I could use the existing plants which have matured over the last twelve years. I added a lacquered clay plot to add balance and a frontier for my wife's green thumb.

Now we await the warmth of a late spring which is sure to come.