Best websites to help plan a water garden?

My biggest problem is not the work, but the design.

In that case, look at all the websites in sig lines and then ask the
specific ponder(s) how to go forth. I think many of us would agree that the
best advice, imho, is not just the pond design, but the filter design. I
thought I was just going to put in a water garden with a few fish. HA! So 4
ponds later...... ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

If the $2500 includes a really good filtration system, then yea, with fish,
plants, etc. sounds about right. Rocks/boulders probably are pretty pricey,
something I didn't have to purchase.

Since I don't know your designer personally, the one thing I'd recommend is
talking to people where he's installed ponds and find out the maintenance
needed.

A pond with a good filteration system, skimmer(s) & bottom drain(s)
requires very little "hard core" maintenance. Where you have to drain and
tear down the whole pond yearly, and yes, unfortunately there are systems
that require this. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:39:06 GMT, wrote:

Thanks for all the links.

A guy who goes to my church is a landscape designer, and he does lots
of water features for the wealthy. I'm friendly with him, so I called
him today and asked how much it would cost for his design expertise
only, if I do all the work.

He said he would charge me $25/hr, and that he estimates a total of 10
hours, but that includes all the design, delivering the rocks and
boulders, and checking up on me while I'm building it to make
corrections.

Sound pretty good?

I've seen his work...he does beautiful stuff.
I told him the space I have to work with, and he thinks a waterfall,
short stream, and pond with fish will cost me about $2500.

If the $2500 includes a really good filtration system, then yea, with fish,
plants, etc. sounds about right. Rocks/boulders probably are pretty pricey,
something I didn't have to purchase.

Since I don't know your designer personally, the one thing I'd recommend is
talking to people where he's installed ponds and find out the maintenance
needed.

A pond with a good filteration system, skimmer(s) & bottom drain(s)
requires very little "hard core" maintenance. Where you have to drain and
tear down the whole pond yearly, and yes, unfortunately there are systems
that require this. ~ jan

See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 20:39:06 GMT, wrote:

Thanks for all the links.

A guy who goes to my church is a landscape designer, and he does lots
of water features for the wealthy. I'm friendly with him, so I called
him today and asked how much it would cost for his design expertise
only, if I do all the work.

He said he would charge me $25/hr, and that he estimates a total of 10
hours, but that includes all the design, delivering the rocks and
boulders, and checking up on me while I'm building it to make
corrections.

Sound pretty good?

I've seen his work...he does beautiful stuff.
I told him the space I have to work with, and he thinks a waterfall,
short stream, and pond with fish will cost me about $2500.

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
s.com...
If the $2500 includes a really good filtration system, then yea, with
fish,
plants, etc. sounds about right. Rocks/boulders probably are pretty
pricey,
something I didn't have to purchase.

Since I don't know your designer personally, the one thing I'd recommend
is
talking to people where he's installed ponds and find out the maintenance
needed.

A pond with a good filteration system, skimmer(s) & bottom drain(s)
requires very little "hard core" maintenance. Where you have to drain and
tear down the whole pond yearly, and yes, unfortunately there are systems
that require this. ~ jan
snip

I'd also add to that, ask him what some of his design ethics are...

Does he like rocks at the bottom of the pond?
His he militant about using UV?
Does he prefer one style of filter over another?

You can learn a lot about a pond guy based on his pond religion. I for one
am a fundamentalist VF'er.

--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

"~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote in message
s.com...
If the $2500 includes a really good filtration system, then yea, with
fish,
plants, etc. sounds about right. Rocks/boulders probably are pretty
pricey,
something I didn't have to purchase.

Since I don't know your designer personally, the one thing I'd recommend
is
talking to people where he's installed ponds and find out the maintenance
needed.

A pond with a good filteration system, skimmer(s) & bottom drain(s)
requires very little "hard core" maintenance. Where you have to drain and
tear down the whole pond yearly, and yes, unfortunately there are systems
that require this. ~ jan
snip

I'd also add to that, ask him what some of his design ethics are...

Does he like rocks at the bottom of the pond?
His he militant about using UV?
Does he prefer one style of filter over another?

You can learn a lot about a pond guy based on his pond religion. I for one
am a fundamentalist VF'er.

--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

In that case, look at all the websites in sig lines and then ask the
specific ponder(s) how to go forth.

Yeah, I'm reading everything I can now.

Here's a question: any tips for finding good deals on boulders?
I know they are very expensive at landscape and garden centers.

In that case, look at all the websites in sig lines and then ask the
specific ponder(s) how to go forth.

Yeah, I'm reading everything I can now.

Here's a question: any tips for finding good deals on boulders?
I know they are very expensive at landscape and garden centers.

http://www.mikebentley.com/ponds/pondlinks.htm

I just noticed that this place:
http://www.nwgponds.com/tour.htm

in only a half-hour from me!

http://www.mikebentley.com/ponds/pondlinks.htm

I just noticed that this place:
http://www.nwgponds.com/tour.htm

in only a half-hour from me!

On Sun, 02 May 2004 12:11:04 GMT, wrote:


In that case, look at all the websites in sig lines and then ask the
specific ponder(s) how to go forth.

Yeah, I'm reading everything I can now.

Here's a question: any tips for finding good deals on boulders?
I know they are very expensive at landscape and garden centers.

I have a tilt-bed trailer with a winch (spent $450 for the whole
thing).

I went to a new subdivision under construction and found a place where
they'd had to remove boulders to build the house and asked the
contractor. Saved him the cost of having them hauled away.

Back the trailer up to a rock, tilt it down, wrap a cargo strap around
the rock, then winch it up onto the trailer.

Be sure to ask first, though. At one place I asked, the homeowner
wanted to keep the rocks.

Getting the rocks -off- the trailer was relativley simple. Place
trailer in boulder's desired location, park another vehicle at the
back end of the trailer. Chain cargo strap to parked vehicle, drive
trailer out from under boulder ever-so-carefully.

HTH

Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.