Installer Creates Serenity in The Woodlands

Text and photos courtesy of Magnolia Ponds

A resident of The Woodlands, Texas, wanted a quiet, peaceful retreat in her back yard. The previous bidding contractor used the proverbial hose layout, gave a quote and left. Dissatisfied, the homeowner called Magnolia Ponds & Water Gardens in search of a better solution.

before

the pond after

the stream after Click for slideshow.

As I scoped her yard, the client had a few small oaks and pines and an elevation drop of 5 feet, a rarity in the Gulf Coast region. A natural division between the trees literally screamed for a stream to run between them.

Rather than give a hasty quote, I postponed my bid to give more thought to the design. Using PoolStudio software, I created my vision for the yard and shared the 3-D proposal with the homeowner.

In my experience, the ability to illustrate what a customer’s back yard can look like puts a contractor ahead of the competition. Even though my bid was $33,000 higher, I was hired for the project.

Prior to digging out the 18-foot-by-28-foot pond, I planted all the large trees and shrubs in the easements. An underground electrical line required me to move the pond 10 feet farther out, increasing the stream’s length.

I used the excavated material to create the base for an elevated flagstone patio beside the stream and the walkway base from the side yard to the rear. Because the design included a 40-foot-long stream, I installed a surge tank using EasyPro ResCubes and a pump vault to accommodate overflow when the pump was off.

A ShinMaywa .5 hp pump re-circulates the 2,200-gallon pond through the up-flow bog filter and down the stream to the pond. Given the friction loss and the elevation, water delivery is about 3,800 gph.

A wetlands filter system equipped with a clean-out stack -- a method I learned from the International Professional Pond Companies Association that proves extremely effective at nutrient remediation -- accomplishes biological filtration for the feature. I also made sure the stream’s banks and planting areas were shallow and far away from the oaks’ roots to keep from smothering them.

The headwaters coming from the wetlands-filter permit the largest of the waterfalls and create the greatest volume. Two smaller waterfalls create a gentle sound as the stream meanders down its bed. Only a gentle babble is allowed as the stream nears the flagstone patio so those relaxing there can hold conversation or meditation.

Two large flagstone pieces made bridges that connect the home’s rear patio down a meandering flagstone walkway to a flagstone patio. I used plants and moss rock to soften the hard corners of the bridges. Gentle landscape lighting grace the pathways and give soft illumination to all the water features.

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Installer Creates Serenity in The Woodlands

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