The Wonders of Winter

Winter time is one of my favorite times of all. I can't stand being cooped up inside waiting for the warmth of the sun to thaw out the pond to get it up and running again. It has been cold here the past month and we even had a 8-10" snow storm over a week ago, but most of that is gone now and parts of the lawn are peaking through their white blanket.

My kids share my love for winter and all that it brings. We love to go sledding, ice skating and making snow forts. My wife Lynn, not so much, she hates the cold weather. Although she does enjoy a family outing to the local sledding hill, as long as there is a thermos of hot coco to warm her up. This year my oldest son Zach and I will venture out to do some ice fishing. I used to do quite a lot of fishing in the winter, growing up in St. Clair Shores and living so close to the water when I was young.

The other day my daughter and I were out late at night in our hot tub and it was around 22 degrees out when she jumped out of the tub and made a snow angel, while still in her bathing suit, within an hour or so the snow had begun falling and by morning it was covered.

Halloween is always fun for our family

This year my daughter Gabby helped me carve some pumpkins for the Boyle residence. She had a blast doing it.

Our youngest son Connor got into the spirit by dressing up for his first year.

Gabby dressed up as Tinker Bell. Isn't she just the cutest??

Everyone had a blast carving out the pumpkins. Zach was having too much fun.

I think his costume for this year says it all.

But honestly he is a great kid.

I even carved out a pumpkin, Like it? I call it "Pumpkin

Puke".

Autumn is the Best Time to Enjoy Your Pond

Warm colors and cool nights make fall

a great time to enjoy your water garden.

If you thought your pond was most beautiful in the summer, you may change your mind once fall hits. After all things are starting to cool down enough to sit outside next to your pond and enjoy it instaed of hiding from the blazing sun. The added colors from changing leaves that are in and around your pond. There's nothing like fall, fall certainly is a time to take a deep breath and enjoy all that nature has to offer, before Ole' Man Winter comes.

Another season has come and gone and fall is just upon us. I am pleased to say that this has been a wonderful summer for me and my family. I have been able to spend more time with them and that is time that we all can never get back once it is gone.

Check out my Slide Show!

No need for a wrought iron fence

After careful consideration for this project we opted out of adding a wrought iron fence along the side of this property. Here are some before and after photos. Except for the evergreen hedge, almost everything was transplanted from other areas of the gardens, including the concave retaining wall.

Backyard Renovation

This backyard started out in 2003 by renovating the homeowners pond that was not very pleasing. The previous contractor had made all of the typical mistakes and left the homeowner with a bad taste in their mouth. After the pond renovation was completed the homeowner tried several attempts to have me come over and landscape around the pond but I never made the time. Shame on me for leaving her high and dry. I will never do that again. The first photo is of how the landscape looked shortly after the pond renovation and the second is how it looks today.

You will be the envy of the neighborhood

There’s nothing like the sounds, sights, and smells of nature. The alluring scents of wildflowers, the sights of gorgeous perennials and serene ponds, and the sounds of rushing waterfalls and birds and frogs chirping … there’s simply nothing like it. That’s why building and maintaining a water feature naturally is so important. Once you start adding chemicals to your pond, you run the risk of harming flora and wildlife that seek out your pond, and in some cases, the wildlife will avoid it at all costs. Pondering naturally is all about the ecosystem, the lifestyles, and the wildlife … just the way Mother Nature intended it to be.

Pondless Waterfalls

The waterfall is undoubtedly the most beautiful and favored feature in a water garden. If space is lacking in your yard or you have safety concerns with a pond, go pondless! The name basically explains it all. It’s a waterfall and stream, without the pond. So why would you want a waterfall without a pond? The truth is that a Pondless® Waterfall isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great alternative for someone who isn’t quite sure if a pond is right for their family.
Safety – Because there is no pool of water, a Pondless® Waterfall is a great option if you are concerned about safety issues associated with a traditional pond.
Cost – Cost can be a big factor when considering the type of pond you want to build. In most cases, the price of a Pondless® waterfall will be less than a pond, because there is less labor involved, as well as less rock and materials. Operating costs are also less. Because you’re not dealing with an established ecosystem, it’s not necessary to run the pump 24/7.
Space – The small size of the Pondless® Waterfall means you can build and enjoy a beautiful waterfall anywhere in you yard.
Maintenance - Taking care of your Pondless® Waterfall is easy. Filling the reservoir every few weeks to compensate for water loss because of evaporation is all that’s required.
Flexibility - Perhaps the best part of the Pondless® Waterfall is the possibility for the future. If you change your mind later, wishing you’d build a pond, that’s ok! If you leave enough room around the base of the waterfall, it’s easy to add a pond onto a Pondless® Waterfall.
A Complete System
It might be difficult to imagine a waterfall and stream without a pond. Where does the water go? A Pondless® Waterfall works much like a regular pond. The hole, deeper than a normal pond, is dug then lined with rock and gravel, and filled with water. The water is then circulated from beneath the rocks and gravel by a pump that sits on the bottom, inside a Snorkel™ Vault and Centipede™ Module. A pipe runs from there up to a BIOFALLS™ filter and into an overflowing waterfall, where it falls back into the reservoir. Since the water level never pools above the level of the rock and gravel fill, it give the appearance of a waterfall without a pond, when in fact, the “pond” is there but not visible.
The Pondless® Waterfall has made many water-lovers who were previously unable to indulge in the sweet sounds of falling water, very happy. It’s a great alternative for those who are trying to get their feet wet, or looking to fit a little bit of paradise into their own backyard. In other words, when all else fails … go pondless!

Backyard Paradise

This is a mid season photo of one of my clients backyard. The homeowner has been purchasing a wide array of perennials and it has changed the entire look of his backyard paradise. Now if I can only get him to slow down a bit from work to sit back and enjoy it.