Since the feature was completed in May, Oseen and Grinton have easily learned to seek respite alongside their brand new pondless river with rundle-stone bridge and six waterfalls, each illuminated by under-falls lights enhancing their allure as evening turns to night. Sitting beside their private stretch of river is “probably the most soothing thing you can imagine,” says Oseen.

Backyard water features like the one he built for Oseen and Grinton are part of the hottest trend in urban gar­dening, says Will Wilson, the owner of a Calgary-based waterscaping company called Babbling Brooks. “It’s an art form, really,” says Wilson, whose company uses ten to 12 tonnes of rock on the average job.

“If we’re doing it right, the finished product will look like it’s always been there,” he adds, whose own Calgary yard features a pond and stream. “I sit out there at night and I just love it.”

Less work than grass
Andrew Bell of Water Works Ponds in Edmonton (also with a division in Calgary) admits he’s “driven to distraction” by people who say water features are difficult to maintain. Using technology suited for the Alberta climate, a quality water feature won’t have problems with algae, will include plants that can overwinter—even if they’re entombed in ice—and can overwinter koi, the ornamental carp so popular in outdoor ponds.

The key is hiring an experienced contractor, since some of the tech­nology now used to control algae or overwinter koi wasn’t available a few years ago. “These features are extremely low maintenance, but they’re not no maintenance,” says Bell.

Wilson agrees. He figures his company now has about ten plants that will overwinter in Calgary’s climate. Several also help control algae growth, but these are not necessarily the varieties sold in the average garden centre.

Both men say a well-functioning pond will take several hours to start up in the spring and less than an hour to shut down around Halloween, when pumps are removed for the winter. Because some clients shun any maintenance, many installers also offer that service.

Wilson figures 80 per cent of his clientele pay for his company to visit their ponds three times a year.

Size doesn’t matter
Although the Oseen and Grinton yard is a large space with a natural berm Wilson worked into the design, you don’t need much space or elevation to create a beautiful water feature that includes a waterfall. Bell’s own first water feature, built in what he calls a typical suburban backyard, had a two-and-a-half-metre by three-metre (eight- by ten-foot) pond with a three-metre stream and waterfall, all built on a very flat backyard.

Safety first
Bell admits his wife was concerned about the safety of their young children around that water feature. Here, supervision and rules are critical. They used rocks to fill in the pond to a depth of 12 inches, so the kids could stand up if they ever fell in (which they didn’t).
Pondless systems are another popular option. “We get a lot of people who want the sight and sound of water, but not necessarily a pond,” says Bell. He figures pondless systems account for about half of their work.

Oseen and Grinton’s pondless system cost about $12,000. Considering that it was part of a major discussion about investing in respite, “we honestly think it was money well spent. We don’t feel that it was excessive,” says Oseen.

While Grinton plans to handle the maintenance himself and Oseen is in charge of landscaping the rest of the property, the couple liked having professionals on site for the yard’s focal point, which was built in less than three days.

That’s nothing, says Wilson, whose company offers a $7,500 Surprise Package that can be built in a single day.

Like Bell, Wilson says his clients view water features as in­vestments in their homes—and well-being. While the sky’s the limit on how much you could pay, they encourage homeowners to run their budgets by experienced water­scapers to see what their money can buy, and to get a better idea of what’s really available, from gurglers to waterwalls, ponds and falls.

“A water feature should be the focal point in the yard because you can’t compare it to anything else,” says Wilson. And Oseen and Grinton agree. They are, after all, enjoying their first summer in a new home—and a river runs through their new backyard.  NL

Water wise
Homeowners concerned about wise water use, take heart!

While some contemporary water features take a lot of water to get started, “your main loss of water is just going to be from evaporation. There is no leaking of water,” says Andrew Bell of Water Works Ponds, Edmonton.

If evaporation is a major concern, Will Wilson of Babbling Brooks, Calgary, recommends covering a pond surface with more lily pads. “That’s another way to conserve water.”

Since contemporary ponds are not drained, they don’t need complete replenishment and a good design ensures that during rainy times, any overflow goes onto nearby trees and shrubs.

He also encourages homeowners to see the ecological value of adding water to a landscape. “I think we’re creating another natural ecosystem and if you look at modern-day suburbia, we need more of these areas.”


Market bubbles with DIY options
If dreams of your own backyard water feature evaporate amidst a flock of dollar signs, it’s time to visit the local garden centres in search of a DIY option that won’t break the bank.

While the visual appeal of a spectacular water feature is transformative, the experts say most of us are really after the magic of how water sounds. Here are few of the most affordable ways to add the sound of water, touted as the ultimate naturopathic stress-buster and magnet for birds, to your own backyard.

For the love of fountains.  Fountain prices vary dramatically. Look for a stand-alone version or add a removable fountain pump to a large pot with a plastic liner. Don’t have much space? Look for a tabletop unit you can use outdoors.

Build your own pond. This can be simple. Expect to pay at least $200 for a garden centre pond kit that includes a ten-foot by ten-foot liner, three-tier fountainhead and 500 GHP pump. Directions are in the box, but still do some research on your own.

Need ideas? Water Works Ponds offers annual pond tours. The company is renowned for showstoppers like the 11,500-litre beauty with its crashing waterfall displayed at the company’s headquarters on Ellerslie Road, Edmonton.

Expocrete Concrete also organizes an annual Build A Pond In One Day event and a Build a Pondless Waterfall event in Edmonton and Calgary. Expocrete is a continental leader in water garden products.

Fish and Kitsch. If you’re not sure about koi, pick up a few goldfish for your new pond. They’re easy to overwinter indoors, or just fake it. Canadian Tire carries a floating koi for about $7. Most garden centres also offer a variety of floating artificial plants.