At Eagleson Landscaping Co. ponds are one of our favorite water features as they bring so much beauty and interest to any landscape. It is a perfect destination location in a yard and naturally draws the homeowners and their guests to it. The calming sounds of water make for a perfect backdrop to a relaxing summer day. Ponds also attract many varieties of wildlife: frogs, birds, honey bees, and turtles (if you’re lucky). You can also add koi fish if you so desire. Whether to look at or listen to, a pond is a landscape feature for the senses.
A pond is a good idea for any landscape. We have installed ponds in tiny yards as well as extensive ones. What makes a good home for a pond is a homeowner that will enjoy it thoroughly! Ponds take a fair bit of maintenance so homeowners need to be aware and take on the long-term commitment of doing the work themselves (or hiring Eagleson Landscape Co.). In our experience, all pond owners find the benefits of a pond far outweigh the work one must put back into the water feature.
Some ponds and water features will take more work than others. For example, a pondless water feature requires far less maintenance, making it great for someone looking for little upkeep. This feature has a waterfall that drains into a basin underground. There is no body of water, but the sounds and sights of the splashing waterfall make for a very pleasant addition to a landscape. The drawback to pondless is you miss out on pond plants like lily pads, and you cannot keep fish.
On the other hand, fish are about as low maintenance of an animal as you can find to take care of and still interact with. Koi fish come in many varieties and colors; watching them swim is mesmerizing. After a while the fish begin to “recognize” you and will gather around the edge for dinner. Some will even eat out of your hand! We used to put watermelon slices on a stick for kids that came over to our house and would let them feed the fish. It’s quite the scene and really entertaining! Generally, a koi pond will have to have steep sides to keep animals from poaching your buddies.
Ponds without fish can be just as fun, however. You can install a pond with the intention of using it as a pool. We use smoother stones and set up places to sit inside the pond when we build a project with this use in mind (the Eaglesons plan to do this with their own pond this summer!).
While we tend to add a creek or bog into our pond designs, they are optional. Bogs act as a natural filter for the pond water and make a great habitat for local wildlife. Creeks bring lovely sounds with splashing, flowing, and trickling water, and can invite a little creek stomping!
Every pond we put in is unique to the owners and their landscape. Through different types of stone, the shape of the pond, the look of the waterfall, and many other details we can do just about anything to make a water feature fit your taste and existing landscape.
