Garden thought for the month:

Every garden-maker should be an artist along his own lines.  That is the only possible way to create a garden irrespective of size or wealth.

-Vita Sackville-West

The home garden is no longer just a collection of foundation shrubbery, dotted with flowers and the accent of a pink flamingo, or garden gnome.  Developing research and technology have partnered to allow the homeowner outdoor designs, and unique features once thought attainable only to the wealthy.  Homeowners now have the tools and resources to combine shape, color, texture, lighting, and sound to create most affordable outdoor living spaces.  With the skyrocketing price of fuel, many homeowners are looking for options to make their home “a private get-away” for an entire season versus one week's vacation time.  One of the most immediate ways of creating this outdoor oasis is the infusion of water and stone into existing gardens.

Saratoga Springs has a rich history of using water, art, stone, and sculpture throughout private and public gardens.  An afternoon or evening walk through Congress Park is a living testament to this unique style of gardening. Yaddo Gardens use these elements in various themes.  Many historical Victorian homes boast gorgeous statues, fountains, and ponds.  Rural properties throughout the area use the plentiful rock for borders, boundaries, and accents.

Many homeowners shy away from water features due to fear of high costs, excessive time spent in maintenance, have little space to work with, or dislike the concept of a hole in the ground with some degree of standing water.  New products coupled with low maintenance planting designs offer homeowners resolution for all these concerns.  It also offers a healthy challenge for avid gardeners to “think outside the box” when selecting plants to compliment these features.

One of my favorite water garden features is the Pondless® Waterfall.  This feature totally eliminates the hole in the ground with standing water issue.  Recirculating water is pumped from a stone lined reservoir up to a waterfall unit that moves the water along a streambed and down additional falls.  Micropondless® units allow homeowners to incorporate this small water feature within an existing dedicated garden area.  The relaxing sound of water along with the aesthetics of rocks and natural plantings, give the elusion of a place far away from your own backyard. 

These units are quick to install.  But most importantly, for busy homeowners Pondless® Waterfalls offer very low maintenance.  They require much the same routine you already complete in your garden beds: fertilize, mulch, deadhead and cutback plantings.  In the spring, you place the pump in the basin unit, add water to the reservoir, and plug it in.  In the fall you unplug the pump, remove, and store indoors.  A few minutes added to bringing out or storing the outdoor furniture in your yard will take care of these chores. 

When property owners plan their gardens, they often overlook the importance of “winter garden interest”.  Our North Country weather provides us with weeks of winter conditions.  Pondless® Waterfall units with their stone and rock have added appeal looking out our windows during dreary North Country winter days.  The snow melt on these surfaces is quicker than lawns. 

Therefore, the textures project amidst blankets of white.  Algae growth, although always a possibility with any water feature during the heat of the summer, is remarkably less due to the design of these units.  Simple routine water treatments specific to the unit attack and prevent algae growth safely and effectively.  These treatments are easily added to your existing garden fertilization and weed preventative measures.  Thus your maintenance time is not excessively extended.

Even decorative fountains, can be within a homeowners reach with an AquaBasin™ unit.  This combines the age old use of sculpture with water.  Hand-carved stone pieces are drilled to promote the best water action.  The units are coupled with a small underground plastic basin and pumping unit.  The underground basin measures approximately 44 inches in diameter.  It is buried 18 inches underground.   The unit is completely undetectable under stone and rock finishing.  Decorative ceramic bubblers can also be used with the Aquabasin™ unit.  It is important to note that the ceramic features do require drainage, removal, and storage of the pottery in our region.  They are a bit too delicate for our North Country winters.

Cost is always a major consideration for homeowners.  Installation of a Pondless® Waterfall feature generally runs 17% less than a pond.  Installation of fountain and bubbler features using Aquabasin® units run 75% less than an average pond.  Selection of unit size and features will impact this price difference.

Planting around these new water garden features can offer the homeowner new ways to expand their gardening skills.  The contours, curves, and rock texture give you more 3 dimensional design options.  Think rock gardening!  Ground covers and moss can blend some of the peaks and valleys.  Tall grasses give height to areas.  Shrubbery, both green and flowering, offers a full season backdrop that differs from merely hiding a house foundation. 

The water presence allows you to add complimentary plants you would not normally consider in typical soil based gardening.  With proper planning, gardeners can get their first taste of aquatic plants using “marginal plants”.  These perennials like their feet wet, e.g. roots moist.  They can tolerate water depths ranging from moist to 12 inches.  Marginal plants can be added for full season color just as you would a soil based garden.  Marsh Marigolds and early bloom Iris can start your season.  Forget-Me-Nots, Siberian Pink Cups, Chameleon Plant, and Cattail varieties along with later blooming Iris can round out your season.  Annuals (plants whose cold tolerance does not meet our region specifics) to infuse within your perennial and shrubbery base would include Cannas, Cardinal Flower, Bog Lily, Arrow Arum, Umbrella Palm, and the Calla Lily. 

You will love the tropical colors and the unique shape and texture marginal plants add to a garden.  

How do you take the plunge and begin researching these new elements?  I suggest a look at www.aquascapeinc.com.  You can investigate the systems more fully and consider do-it-yourself options.  If you choose to have a local contractor do the job, make sure the contractor is appropriately trained, fully insured, offers product warranties, and will be available after the sale. 

Always ask the contractor for customer references and examples of completed jobs.

Sue Ann DuBois is a Master Gardener and partner to the husband-wife team of Chips Landscaping.  She designs, constructs, and maintains outdoor landscape, water gardens, and landscape watering systems.  Chips Landscaping is an Aquascape® trained water garden contractor and member of the Aquascape® Water Garden Excellence Partnership.  For more information visit: www.chipslandscaping.net.