ARTICLES Archives - Page 136 of 312

Pond Chores

Pond ownership comes with a range of responsibilities, not the least of which has to do with making certain everything is ship-shape at some point before the weather gets very warm in the spring. That’s particularly true if the pond carries a good population of

Jet Setting

People who design and build swimming pools with attached spas are always on the lookout for ways to differentiate themselves in the eyes of the client. The spa, I think, is the perfect place to start. But the cold fact is that a great many watershapers who build spas do so very conservatively, whether out of habit or

Ponds on the Level, Part 2

This is the second of three articles on using auto-fill devices with ponds and watergardens. Auto-fill devices for use in managing water levels in ponds and watergardens come in three main forms: mechanical float valves, electromechanical timed valves and electronic sensing systems. In this article, we’ll take a look at each system and weigh advantages and disadvantages. Let’s tackle price first: Of the three

A Crowning Achievement (pdf version)

In July last year, the city of Chicago unveiled its newest civic landmark: Millennium Park, a world-class artistic and architectural extravaganza in the heart of downtown. At a cost of more than $475 million and in a process that took more than six years to complete, the park transformed a lakefront space once marked by unsightly railroad tracks and ugly parking lots into a civic showcase. The creation of the 24.5-acre park brought together an unprecedented collection of

Suitable Tributes

Few who shape the water will ever make as profound an aquatic mark on the world as did landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. He’s long been a favorite of mine, and we’ve called attention to his work and influence on more than a few occasions in the pages of WaterShapes and on WaterShapes.com. Along with Thomas Church and very few others, he defined the way we all

Test Your Knowledge #54

Prominent Television Journalist Swims with African Crocodiles

Ripples #65

Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck Penn. High Schools Schedule Swim Meet in Fracking Liquid

Ripples #64

Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck Shark in Swimming Pool Dies During Ad Shoot for Kmart

Test Your Knowledge #53

Superstar U.S. Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte Has TV Reality Show

#4: Mastic Joints

It’s a case of familiarity breeding neglect: Pool and deck contractors work with so much mastic through the years that it’s easy for them to take this wonderful material for granted. And that’s a shame, because I’ve run into plenty of clients who are plainly interested in learning what function these rubbery joints serve and why they’re a necessary part of the package. The video linked below offers an