For more than two decades, watershape designer and builder Ryan Oakes has leant his talents to the ongoing creation of a place known as “The Uncommon Garden” located in Chapel Hill, N.C. Here he takes us on walk through the history of a space so unique, whimsical and imaginative that it defies convenient description – and, yes, it does feature dragons.
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In its continuing campaign to support professionalism in all facets of the watershaping industry, Watershape University is joining forces with the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AoAP) and the Council for the Model Aquatic Health Code (CMAHC) and is set to offer a menu of presentations at the AoAP’s Conference & Exposition this coming February.
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The world of commercial watershaping can be a far cry from residential work, says Rick Chafey. It requires a completely different mindset and rigor when it comes to working in a team environment with far more stringent requirements for permitting, engineering and oftentimes on-site adjustments. The tricky water feature pictured here, he says, was a perfect example.
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Streams are about movement, journeys and experience. They create connections within the landscape and they even tell stories. As Anthony Archer Wills explains, designing and building streams is a form of watershaping that is best realized when based on keen understandings of nature, narrative and motion.
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In his recent feature, “Defeating Drought,” Eric Herman sought to provoke an important conversation about the future of water supplies in areas prone to shortages. As the reservoir levels continue to drop in the wester U.S., one builder offers his view on a path, or more accurately a pipeline, that he believes we should follow.
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Scott Cohen is passionate about plants and especially those that produce beautiful flowers. Here he explains that while plants add a rich dimension to his designs, they do also attract pollinators, including bees, other insects, hummingbirds and even bats. Thankfully, it is impossible to have flowers without the creatures that help propagate them, but to his mind, having a garden blossoming with color and life is a source of tremendous joy and fascination.
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Effective branding and marketing start with who you are, says Kurt Kraisinger, and as he points out in this incisive diatribe on success, there are no short cuts to integrity.
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In a colossal effort to support a wounded veteran, Paolo Benedetti worked a series of small miracles pulling donations of material, equipment and labor to build a pool for Sgt. Brian Jergens. The result is a place where the still young man can heal from his physical and psychological injuries.
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Dry times are inevitable, writes Eric Herman; and, at present, all indications are that much of the Western U.S. is in the early stages of what looks to be a severe drought. That’s why, he says, the sooner we face the reality of ever-increasing demand for freshwater and dwindling supply, the sooner society can push back against the potential horror and disaster of water shortages.
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A Well of Compassion