koi
When a pond's fish shift to spawning mode, all sorts of things start happening in a hurry -- in turn whipping new pond owners into a frenzy right alongside their fish. At these times, Mike Gannon counsels restraint and helps novices recognize and follow what's happening.
When you step up to tackle what might possibly be the most challenging job your company has ever pursued, there's definitely a gut check involved. Do you have the required staff? Can you call on top-flight subcontractors? Do you have the stamina to get involved and stay involved for the duration of a seriously long, seriously complex project? As we found in building the seven watershapes
Given the choice, there are few projects I enjoy more than renovations: The process of taking an existing outdoor space that isn't making people happy and coming to their rescue with a personalized dreamscape is about as satisfying as it gets. This sort of shift in vision happens quite often when homes change hands and the new owners bring in a different set of needs and desires. In grand terms, there might be nothing particularly "wrong" with the original setting, but if the new owners either want to
Ponds are often valued for being uniquely calming and comforting. But for a child with autism, these watershapes can also be therapeutic in a number of ways. That's wonderful news for these kids, Mike Gannon observes -- and great for their families as well.
When we think about Koi ponds, the images that most often come to mind are of spaces entirely naturalistic: irregular shapes, edges offering limited direct access, lots of aquatic and terrestrial plants interacting at the margins and, as a rule, little suggestion of formality in the design. That was certainly the case in a project I recently shared through
In my lengthening career as a landscape designer and installer, I have worked on every aspect of a variety of residential and commercial projects - indoors and outdoors; on backyards, sideyards and front yards; on formal gardens, wild meadows and stands of trees; and on pools, spas, fountains, ponds, streams, waterfalls and more. I enjoy every part of the projects that come my way, but
