Video Gallery
Of all the decisions related to swimming pool projects, the one that tends to be the most difficult for average consumers to wrap their minds around has to do with selecting the sanitizing system. And that’s with good reason, because water treatment is a complex, science-laden topic that can involve a lifetime of study. As a result, I figured that a simple, direct approach would be best in
In far too many cases, lighting in and around backyard swimming pools is an afterthought – and sometimes I get the impression that there’s not much thought involved at all. As I see it, our clients deserve better than an easy, one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s the main reason I developed the brief video presentation linked below: I wanted to give homeowners a bit of information that would help them understand both the importance of good lighting and get them ready to discuss a variety of available design solutions. As I suggest in the video, the old-style, under-the-diving-board placement of a 500-watt incandescent bulb should never
We at The Pond Digger Waterscape Design & Construction do a lot of our business locally, and we’ve always found value and satisfaction in giving back to the communities we serve. Back in 2002, we started Ponds for Schools, a curriculum-based program in which we work with administrators, teachers and students to set up “outdoor waterscape classrooms” for use throughout the year. This enables teachers to expand their lesson plans into the great outdoors, and we’ve heard about
I started making videos and putting them up on YouTube a couple years back to help my prospective clients (and, for that matter, anyone else who might be interested) become better informed about all of the decisions that go into purchasing backyard swimming pools. The one I’m sharing here, for example, is about a detail the average consumer rarely (if ever) considers
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
Every once in a while, we come across a client with a special interest in supporting something other than the fish and plants that generally inhabit the ponds we design and install. Occasionally, for example, we’ll get a request to build a watershape that will be particularly attractive to non-fishy wildlife – everything from birds and frogs to various mammals and even insects. In most cases, no special features are required: The pond becomes a known, habitual part of the local ecosystem and various creatures will just show up, so all we really need to do is make certain the water is deep enough and that we’ve installed enough caves and hiding places that the fish will be able to elude predators. Turtles, however, are a different story. Where frogs and birds and raccoons and butterflies will just appear, pondowners generally need to bring in turtles – and then
I wouldn’t mind being able to hibernate through the coldest part of winter, but as a professional in the pond business, I know I’ll be spending some time out in the cold helping see my clients’ watergardens through the worst of winter’s chill. Fortunately, there’s really not a whole lot to be done – the plants are dormant, the fish are quiet, and the systems
Filling small courtyards and other compact spaces with the sounds of moving water is a valued service watershapers often perform for clients these days. A frequent approach in these cases involves installation of wall-mounted fountains in which water issues from a source set toward the top of the fixture and drops into a small basin from which the water is drawn and
As is noted right at the start of the video linked below, pond designers and installers are learning that homeowners who get into the hobby tend to commission the system they really want after a couple of preliminary attempts. That’s what happened in this case, where a
