Water gardens a soothing and sound investment

There's nothing like the soothing, tranquil sound of water bubbling over rock the number one reason homeowners choose to install water gardens in their yards, according to the companies that create the gardens and sell the supplies.

According to Linda Siler, manager of O'Quinn's Orchids & Water Gardens, 2936 W. Republic Rd., everyone likes to hear and see the water, but novices don't know enough about proper pond construction and maintaining water quality.

O'Quinn's "will sell you everything but the hole in the ground," said Siler. "Homeowners usually don't know which pumps they need or what sort of filtration system to use. If you're not going to hire a landscaper to do the job for you, you need to ask for advice before you start."

Features

Water gardens come in all shapes and sizes with a myriad of features, but what mainly defines them is a mix of water plants and fish, usually goldfish or koi. Hardy waterlilies, cattails and iris are the most commonly used plants, but adding the exotic, night-blooming tropical waterlily can extend the pleasure of the garden into the evening.

Siler believes that a water garden, when the area around it is landscaped, can add from 5-10 percent more value to a home.

Scott Zimmerman, co-owner with Blayk Michaels of Aquatico Inc., designers and installers of water gardens, said that real estate appraisers indicate that a water garden adds anywhere from $500-5,000 more value to a property, and that "the upper range of numbers reflects a significant water feature on a significant property."

"People like to go out on their decks and enjoy their own little paradise," Zimmerman said. "Our average pond is around 180 square feet of water surface. The old technique was to dig a hole and throw in a liner, but we build them so you don't see what makes the water features run."

Maintenance

Zimmerman said his company's systems are easy to maintain because plants, fish, mechanical filters, biological filters and water skimmers all work to balance each other. He believes the whole arrangement shouldn't take more than 20 minutes a week to maintain.

Michael Fessenden, landscaper for Myron Royce Farms, 430 Shady Oaks Dr., Ozark, put his own spin on the water garden's appeal. "Most people say they want a pond, but what they really want is a waterfall into a pond," he said. "Quite often, they want a sitting area where they can be close to the water, and that results in our building patios, or a path to a bench, or adding lighting so they can enjoy the water at night."

Fessenden said that constructing a pond is not terribly difficult, but that waterfalls take skill. "Every time I do one, it feels like it's the first one," he said.

Fessenden's waterfalls are built of sandstone, and each is unique. "We work with gravel rock and large boulders, and the result looks like the real thing," he said. "Nothing else is seen no pipes, no rubber, no filters."

Cost

Fessenden's projects, including materials, filter system and labor, start at $5,000. The amount can double or triple when landscaping is included. Fessenden concurs that water features increase a property's value. He believes the sellers of a home with a water garden "should get full value from their water feature when they sell the place."

Despite the number of commercial landscapers creating water gardens, there are still the do-it-yourselfers like Jim and Caroline Grinder of Springfield, who began digging their first pond by hand in 1993 and who still view their garden as a "work in progress."

Their four ponds, two waterfalls and stream fill the roughly 100x75 foot space behind their house. The project was started, Caroline Grinder said, because "Jim got tired of all that mowing."

When the couple first began they knew nothing about water features, although Grinder, who owns the local Roto-Rooter franchise, knew a great deal about pumps and pipes.

They learned from books, "making plenty of mistakes," Caroline Grinder said.

The couple decided to work to attract wildlife to the garden. "Now we see lots of birds and butterflies we've even had green herons here, which is rare," said Caroline Grinder.

The Grinders are not alone in their hobby. The area Water Garden Society, of which Linda Siler is president, currently boasts 550 members, many of whom will open their yards to the public on June 23-24 for a two-day pond tour.

Siler sees the pastime growing every year. "You know you're really hooked when you take the pictures of your kids and grandkids out of your billfold, and fill it with shots of your pond," she said.