Woodland Brook at Dusk
DOVER, MASSACHUSETTS
About the Project
Our client Elaine called us during the summer of 2021 to repair her preformed pond. Between the cracks, algae, and absence of a filtration system however, we aptly recommended a rebuild. And to be fair, I may’ve nudged her about the aesthetics too, which were severely lackluster. Without hesitation, Elaine said yes! But there were two conditions: it had to be low maintenance and attract birds. Not a problem! This application had pondless waterfall written all over it, which always delivers on those fronts.
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We started by excavating a 300-gallon reservoir to promote self-sustaining operation and cleaner water. With that installed, we then carved out some nice contours for a 17-foot-long stream and proceeded to line it with EPDM rubber. From there, the fun part began: creating some waterfalls and areas that the birds would flock too. To mimic their natural environment, we ended up collecting an oak stump and branches from her yard to weave into the feature, which provided some enticing perches.
We also made sure to slow down the water in a few shallow areas as well, since most birds prefer to drink from these spots in nature. When we completed the feature, Elaine was so thrilled that she hired us back to landscape the garden too. We brought in a wide variety of shade perennials and topped the transformation off with a mature Japanese maple as the cherry on top. When I took these pictures during the drought last summer (2022), Elaine proclaimed that despite how dry it'd been, she never had to replenish the reservoir – not even one time. Beautiful, sustainable, and good for the surrounding wildlife – can a landscape get any better than that?
SEE THE MAGIC
