SFGate

lefty47 I'm sorry but that does not look like a " professional job "--- the only thing you can do is have a rock formation installed in the water at that end of the pool. You are going to lose some of the water area but there is no other way- other than have the whole thing taken out and start over by someone else. CHECK THEM OUT FIRST ! Maybe another landscaper in your area can give you some ideas on what can be done. Also if you put a black stain on the fence it will show off the plants and it looks classy.

Iyare I It doesnt look like a professional job at all and its very upsetting because I feel like I didnt get what my money paid for. But this was such the project from hell that by the time we went back and forth a couple of times over this pond, I was ready to be done so now I have to figure out how to fix it because stationary water will attract mosquitoes. P:S:- This picture below was what we discussed for my pond

mmonika I think this is completely salvageable (provided you have no leaks of course) :-)
Was there a look or theme you were trying to go for with your landscape?

First, I think the surrounding fence is in poor aesthetic shape. You should definitely fix this with some paint or super dark stain. I like dark colors / stain because it will make your greenery really pop. Lighter paint will be more traditional and bright. You cannot go light stain at this point.

Second, the rock formation needs some re-formation. Right now it looks very fake and awkwardly laid. I would get some more natural shaped stones and rebuild a little wall that WILL dip into the water. This will hide the lip of the pond. If you wanted to create a waterfall here, this would be a perfect place, but shop for stones that have nice surfaces and edges for a waterfall. You will need to purchase a pump as well. Many landscape supplies will have these materials.

Third, the garden surrounding the pond needs more plantings. They look too wide spread and it looks like a barren dessert. Plant dense shrubs inbetween the pond and fence (hide the fence) and you can use ground covers in the front so that they trail over the concrete a bit better.

Get some pond plants and create a water garden.

Clean the pond... It looks rather murky right now... very unappealing.

Consider adding a light inside the pond (approved for water submersion of course!!!). Add a few lights around the pond edge for safety and some beautiful reflections at night!

mmonika You answered my question while I was writing it :-)

Okay, this is totally doable! Don't stress :-) I am not sure whether your planning on doing this yourself but I think, with some patience and some help with the electrical side ( pump for waterfall) you can get the look you want.
Go to a landscape stone supplier and see some stones. Tell these guys your plans and they can find you stones that will suit your needs. If you get stones small enough, you can install yourself with some patience. Try not to do this at the hottest time of the year. LOL.

You can drystack the stones which does not require any mortaring skills either.

Iyare I Thanks everyone!!! Im not very handy and I would like to have it done to enjoy on my next vacation but I think Im going to attempt to fix this myself. First order of business is finding a landscape stone supplier... Thank you sooo much!!!!

mmonika Take comfort in that you can always try the stone work yourself ( with some friends) and if your not happy with the results, call in the Calvary afterwards.
Get some help on pumps for the water feature by asking people at pond/ pool supply stores regarding size, installation and maintenance :-)

mousemaker it sounds like you may have a legitimate complaint. i would find out if the person who did your original work is licensed? and why they didn't point out the design flaws? and why they left you with something you don't like and can't really use? i had a bad experience with driveway replacement :)
and now i tell everyone not to hire the person..because i couldn't file a complaint. but you might want to consider at least looking into it.
i think once you fix your yard it will be a joy :)

TanCalGal If this was mine here's what I'd do. Plant ivy all around the pond and train it to hide the cement. This will take a few years, but each year the ivy will cover more and more. After that the ivy will need a 2 x a year trim to keep from getting invasive. To train the ivy, I'd use GE silicone (WalMart) for anchors on the cement and tie the ivy to the anchors. Here are plant anchors http://www.tumaxgardenproducts.com/plant_anchors I'm not clear on if your pump is currently working? If you need a new pump, I'd place a small pump for a pond fountain in the center of the pond to spray water and enjoy the sound as you said. Something like the pumps in the center of the ponds here, but not a super large old-faithful-geyser http://www.pond.com/pond-fountain The rock wall looks too high. I'd take away the top 1 to 2 layer(s) of rocks and have the wall 2 to 3 rocks high only. Plant some ivy behind the rocks, too, it will look nice trailing down eventually. Mosquito fish are hardy and are good for small ponds. Many areas give them out free of charge, if you're in may parts of CA you can get them free http://www.lawestvector.org/MosquitoFish.htm I cannot see the landscaping too well, maybe 3 to 4 palms? and some grasses? These will be OK, they need time to mature. The grasses might even seed themselves and spread here and there. I'd buy a low ground cover and plant it here and there all around the pond to improve the looks. I like Woolly Thyme. This site sells low ground covers that take some foot traffic and you can find out what grows in your area http://www.stepables.com/

Liquidscapes Anything is salvageable, but it has to start with the right approach, which didn't occur the first time unfortunately. If the infrastructure of the pond is sound, at least you do not need to start from scratch.

As I say to all my prospect clients, money doesn't dictate a great result, it always starts from a sound design approach from a qualified professional. It is like investing in a bad business plan, it is already designed to fail.

First, do your due-diligent and seek out qualified professionals that have the abilities to deliver your vision. The best way to do that during the interviewing process is to see actual work they did. Check out at least three projects that they designed, built or both that are a minimum 5 years old. Why? This way you can see for yourself if their design and product held up and preformed properly, time is our best measuring stick. Speak with their clients, are they happy, was the project problematic or a success? Would they use that individual/company again? Are they still in business and stand behind their work?

Like I said, if you are in the proper hands, your project should be salvageable. They may make two suggestions, one working with what you have and one going in another direction, but that is valuable for you to know, especially financially.

I hope this helps!

Dee Tackett Have you considered building a very low deck around it, sort of give it a Zen feel? And have the raw edges of the boards face in toward the pond. I would do it and stain it very dark brown, and the fence too. I would eliminate the stacked stone area in the back. If it contains the pump, you could relocate that in a built in bench along the back. It would have a spa-like atmosphere. Add some grasses and large round river rock, perhaps a light or gurgling small fountain in the middle. You could be creative here and have it come out of an ancient looking pot or vase like structure.

Jade This so-called professional job is anything but! It looks like something my kids would build! The Beverly Hillbillies C-ment pond came to mind. You cannot have stationary water in a pond of this size. Depending on where you live, west Nile virus is a real threat. I think you would have a good reason to complain or report this to the BBB.

I agree with the above suggestions--that is is fixable, but it's going to cost money and take a lot of labor over top of what you already spent on this horrible work. The lack of greenery/planting is appalling! The cement is an eyesore. It shouldn't be visible at all. Good luck!!

Jade I'd like to add that in the photo you submitted which was the one you suggested for the job, that the waterfall coming out of nowhere looks very contrived and artificial. It is not a good example of an ideal pond installation.

If there is a waterfall, it should look like it's coming from somewhere where one in nature would occur. This is done by building up the landscaping behind it to a height from which it would naturally fall. It shouldn't look like it's coming from a fence or from a hole in the ground.

If this can't be done, a "bubbler" or fountain in the center of the pond would be more appealing.

pursue What about utilizing one of the new living wall plant systems? If the fence were covered with plants, I think the look would be softened. I agree that more stone and plants need to be added to the area. You could incorporate an automatic watering system to the living wall. If you look around the net you can get some ideas for living wall systems.

Dirt Digger Hi, Ivie! The first thing you need to address is what needs to be done to get the water circulating so that you don't have an unhealthy nightmare on your hands....standing water in the Texas heat won't work! You will need to install a pump in the pond to get the water moving....probably a $100 fix....I am assuming there was not one installed.

Pat Bernard Design, Inc. I agree with all the previous posts and want to add that before you do anymore work on this 'pond' that you check on a few things first.

Check with the city codes regarding easement and setbacks for permanent structures (although a pond might fall under a different category) because it looks like this is very close to your lot line. Ditto if you live in an HOA.

One fence looks like it might belong to your neighbor (the one with the good face) so check your plat of survey to make sure none of the pond is on their property. The lines get blurred when there are fences all around but I always check and confirm both city codes and lot lines for each new landscape project before we start anything.

Should you find that you are out of code or encroaching on property lines I would definitely check the contract you signed with the 'landscaper' to see who was responsible for checking these items. And then have him rip everything out and start with a new plan with a qualified contractor. Good luck.

Liquidscapes There are products on the market to control mosquito eggs, which we used with our pond, because there was not enough water pressure to support a waterfall or bubbler, but you have to be diligent about it. I think the product we used needed to be applied every two weeks to control the eggs.

If you are looking for inspiration and a visual idea of some of the things everyone is touching on, check out a pond/water garden and tree house we did. It is very naturalized in appearance, as if it was always there. The surrounding vegetation is really important in creating the affect you desire, so the space doesn't look artificial.

TanCalGal Here's something to do today:) The ornamental grass clumps should be cut off to about 3-4 inches from soil about now. (Nov-Feb)

Iyare I Hey guy!!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for all your suggestions!!! I decided to get a qualified contractor to come in and his recommendations have been right along the lines of what all of us have suggested. He even pointed out my drainage issue... which I paid that other contractor $1500 to fix but is still an issue.

Basically, this has been a learning lesson and I definitely have learned to check the credentials of my contractor. I will post the after pictures after it gets fixed.

Liquidscapes Awesome, did you check out their work? So much can be said from seeing a contractors work and speaking directly to their past clients. The more upfront work you do, will only ensure the value you will receive on the back end.

Joanne Fairmont Yinger After reading these thoughtful and professional suggestions, I am looking forward to hearing of your progress, Ivie.

As an interior designer, I liked the Zen design approach. It sounded very straight-forward. However, given the photo you showed the contractor, I think you had something "plush" with lots of texture i mind.

I agree, a professional would have addressed some basic functional issues. And a professional who has the landscape sensibility you relate to, can be found through investigation up front. Best of luck.

AquaFX My name is Jeffrey ingrassia of AquaFx in Mt. Sinai,NY I'm at 631.882 1932 check out our website at www.waterfallsandponds.com Un fortunately I face these projects all the time. Our work will exceed your expectations! let me know if I can further assist you.

stylishhomes I agree a dark stain is the best quick fix. Then another idea is a "form" for the bottom of the pond. It will keep it water-tight and you can add lights or a fountain or even some koi! I would then get some more stones to form a natural look all around the pond. You can even add plants, maybe succulents, (or whatever works in your area( in between the stones all around for a lush and natural look. ***most pros use these forms. empty the water, pop the form in, fill it back up again and voila!***

Here are a couple shots of my "back yard". I designed this myself and had it built last year. Regards, Dawne
D Magazine
http://dmagazine.me/

Iyare I Hello Aqua. I live in Arlington TX :)

Joanne: ure absolutely right... my backyard had nothing when I purchased it and it was waterlogged. My goal was something lush and colorful... a place for me to sip my wine and read my books (something relaxing). Unfortunately, the project was anything but as it took him way longer due to "illness" and "bad weather"... basically, everyday for a month, I had to call to see if they were going to come in or not.

Kathryn Peltier Design Hi Ivie: there have been so many great responses, and now that you have a new contractor, you should be on your way. I just wanted to add that by adding a couple of larger boulders in the pond (assuming this can be done without causing structural problems), you would get a softer edge. By planting taller grasses and some soft trailing plants around these areas, too, it would look more natural. Please post your "fixed" photos!

Sherri Fitzgerald To get to the point you need to build up the soil around the pond and some on the cement so that the plants can grow closer to the water and it can look more natural. The soil needs to be built higher than the cement . Check to see what plants grow well in your area. Get some Hostas if you can- they are low maintenance- and a Water Lilly and water iris as well- they will help clear up the water and act as filters so you can add fish if you like. Ivy is invasive and you will forever be at it cutting and pruning. Here is a picture of a pond my husband and I did. One pic is when we first put it in and the other is six years later. You can see how low maintenance shrubs and plants work well. We also added a lot of soil above ground as our ground is very rocky. All the best! I hope this was helpful.

Planit LanDesign Ivie, so sad, so sad. What has been done is absolute garbage, and it's "salvagable" only if you want to put lots of bandaids over. I would start over with a good plan done by a professional designer. Submit the plan to at least 8 contractors to get 3 good bids. I'll do a plan for you FREE!. I'm tired of good folks like you getting the short end of the stick. Bill www.planitlandesign.com

david1827 I would plant more green plants that grow tall to fill in on sides by fence. Add more stone around the 2 inside edges and add a couple large ones on he pond and add fountain o spray up water. David

britt333 I would suggest flat rocks around three sides with edges hanging over to break up the edges.Example pic on larger scale.Put a waterfall on the far edge.Put in some greenery...maybe some growing out of the rock.It would be perfect then.I wish I had this much of a start!Good luck!

Iyare I Sherri Fitzgerald, I loved that first picture sooooo much, I took it to him and said, "LOOK, THIS IS WHAT I WANNNNTTTTTTTT!!!" lol He loved that look too and he suggested going with the following flowers that work for texas weather....

Sherri Fitzgerald Ivy I'm glad you liked my suggestion. The flowers he suggested look really nice. Make sure he gives you different perennials that bloom at different times during the summer and come back every year.... that way you will always have blooms all summer long!!! All the best with your garden!!!!!!! You can see other pictures of this garden we did by entering my name on the "search" line at the top of the houzz page. Sherri Fitzgerald

britt333 Sherri,Your pond looks like something out of a fairy tale!It is so pretty.

mariar56 One of the better things you can do is to visit retail establishments that specialize in this. The more you familiarize yourself with a project before turning it over to the pros the better. I've usually been lucky to have friends or family in the business. Whatever I've needed they did. They all understand my oc need for mere perfection!

Liquidscapes

Liquidscapes Above is an example of what I was trying to say in regards to the importance of the overall design and integration of water, plantings, stone and in this case a treehouse structure.

ssnpowell Ivie, I don't know what part of Arlington TX you live in, but I know of an excellent place for you to check out that's local for you . Whiz-Q Stone 4501 East Loop 820 South Fort Worth, TX 76119
(817) 429-0822 My son and I have been enlarging and updating our old pond since end of last summer . This place has just about everything including boulders and even pond plants and fish. These are some of the nicest folks around.They have how-to classes or seminars every weekend on ponds and waterfalls.Check them out, I promise it will be worth your time. http://www.whiz-q.com/

lynnegrob Hi, I think you could do a lot with this space, it only looks bad because it's not finished. You can model a waterfall at the end with some rocks. Just move them around until you get a shape that you like, add rocks infront for the water to cascade on. You don't need cement just use the rocks(which you can find in any bush) plant some plants close to the edge that will grow over the edge and so give a softer looking edge and make it look more natural. A few lily's can be planted in the water for colour. Make a path from your entrance or door, from stepping stones, you can use gravel in between or small grasses. Paint the wall/fence in green or place creepers against it with trelly to hold it up. Make a place for a nice bench next to the pond. It could be beautiful. Place a few natural pots with leafy plants around the area. Don't be scared to try things and you will soon see, you can make it look great. Good luck.

Gerry Patje You can change the shape of the pound purely with planting .long water reeds and pound plant, stones and there easy to change around you will give the area more of a natural feel planting around the edge of the pound will also hide the boring shape

AquaFX Well it looks like you received plenty of helpful feed back. Are you planning on redoing your water feature? If so our talented staff can reconstruct your backyard to the relaxing ,tranquil setting you want to come home to every day! Check out our videos at You Tube under AquaFX see up to 23 projects to see want others are enjoying.

akaram Hi there! it's not all that bad so don't cry...
What you could do in your case is to plan some wild flowers and some green at the area between the pond and the fence. The reason I said wild flowers because those are very nice and also really easy to take care of. Then, for water fall part. You could buy a fountain and could be place in the middle of the pond. The water pump that included with the fountain will give you the sound of the falling water you like. Plan some water lilies and put some rocks at the other side of the pond (side that doesn't have wild flowers)

akaram Hi there! it's not all that bad so don't cry...
What you could do in your case is to plan some wild flowers and some green at the area between the pond and the fence. The reason I said wild flowers because those are very nice and also really easy to take care of. Then, for water fall part. You could buy a fountain and could be place in the middle of the pond. The water pump that included with the fountain will give you the sound of the falling water you like. Plan some water lilies and put some rocks at the other sides of the pond. You can also plan some sedums; those are great! have fun!

bloominggooddesigns You have gotten so many great responses I don't have much to add, but a few things do come to mind. What does the rest of your yard that is not in your photos look like and how large is the yard? Scale and balance are essential in a successful and pleasing design, and you don't want a tall, lush area of your yard that isn't balanced with the rest of your yard. How do you want to use the space? As a focal point, or do you want to relax by the pond and read a book? Do you want sun or shade? And if you want shade does it already exist, or are you going to need to create it? You and your designer need to have a clear idea of the areas function and then you can design the form. And I would give serious consideration to the size of the water feature/water fall you have installed. Although the sound of a modest size spillway may seem appealing initially, over time it can easily become overpowering. The rule for water features really is less is more, especially if you will spending time right next to it.

Enjoy the process.....and the results.

Iyare I Bloominggoddesigns, these are pictures of the rest of my yard. The fourth was what my yard looked like before I started the work. For the back fence, this is what we have planned:

9 six foot tall crape myrtles-6 four to five foot wax myrtles and 5 five to six foot pampas. 5 to 7 gallon plants-- the crapes would be taller than the fence in one season and the other two not far behind. And then we intend to use the plants I posted in the berms and around my pond as discussed.

The goal was to have a nice area to relax in during the day or night (hence the firepit), I want to hear the sound of running water (hence the pond) and I love lots of plants and color... because it makes me happy (I have lots of plants and some color in my house). The space would be used primarily by me for relaxing and sometimes for entertaining... especially in the warm weather. I thought about adding shade because of entertaining but I guess after 10 years in the military and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Ive learned to appreciate wide open spaces and shade makes me feel a little closed in. Of course, I understand it can get really hot so I would like to get some covered outdoor furniture as well.

Iyare I a few other pics...

Iyare I from my backdoor out....

lefty47 Nice big yard ---- with all the room there is in the yard - I don't know why the pond idea was shoved into the corner --- I would have placed the pond more to the center back so you can view it from the large window and patio area .

Iyare I Lynda, I never even thought about that.... Im such a beginner lol. I just knew the features I wanted and when he drew up the design of my backyard, it looked like it was going to be great but the end result wasnt all that I was expecting. My new contractor has great reviews and I love his work and his customers love him PLUS, he's made some great recommendations and so I'm excited for what the finished product will be.

Iyare I Okay, so here is the plan with the new contractor:

Backyard landscaping: Clean up bed edges to create separation between the bed and sod for cleaner lines, install combinations of the following plants for "Texas Tropical - Thrill, Fill, Spill" Look: 3 Texas Mountain Laurel (7 gal), 9 yellow knockout rose (5 gal), 3 Texas Sage (3 - 5 gal), 9 spirea (3 gal), 15 confetti lantana (1 gal), 10 - 12 mossy boulders, additional cypress mulch.

Fenceline Landscaping (to cover the ugly fence)

Install combinations of the following plants for "Fenceline Coverage": - 9 Crape Myrtle (7 gallon), 6 Wax Myrtle (5 - 7 gallon), 5 Pampas Grass (10 - 15 gallon)

Pond Waterfall
Drain existing pond and clean out, install underlayment, liner, skimmer, biofalls, and pump, install canadian large gravel for pond base, install flagstone, mossy boulders, and large cobblestones, install pond plants to include: hostas, iris, day lilies, low phlox, tall phlox, sea thrift, chives, creeping jenny, fox glove, and sedum. The bushes will be roses. spirea, dogwood, and forsythia. The garden behind the pond would have monkshood, tall phlox, yellow alyssum, columbine, low growing pinks, wooly thyme, globe thistle, yellow daisies, coreopsis, and candytuff.

What do you guys think?


Right now, we're waiting for DIG-TRESS to mark the underground utilities and then the work will begin... im excited :)

lynnegrob Sounds like you have got some good ideas. Let us see pics of the finished product. Good luck.

Dirt Digger Ivie...seems to me there is WAY too much plant material specified for your yard size and doesn't make sense to me, anyway. I live in neighboring Southlake and have been gardening most of my life in this area. While I understand you want a lush feel for the space, I think you need to ask more questions....a mature wax Myrtle can be 10 to 20 feet wide and likes a lot of water...crepe Myrtles like dry conditions...pampas grass gets huge and needs full sun...the perennials he has specified for the pond area are contradictory to each other...coreopsis and daisies need full sun, columbine needs dappled shade and generally does not grow in this area, etc. Did he draw a plan for you showing eventual mature size and can you post it? I just don't want to see you get taken to the cleaners again!

Sherri Fitzgerald Ivie....The plants you found on my houzz site under "professionals" were planted in a garden in Newfoundland Canada above Maine. We have mild, wet weather and little sun. That is why the garden is so lush. Your landscaper should know what flowers grow well in Texas....have you seen other gardens he has done in the area? You should be able to see nice plants to get by checking out his work. If he is a good landscaper... trust his judgements about what plants to use... he should know what will work in the Texas area....When I plan a garden for someone I usually check out the gardens in the area to see what plants grow well there....Sometimes a neighbor may not have a nice garden but one beautiful bush or plant for the area. People love to talk about their gardens and if you see someone who loves gardening in your area.... take a minute to speak with them about what grows well for them (Most happy gardeners usually freely give away seedlings too)......Google "gardens in Texas" .....OR....."flowers for Texas gardens" Make sure what you plant isn't going to shrivel up and die the first month because the weather is too warm. You may also need a little extra irrigation if your plants dry out they will die ... which looks like what may have happened after the first gardener left :-).............. One more thing ....if you want your garden to stay nice it needs a bit of attention. Start now looking up plants on the internet and find out their growing habits and needs for sun ...shade...water etc... If you are interested.. informed..and attentive you will always have a beautiful garden!!!!!................Sherri Fitzgerald

bloominggooddesigns Ivey,

First let me thank you for your service and welcome you back home. All that you have done is very much appreciated.

I just read some of the recent responses and agree, sounds like who you have hired may be qualified. Have you given them a deposit yet? If not, I really recommend you don't. You really need to do you due diligence and make sure you hire a qualified professional to help you with this. A simply place to start is thru local nurseries or professional association. The names of the associations vary by state, and again your nursery can help you.

You have got a great start on your yard, even with the challenging pond. The fact that you have an existing patio, firepit, pond and a very clear idea of what you want your yard to look like and how you want to enjoy means you are well on your way.

At this point I would highly recommend you research and hire a landscape designer with a strong horticultural background to help you complete your vision. Although you would think that everyone who calls themselves a "landscape designer" has a hort background, it simply is not the case and hiring someone who doesn't know which plants will grow and thrive in your yard will cost you a lot of money and frustration down the road. Your desire to plant pampass grass is a good example. Although many people find pampass grass attractive, most do not realize that they quickly become very large (easily 8 ft tall and up to 10 ft wide), have very sharp edges which make them a nightmare to do yard maintenance around, and they have a very aggressive root ball, so digging them and either moving them or getting rid of them is not only very labor intensive but can cause a lot of damage to any established plants in the area. A new trend in Landscape Design is called coaching. The designer works on hourly basis, usually with minimum (3 hours is pretty standard) and they simply walk thru your site with you and give you guidance and suggestions. They can give you wha

bloominggooddesigns Ivey,

My phone number is 206-383-9508. Please give me a call. I would be happy to help you find someone in your area who is truly qualified to help you with your design.

Thanks,
Joni Graves
Blooming Good Designs

bloominggooddesigns Sorry about the earlier goofey post.....for some reason my computer is submitting things spontaneously and I can't figure out why. The bottom line is this......any money you spend now hiring someone now who reallly nows what they are doing will be more than repaid in the future time and money not spent on something that won't work in your hard and will just have to be replaced later. You can mitigate the cost by doing your own research, and by talking to local nurseries in your area, but bottom line is this. You need to be sure that what you hire someone to have installed is something that will not only look good now, but will thrive for years to come.

Good luck

fredwanda Please turn your former "landscape architect" into the Better Business Bureau for the really bad job they did. Other people will hopefully benefit from your bad experience. Many good suggestions here. I particularly like the idea of staining the fence or hiding it with plants, a small bubbling fountain in the pond, and some rocks and ground cover near the pond. More plants around it. The idea of a low deck or bench around part of it sounds good too. Good luck!

mousemaker i agree, and i think i posted something similar to fredwanda.
i don't know if you like querky stuff? but i was lost on Houzz one day and i found the funniest head planters...i have no connection to them..i just think they're hysterical :) htttp://stonefacecreations.homestead.com

Iyare I OMG Mousemaker LOL, Those are so cute in a "will freak u out" kinda way LOL. I think they are hilarious!!!!

Iyare I bloominggooddesigns, I am talking to a local nursery... I sent them a list of the plants that I listed and they are going through them now. Southwest Nursery (the nursery I am using) specializes in plants that work well in the Southwest region so if they dont have a plant that I have on my list, thats because it probably wont thrive in my environ... so then we'll replace it with something similar. I know pampass can get large but I love the look of it and my yard is going to be professionally maintained and we can trim it down as needed (am I being unnecessarily stubborn about this?) :)

mousemaker i'm so glad Ivie I that you like them :) i even put them on my desktop :)

lefty47 Hi Ivie That was a very big list of plants - I love the look of pampass grass too but it won't grow here in Canada unless it's indoors. I like the look of bamboos also but if you plant any make sure it's not the spreading kind. I think you should keep your plant selection simple with multibles of a select groups like ornamental grasses that are good for your zone. And some flowering trees. Sounds like you have some good advice now and I think it's going to be beautiful. Good Luck lvie !

bloominggooddesigns Dear Ivey,

My sincere apologies if my post came across poorly. I have spent a good portion of my career helping clients correct problems created by so called professionals, and feared you might be once again heading down that path.
You have such a great space, and I hope you are able to find someone who can help you make your vision a reality.

My advice to you and anyone who hires a landscape designer is to remember this........... there is a big difference between someone who is qualified to install plants and hardscapes in your yard and someone who has a design and horticultural background. You need to make sure they have the latter, or there is the distinct possibility that you will not be pleased with the final product. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so am not completely familiar with all of the plants that thrive in the southwest, but do have some strong concerns with the number of and choice of your contractors foundation plantings, which makes me question his/her design qualifications. If I am reading the situation incorrectly, again I aplogize, but felt I needed voice my concerns. With specific regards to the pampass grass, it is certainly up to you, but you might want to see if there is another grass that will give you the aesthetic you want without the problem associated with pampass grass.

Enjoy the process.

Iyare I blooming, yyour post did not come across poorly at all. i REALLY appreciate all the feedback i have gotten so far.. u have been awesome. I decided to implement in phases.... start little and fill as needed. We"ll start tomorrow so keep looking back for progress pictures.

Iyare I UPDATE!!!!!

It looks really good so far... the plants will go up thursday... I like it. The water should clear up in a day or so because they had dirt on them. I know the fence has an ugly look to it but with the work that Ive done on the rest of my yard, replacing the fence just wasnt in the budget so we're using a more cost effective method of using decorative plants to cover the fenceline.

fredwanda This is looking much better already. Can't wait to see it after the plants are in!

Kathryn Peltier Design MUCH better! The plants will change it even more :-)

Iyare I UPDATES...

I think it is coming along great!!! Only thing left is to sod. I think the new grass will really make everything pop

Iyare I What do you think for outdoor furniture?

pursue I would buy good quality cast aluminum.
Teak is nice, but does age and it needs to be resealed now and then to keep the color. It will turn a silvery gray if you choose to not seal it. Cast aluminum just needs sprayed off with soap and water now and then, and I don't think it ever needs painting. Cast Iron will need to be painted at some point.

pursue And, the whole backyard looks lovely. I am glad this all turned out well for you!

Kathryn Peltier Design Wow, Ivie! This is looking wonderful. I am so happy for you that you found someone good to work with and that it is coming out like you wanted it to. The pond is pretty now!

Iyare I The landscaper said that his guys loved working at my house because the sound of the water was very relaxing so I can't wait to enjoy.... After I figure out the layout of my outdoor furniture

Kathryn Peltier Design Make sure you put somewhere to sit by your pond!

Iyare I You're the third person who has mentioned that... I'm thinking of a penchant but I have to figure out positioning

mousemaker oh noes!! :) i just reread part of a previous post where you mentioned creeping jenny...around here we call it things i can't post :) it is impossible to get rid of and it grows everywhere and kills grass..the root system is like a net. i grab handfuls of it and pull but there is no end. we have used a thatching rake to pull it out and we filled many garbage cans with it..
please don't plant it! :)

Glenna Partridge Garden Design Hi Ivie

I'm glad you have had some great advice on your pond/planting scheme. I meant to write comments to you sooner but it looks like you have got the houzz community helping you out! Your garden space looks like it's coming along nicely now! I just wanted to suggest some grasses that have the same feel as pampas grass but a little more refined. One is called Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' and another one that's a bit shorter is Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'. Both cultivars have that great fluffy seed heads like pampas grass. 'Morning Light' has a silver tone to the grass and 'Gracillimus' is a bit more coarse like the pampas grass. Check these out with your local nursery and/or Google them. The Miscanthus 'Gracillimus' grass grows to about 6' tall but stays quite compact in width. Both grow quite quickly as well and I believe these will give you that lush look without the maintenance issues. Hope this helps you out and I'm looking forward to seeing more photos of your project.

mario dela cruz this is a not so good water feature desn i can make you a design since i am in the philippines i dont know what materials is available in your area

Sherri Fitzgerald I'm glad to see your yard is coming together so nicely. I hope you enjoy sitting by your pond as much as I do with mine. Happy Gardening!

Liquidscapes Hi Ivie,

I don't want to kill the momentum you have found in renovating your landscape and waterscape, but this is what my eyes see, so I hope it is ok to share.

The fencing is too dominant to the space to me, I know this might be a budgetary issue right now, but it detracts from the space you are trying to create. To me it is a negative, because it is harsh and very rigid visually and no matter how beautiful a space is your eyes always go to the negative. It is like wearing a beautiful dress and getting made up to go out, but if you see a stain or blemish on the dress, your eyes go right to it.

With this water feature, if you really want to pull off that back yard oasis ( it should be soft, natural and flowing), you need to masked, soften and filter the appearance of the fence and your neighbors roof in the back ground. This can be done with more verticle formed/habit growing plantings now and phased over time (but make sure you get good advise on their growing habits so it doesn't turn into a overgrown nightmare).

The goal is to not define your property lines and boundaries ( which the fencing is doing now), create the illusion that you have no idea where your property begins and ends visually. Screen the rooflines of your neighbors home, but frame and pull in any attractive views where they are available (like other trees in the distance for example),which will create layers and depth in your garden and views.

My property is 3 acres, but everyone thinks it is 20, because I applied this methodology. You want to screen the unattractive views (within and out of your property)and pull in the more desirable ones. I hope this helps and adds value to the affect you desire.

Iyare I Liquidscapes, I totally get what youre saying and as the plants mature, they will eventually cover up most of the fence line. At this point, I am looking at a kitchen and landscape reno and I have to work with the budget I have... It might not be as lush as I wanted it to be but I think as it grows more... and as soon as the new grass is in, I'll get the look Im looking for.

fredwanda I agree with you Ivie. I think you need to let the plants grow now and see what it looks like when they are larger. If they cover a significant amount of the fence, it will look a lot better. Such an improvement already! Congratulations!

bdarrow Can you paint the fence?

Liquidscapes Painting the fence will just make it pop more, along with creating unnecessary cost now and future maintenance. I agree that the new plantings need time to grow and mature, like any project, but will the selective varieties chosen and installed create and provide the intended long term goal ( if the goal is to screen and soften the fencing). Ask the contractor that installed the plantings what the eventual maturity/size of the plants will be, so you are assured your goal will be achieved.

That is why I bring all my prospect clients out to see projects I completed 5,10 and 15 years ago. So they can see for themselves how well my projects perform years later, that we achieved the look and goals design wise and that they ( my clients) are still getting value from the initial investment we made together.

Many of the plantings in this picture, from what I can tell, may not achieve the goal of softening the fencing long term. Make sure they will. I'll submit before and afters later to support what I am trying to share, I hope it helps everyone.

PoolSupplyWorld.com Just wanted to comment and say that your whole adventure with this pond has been a very interesting read :) It's so cool that you updated with the latest pond photos. It's exciting to read and it looks like everything is going to turn out great!!

Iyare I Final pictures will come out tomorrow. We're installing the new grass and we put some bigger trees in (to include magnolias).

Emily Hurley I literally can not wait! It's been great fun to follow your project. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Iyare I Before I post the final pictures tomorrow, I wanted to post my before pictures so that you can see what we started with. It was a waterlogged space with a concrete slab and grass patches

Iyare I FINISHED PRODUCT.

My verdict: Exactly what I wanted. I love it!!

Iyare I more

Iyare I last two...

Kathryn Peltier Design Ivie, you must be thrilled! It looks beautiful, and what a transformation from the uninviting pond you started with. Thank you for posting all the photos. I totally agree with PoolSupply: it has been a treat to watch your project come together!!! Congratulations!

PoolSupplyWorld.com Looks beautiful! And I'm happy that you finally got your dream backyard (even if after a bit of a struggle). Now you can sit back and enjoy your pond and greenery :)

Glenna Partridge Garden Design Ivie, I'm glad you finally got the garden you wanted! It looks like you have some great plant choices and the before and after shots will be inspiration for others to transform their boring gardens into their own sanctuary. One final tip is to make sure your new plants get adequate water. It takes a season for your new plants to put down roots and then they should be firmly established. Enjoy your new garden!

Emily Hurley Wow! You've ended up with something really lovely to enjoy. I'm so happy for you!

Iyare I Glenna, I definitely want to keep it maintained so my landscaper will be maintaining my yard and we also programmed the sprinkler system so that they get adeqate water. I know the trees and plants will still grow in some so I know in about a year or two, it will look completely different.

Iyare I Last updates....

Decided to sprouce up the front a little with a raised bed. The first picture is the before and now what it looks like after. I put flowers leading up the driveway and solar lights too. It's very pretty. Im satisfied :)

koilover Nice recovery from the c-ment pond. However no matter what you do, the whole yard design is wrong. BIg yard with a small crappy pond in the corner.

The correct fix would have been to remove the c-ment pond and design a larger pond that centers the yard and then landscape around it.

If I bought your house, I would deduct $40,000 off the final price and tear it up and redo.

Iyare I Thanks for your opinion koilover but I designed it the way I wanted it and I like it better in the corner. And nope, I wouldn't deduct 40,000 of my sale price for anyone :)

ebova I love that you spent some thought and money on landscaping. Too many American yards are barren, boring stretches of grass.

PoolSupplyWorld.com I really love what you've done with both the front and back. Your house looks wonderful :)

Iyare I Thank you guys so much!!! The yard is doing wonderfully... I really enjoy being out there. I'm still going to tweak somethings a little as the new layout requires my sprinkler system to be reset and I would like to work on putting a few potted plants behind my pond... and of course patio furniture. But its doing very well and I have no regrets :)

Emily Hurley Hi everyone,

It's Emily, the community manager at Houzz. Let's remember that Houzz is a place to talk about your projects and get feedback and help from the community, but that we should always do so with kindness and respect. Let's have some fun.

Thanks!

moviemaniaxx Beautiful yard! Well done, nice recovery and it is SO nice to see all the helpful wonderful positive comments!!!

Iyare I Thank you Emily. I appreciate you deleting the additional commentary. I have been on Houzz for about a year and I have never seen a designer being that rude or negative.

koilover It's not all bad. Everything looks good but the pond in the corner. I mean can you even hear the water that far away?

I would have had the pond in the center with the patio edging up to it. Made it alittle larger & then landscaped around it.

Iyare I I can hear the water very well believe it or not. I chose to put the pond where it was for a specific reason. In my last house, I had a pool and the pool was the focal point of my backyard. I ended up selling the house because it was a bigger hassle than it was worth to me, I hated the pool, and I decided that I love the sound of water not necessarily the view of it. Besides, I have a dog and she needs the backyard space to roam. I dont need Bella having any issues with the pond breaking up my backyard. I didnt want my pond to be the focal part of my backyard but a mere enhancement or addition. The plants are the focal part of my backyard with the sound of water (from my pond) as a nice backdrop. That was my reasoning hence why it is in the corner. My backyard is not that big because from where the chairs are, I am about five feet away from my pond (look at the last of the pictures I posted... the top right picture).

koilover Ok then a pond is not what you needed. Just a nice waterfall set up that recycled the water would work. You now have a skimmer set up with a biofilter which will work with fish. Did you want fish?

I looked at the photos, and you are closer to the pond then I first thought.

I said in my first post "nice recovery", but It's just not the design I would have gone with.

Iyare I Yes I want fish but I dont have any right now. I want to see how it works this first year having a pond and then I will get fish.

Kathryn Peltier Design Lyare, the yard looks lovely, it meets your needs and it greatly enhances your home. That is what is important. That is ALL that needs to be said. Congratulations on making a lovely silk purse out of a sow's ear - you'd never know it!

koilover OH, nice house, patio, trees etc, but please put a paint job on that fence.

moviemaniaxx The poster already said the paint job is phase 2. Sometimes there is just too much to do all at once and funds, time and emotional energy is at a standstill.

cyn222 Major improvements from first landscapers work. I love putting water plants in containers and creating a look that seems natural. Maybe you can add some water plants in the pond. I love lilies and Corkscrew Rush. Enjoy!

cyn222 I agree with koilover...stain the fence It kills the whole look.

judyg May I add a P S to Emily Hurley's comment? lyare, don't be hurt by criticism made by someone who cannot present credentials or even post a profile. Negative, mean remarks smack of passive aggressive behavior. This forum is for fun, help, constructive ideas, support and, very often, the generous contributions of the authentic professional.

Sarah Moore As someone who knows people with houses in that area, this very much looks like the type of backyard that would appeal. And, again, knowing people in that area - they can be sticklers on splitting new fence costs. Great improvement. ;)

archibaldfarm Remember a feature needs to look it was already there naturally, not look like it was put it there foreign to the space....sure your kids did not go out there and make a mud pond for their pet turtle? lol

archibaldfarm If the pond turned out like this i really want now to SEE THE REST OF HIS/HER WORK.......

archibaldfarm You always want to see a drawing or pic of your contractors vision....beans are not all the same.....i can invite you over for beans but you think of your favorite pintos but i mean green......communication is the key. Always pull pics of what you want and present to anyone doing any work for you so you are on same page dont let them dictate what your pond will end up looking like after all you are paying the bill and having to live with or redo their work.

RollingPlanter.com Seems like your backyard landscape worked out nicely. Here's something that can be added, moved on your large hardscape patios.

RollingPlanter.com For contact information: http://www.rollingplanter.com or here on Houzz: http://www.houzz.com/pro/tetonluft/rollingplantercom

mistywilliams @koilover......your opinion is your opinion and that's fine. However, do not be negative to someone because theirs is different. I agree with the homeowner...I wouldn't drop my price $40,000 for anyone because they didn't "agree" with my placements. I would tell them to move on. The backyard turned out beautiful, especially because it makes the homeowner happy! I'm sure it would offend you if someone ask you to drop the price because of those reasons! She didn't ask for negative comments, only helpful ones. The fence does not detract from the overall effect. It fades into the background. It will be a gorgeous yard when the plantings are grown! There, that's MY OPINION!!!!!

AMA Landscape and Design Hello everyone I am new to Houzz and was reading on this post. I have attached some pics below of a pond we did, the homeowners wanted the whole yard converted to a place of tranquility and here is what I came up with. The pond is deep enough for fish which they have and the owners absolutely love it. Since I finally caught up with all the post your back yard is lovely.

Digital Imaging by Tina - Interior Designer @AMA Landscape welcome; the poster received a tremendous amount of responses and her issue was not only fixed and resolved, but the yard looks absolutely beautiful. See the "after" pictures above (Iyare I postings).... Great job! I love Houzz... I think this is going to be the next best interior/exterior decorating website/forum online. Watch out HGTV!!!! LOL. Houzzz "Digtal Imaging by Tina"

RollingPlanter.com @AMA Landscape... Great job on the landscape. Is there anyway you could soften the fence. It has such a stockade feeling. Could the fence be white washed? Could ivy or other vines been established on it. Something looks very unfinished here...

cani Your yard looks like night and day between what the first incompetent landscaper did and what you have now. It looks wonderful now. By the way, I think everyone should have their own say about what they want to do on their own property and I think anyone looking to buy your house would be thrilled to have the pond. Enjoy it!

AMA Landscape and Design Hello RollingPlanter, I agree but we were working with a budget. on my original design I have decorative lattice along the back fence with crossover vines. The homeowner has stated they did do that so I am anxious to see it come Spring once everything starts growing. On the opposite side of the property I planted Red Tip Photinias to soften the fence so it looks nice. They also added there patio furniture on the flagstone area. Thanks for the feedback.

maus The pond outline reemphasizes the the fence line; you need to visually break this with punctuated plants and and rock placements.... undulating laterally and layered vertically. Think in scaling terms: overstory, understory and groung cover. Large rocks, cobbles and pebbles. Create three points of separate yet cohesive interest. Less is better.....psychologically an easy read and consequently calming.

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HOME LANDSCAPE LLC looks like he ran out of ideas when he came to the pond. We were called to fix this from another company in town .This was there idea of a pond. We redesigned it using the same material on site except for the pond pump.

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HOME LANDSCAPE LLC Redesign

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HOME LANDSCAPE LLC Having trouble loading the redesign sorry.

1millieonaire The corner-of-the-house water feature appears to be right up against the brickwork - not a good idea if it causes rain (or snow?) to remain against the foundation. Even egg-sized stones which are sometimes used to landscape this margin should be 6"-8" below basement window sills and weep-holes in the brickwork.
Safety bylaws, even for a shallow pond, should be required reading. A pondless waterfall might suit some gardeners. The falling water passes through 1 or 2 filters and collects in a sunken tank with a grill on top and which is covered with assorted rocks. It also minimizes mosquito problems :)

peetsoo Beautiful yard.............so glad that you posted pics of the final results :)

EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL HOME LANDSCAPE LLC I agree with millieonare.The contractor should have taken that into account but did even worse , not only was the water getting to the foundation but all the piles of stone where pitched towards the foundation . The top resevoir hab a 90 to 100 pound flat stone as the cover poorly place also pitching towards the foundation .To top it off the home owners are in thier late 60, and had to navigate to the top of this heap of loose rocks only giving them less than 12" of walking space to the top . let alone lift a 100 pound rock . I was so upset with what they did i took it all apart and tard the walls to the foudation both sides ,installed a 6" ftooter both sides installed block in porland cement to set the stone steps to the top and made it 24" width both sides .We built them solid steps to the top in the same stone ptiched to the pond side by 1"all stones away from the foundation , sealed all gaps to brick wall with silicone and gave them a lighter cover about 25 pounds. We incressed the water flow and added another fall for better sound and visual interest .finally cleaning out the pound from over grown plants.They did'nt even know they had 12 fish in the pond. We did not build this thing we only made it safe and better for them. MR.Robets was very happy.