Category: landscape lighting

asheville landscaping, asheville pond builder, Fountain, landscape design, water features, landscape design, landscape lighting, stone bridge, stone work, water feature

Building a Pond, Part one

living waters landscaping

This month we have been working on building a decorative garden pond in Hendersonville, Nc.

Garden Koi Pond

This project is currently under construction. Please check back later for finished project photos.

This pond will be appropriately 15×22 ft wide and 4 ft deep. We added some special features to this system. Including: an intake bay filter, a wetland filter and an airlift bottom filter.

With all these filters combined, along with aeration and circulation jets, the pond will be crystal clear and have very little maintenance to keep it that way.

Boulder pond

We started off by excavating the pond area and lining it with a 45 mil EPDM rubber liner. Then we set boulders along the pond wall, leaving planting pockets for aquatic plants that will help keep the water clear and healthy.

We added some large boulders into the pond to create a truly unique and impressive feature.

We also added a fun feature to this pond. Floating Steps! They are actually not ‘floating’ but will look like it when the pond is full. We set flagstone steppingstones on top of concrete pillars to create this awesome feature.

Pillars for floating steps
Floating steps

As this pond developed, we decided to add some aquatic lighting into the pond so our client could enjoy the fish at night.

One of the unique filtration options we installed into this pond was the airlift filter grid at the bottom of the pond. The airlift is created using a grid of perforated pipes under gravel laid into the bottom of the pond. When the system is on, the aerator will pump water into a vertical pipe connected to the grid and create a vacuum. This will draw water through the grid and discharge it to the top of the pond. Making the whole floor of the pond a big biological filter.

Airlift Filter

As we are still working on this system, please check back soon for some finished project photos and videos.

Pond Filtration

Give us a call or message with any questions, or if you are considering having a pond or waterfall installed in your yard.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Setting Boulders

asheville landscaping, flagstone, landscape design, landscape lighting, patio

New Flagstone Patio

living waters landscaping
Flagstone Patio

We just finished this custom dry laid flagstone patio in Weaverville, NC

This patio includes an inlay pattern in the center. While the rest of the patio is a random pattern, the central inlay draws your eye and invites you in.

The special part about this patio project was the custom wood bench.

My carpenter custom made this glue-lam curved bench from trees on his property.

Custom wood and stone bench

The bench was then cut into two 1000 pound boulders. Creating a beautiful and functional feature.

In addition to the stone and wood in the design of this feature, we installed a landscape lighting system so that it can be enjoyed at night.

Landscape Lighting

This was a fun feature to build and we hope to build more features like this in the future.

Give us a call if you would like something like this in your yard!

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

Flagstone patio inlay
Patio and bench
asheville landscaping, asheville pond builder, landscape design, landscape lighting, pondless waterfalls, water feature

Rebuilding a pond and waterfall in Asheville, Nc

living waters landscaping
Pondless Waterfall

Our project the last couple weeks has been working on the rebuild of a failed pond and waterfall in Asheville, near the famous Biltmore estate.

Old pond and waterfall

The existing waterfall had failed previously and the homeowners had it filled in and abandoned it. We were contacted to try and revive the feature in the same footprint as the old one.

We were happy to help and recommended installing a Pondless waterfall instead of a pond and waterfall system. The Pondless feature would be easier to maintain for our clients.

Plus their main objective for this project was to hear the sound from the porch.

We will typically recommend a Pondless waterfall to our clients who are not necessarily interested in raising Koi.

Custom waterfall

The Pondless waterfall system will give you the beautiful sound and enjoyment of a water feature with all the maintenance included in having a pond.

With this feature we re-landscaped the project area and installed a new low voltage lighting system, including aquatic lighting so our clients could enjoy the waterfall at night.

Here’s a quick video of the project.

Give us a call anytime if you need help designing or installing a water feature of any kind.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017

asheville landscaping, asheville pond builder, landscape lighting, pondless waterfalls, water feature

Asheville Landscape Contractor

living waters landscaping

We found out this week that I have officially completed the process of becoming a licensed landscape contractor in North Carolina!!

This is an exciting step in the forward movement of our company.

Thank you to all my friends, family and clients who have helped and encouraged me along the way.

Give us a call for your next water feature or landscaping project.

Jacob

828-301-8017

asheville landscaping, asheville pond builder, Fountain, landscape design, water features, landscape lighting, pondless waterfalls

Landscape Lighting Asheville

living waters landscaping

Installing aquatic and landscape lighting is more of an art than a science.

I always love adding that finishing touch on our landscaping and water feature projects, the lighting. It brings our features to life and allows our clients to enjoy their landscapes and waterfalls anytime of the day or night.

We only use high quality LED low voltage lighting systems for our features in Asheville.

Installing a lighting system in a landscape or water feature can be very mathematical in some ways, measuring voltage drop and calculating wattage. But the end result is more of an artistic endeavor.

In water features specifically, lighting placement can dramatically enhance the experience for your clients. It can also take away from the feature if the lighting is improperly placed.

In the landscape, fixture choices can be a feature in themselves. When installing pathway lighting, the fixture will become a part of the landscape. So choice of fixture and placement is important.

In waterfalls, we like to install our aquatic lights under the falls, as apposed to spot lighting the fall from a distance. This allows the water to flow over the light and create a glowing, sparkling effect.

We always use LED bulbs for our aquatic lighting. I’ve learned this from experience, halogen bulbs need replacement nearly once a year. This is difficult if your fixture is 3 ft deep in a pond.

Here are a couple things to look for when having your lighting professionally installed, or if you choose to install yourself:

–Quality brands:

Vista, Unique and Kitchler are a few of the brands we like to install.

–Quality Transformers:

Using a quality transformer for your system may be more expensive in the beginning, but will possibly save you money in the long run. A lesser quality transformer will not last as long and will cost more in the future for service calls from your installer.

–Correct Wiring

Having your wiring done correctly the first time will save you hours of troubleshooting and fixture replacement. Using the common ‘box store’ connectors are not recommended. We recommend either silicone wire nuts or heat-shrinking connections if possible.

Here’s a good video on the simplicity of heat shrinking connections:

Heat shrink connector

Feel free to give us a call for any new or existing landscape or aquatic lighting projects. We also do landscape lighting design for ponds, waterfalls and gardens in Asheville, NC.

Jacob

Living Waters Landscaping

828-301-8017