www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation March 2015 29
Landscape design and construction
and your customer will have a stand-out home in the neighbor-
hood. A refreshing element for ramping up the curb appeal factor
is water. The sight and sound of water in the garden is a treasured
amenity most homeowners want included in their outdoor living
space. While most landscapers relegate water to the backyard, it's
equally appealing in the front yard where the home makes its first
impression.
The type of water feature you choose for the front yard will
be determined primarily by space and budget. A popular choice
with today's homeowner is a re-circulating fountain that can
easily be tucked near the walkway leading to the front door.
Bubbling rocks and overflowing urns are great options and will
attract butterflies and birds, in addition to improving overall
curb appeal.
The re-circulating fountain sits atop a sub-surface basin
that houses a water pump. The water is pumped up through
the fountain itself and overflows back into the reservoir that is
covered with decorative gravel. In areas of drought, this is the
perfect feature since it re-uses the water. On occasion, the basin
will need to be topped off due to evaporation. A feature like
this can be installed in just one afternoon and can provide a 50
percent profit margin.
Another popular water feature for the front yard is the pond-
less waterfall, which is simply a waterfall without a pond. Like
the fountain, water is stored in an underground reservoir and re-
circulated over the waterfalls. The pondless waterfall can be easily
customized for front yard spaces, and is especially impressive if
the walkway to the front door transcends the stream.
Both the fountain and pondless waterfall can be configured to
capture, filter, and store rainwater from the home's roof, using the
RainXchange System. This rainwater harvesting system provides
an added bonus since the stored rainwater can be accessed for ir-
rigating the surrounding landscape.
For those with a little more space in the front yard, an eco-
system pond becomes a unique and memorable first impression.
While most landscapers
relegate water to the backyard,
it's equally appealing in the front
yard where the home makes its
first impression.
All
photos
provided
by
AquAscApe
inc.
