Ponds & Waterfalls- Layout & Excavation

First of all: know what you want. If you need some ideas, visit the library or your local book store and browse through landscape books, garden and pond magazines. You can also search the web and read and study as much as possible.

Layout is the most important phase of the entire project. I have heard many complaints from disappointed clients after they had a chance to get used to their new addition to the landscape. “I only wish we had made it bigger ... made it deeper ... added an island ... made it longer and constructed a bridge ... built it closer to the house ... installed a larger water pump for the waterfall … or ... built the waterfall higher or wider.”

Most of these wishes could have been granted for a reasonable cost before or during construction. But waiting until afterward means incurring a major expense that may be cost prohibitive. If your choice is to omit the item or feature because of its cost, then make structural preparations to allow for adding it on later. You can plan and design the landscape to allow for easy additions to the koi pond later just by the strategic placement of trees, sprinklers, drain lines, and much more.

When you decide exactly where you want to place the koi pond, take your time laying it out. A garden hose is popular for this job because it can easily be moved around until the desired shape is achieved. Once that is accomplished, you can use construction paint and spray the ground in the outline of the hose. If there is any doubt about where to locate the koi pond, give it a couple of days and ask for outside opinions. Then walk around the yard while you observe the proposed spot from various angles, especially views from inside your house, from the room where you spend most of your time.

Remember to take into consideration everything around it. How close is the nearest tree? Will its roots pose a problem later? Is there going to be sufficient sun throughout the day? Some water plants require more sun exposure than others, such as lilies. Make sure you know where the main power, water and sewer lines are routed to the house. It is not so good to find out after the fact that the gas or water line runs right through the center, 36 inches below the surface of a 48 inch deep koi pond.

Do not land-lock a section of your yard that may later need drains, sprinklers or heavy construction material. Place in advance or remove such items and install necessary drains and sprinklers. If it is not convenient to run the sprinklers at this time, run 4 inch drainpipe sleeves under the stream or section of pond to enable running low voltage wire and sprinkler lines later.

When it comes to the koi pond depth, if you plan to have it more than 18" deep, you will need to check with the local building codes to determine if a 6 foot perimeter fence is required. You may also need door alarms and self-closing gates at the side of the house. If the koi pond site is not level, do not worry about it; you will have all the excavated dirt from the pond to level out uneven terrain and get creative with terracing for an upper koi pond and waterfall or a sloped portion of the yard for a stream or creek.

A pond can be placed on the side of a hill by constructing a retaining wall to hold back portions of the hill. Drive a stake in the ground until the top of it represents the water surface of the koi pond. Continue with additional stakes in the shape of the proposed pond using a level as you go. Keep in mind how deep the koi pond should be and begin to remove the dirt. As you do so, note the condition of the soil and determine if you will need only shovels and a pick, or if you will have to rent a jackhammer. Also, if the soil is sandy and unstable, you may need to shore up the sides with plywood forms and supports prior to pouring concrete.

Most often the soil from a pond excavation can be used to create berms in the landscape plus mounding for a waterfall. If the koi pond is large the excavated dirt can be used to terrace a level back yard, facilitating a second, elevated koi pond. If there is no access to the back yard for a bobcat or excavator, additional soil will need to be removed by wheelbarrow and can be dumped into a rented trash bin or dumpster.

The most important stage of the water feature project is planning, not layout and excavation. If you have not planned and predesigned your waterfall and koi pond by now, file this article away until you do.

It has been a pleasure sharing with you. Until next time. Happy Koi, Peace & Joy.

Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, master Waterfall Builder, freelance writer and author designer, architect, inventor, engineer, writer, author and builder of over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in California or the past 26 years. Inventor and manufacturer of the "AquaFill" T.M., electronic float control system for ponds, pools, fountains and hot tubs. http://watergardenauthority.com/

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The Top Five Ways to Beat the Competition, Bulldozer Marketing Part I

The competition is fierce and your company is just one in a billion others trying to grab the attention of consumers and the business world. How can you get your company to the top of the pile and start gaining the clout and money you need to succeed? In Part I and II of this article, I will reveal some of the top five marketing and promotion tools that are used by some of the biggest names in any industry. I call it Bulldozer Marketing. First, let me start with the basics.

It's all about marketing and promotion. While there are never any guarantees that your product or service will become the next big thing, one thing is certain: Unless you know the rules of engagement to this game, no matter how unique and urgently needed your product or service is, most people will never hear about it.

The people who have made it to the top got there with great determination, an unwavering belief and commitment to their goal, a big bullhorn and a marketing bulldozer. They didn't get there by luck or even by their talent or a great product. Their talent or product is secondary. An overnight success is only an overnight success because it's the first time you've heard of them. There are only two things that got them where they are: Marketing and promotion.

Another thing is certain: While they may have talent, which may help sustain them, unless they continue with a marketing bulldozer and mega promotion bullhorn, they have a real chance of becoming obscure in the sea of other companies and talent trying to take their spot.

You can be the next Christina Aguilera, Bill Gates, or Tiger Woods, but if you don't shout it out loud and clear, shoving your product in the consumers face, you won't sell much, if anything at all. Have you ever noticed a song on the radio you disliked, but when you saw the video and heard the song repeatedly, it grew on you?

That's what I call bulldozer marketing. They're selling it to you simply by shoving it in your face constantly! You need to use the same strategies. Get your product in the face of the public every chance you make. That's right, every chance You make. Bulldoze the public with the sheer volume of times they've heard about you.

The next step to the top is to know your competition and study them. Find out what they did to make it to the top. Many times if you call up your competition, they will talk to you about how they made it to the top. They won't discuss proprietary information however and they can't spend hours of time talking to you, so don't expect that. If they won't speak with you, go online and read every article you can about how they made it to the top and how they started out. Start calling the names in the articles (marketing consultants, business managers, etc.) to find out if they can offer you any tips and tricks to help you succeed. Once you've researched your competition, make sure you have a stunning package designed. Have you ever seen the shows on television about redesigning homes so they can sell them? Once they repackage the rooms, the market becomes interested and the house sells.

No one will open the package if it's not bundled correctly. A simple example is a word picture. Home vs. House. A home is where your heart is right? A house is down the street with someone you don't know in it. Get the picture? Here's another: A flawless diamond thrown into a garbage bag filled with other garbage and put up for auction will only gain so much attention. Very few people will want to sift through the garbage in the bag to see if there really is a flawless diamond inside. Because the display is poor, the possibility of a bidding war will be very low. However, a flawless diamond displayed on a beautiful black velvet tray with a Diamond Certificate and a recommendation or two, can be sold for quite a bit of money.

To help ensure a great package, talk to packaging experts and look up packaging specialties online. If you have a music or book product, go to your local college and ask the art and graphics department head whom their most talented designer is. Ask if the college has an internship programs.

Remember that if you're ship isn't waiting at the docks for you, you must swim out and get it!

Jaci Rae is known for unique marketing strategies. How to Get Something for Nothing / Collista's Search for the True Meaning of Christmashttp://www.jacirae.comhttp://www.christmaswithlove.com.