Aqua Gardens?EUR??,,????'??+Waterfalls with Character

By Jenny Boyle, regional editor

A natural stream ran through this backyard each spring. The owner enjoyed the sound of the running water so much that he employed Ruben to design a waterfall and pond to make the soothing sounds last all year long.

When it comes to designing and building landscapes, Rudy Ruben?EUR??,,????'???s motto is, ?EUR??,,????'??stick to what you love.?EUR??,,????'?? He does?EUR??,,????'???and his joy for creating interesting and beautiful rock gardens and waterfalls shows in each unique design.

Years ago, Rudy Ruben used to have his hands in just about every aspect of the landscaping business. He designed. He built. He traveled to nurseries to find just the right plantings. Though he was great at all of it, he had a real passion and talent for designing aqua gardens. Ponds, waterfalls?EUR??,,????'???everything about them excited him, and creating them became his deepest pleasure.

Ruben, a horticulturist and owner of New World Landscape, in St. Lazare, Quebec, Canada, studied for three years at Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, where?EUR??,,????'???through the English apprentice training system?EUR??,,????'???he learned the techniques that have made him a success. After many years of being immersed in the overall scheme of landscaping, he decided to step back and focus on the one thing he really enjoyed.

 

Ruben uses a mini-backhoe or a mini-excavator to clear out the major space for the pond. Larger machinery tends not to fit through the fences of most backyards. Once the general space is cleared, Ruben will shape the steps of the pond by hand

?EUR??,,????'??I always liked building ponds,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??I was told that I was one of the few people who could do it well.?EUR??,,????'?? Ruben scaled his business back and began designing and building ponds full-time. He has built up quite a reputation for his one-of-a-kind creations.

?EUR??,,????'??I try to have an original idea in every job I do,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s rare that I will copy something I?EUR??,,????'???ve done in the last job. That?EUR??,,????'???s also the reason I don?EUR??,,????'???t do very many jobs. I might run out of ideas soon!?EUR??,,????'??

Though he jokes about his supply of creativity, Ruben says it amazes him that every time he comes to a new job site, he thinks of something completely original. He has never used a software program to help him develop a site, saying they?EUR??,,????'???re too ?EUR??,,????'??cookie-cutter.?EUR??,,????'?? He prefers to collaborate with his clients and work outside at the site he plans to develop.

The skimmer and filter boxes are placed before the geotextile and rubber liner. The 3-1/2 foot deep pond is large enough to accommodate koi fish.

?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s strange how you come into a different place and you get new ideas,?EUR??,,????'?? he says, noting that it sometimes takes a few tries to produce a design he is happy with. ?EUR??,,????'??An artist doesn?EUR??,,????'???t always have the plan in his head right away.?EUR??,,????'??

The Perfect Place

Once Ruben and his client have agreed upon a design, it?EUR??,,????'???s time for him to get down and dirty. The first order of business is to choose where the pond will go. Ruben says an important point to remember is that the pond needs sunlight in order to grow standard pond life. Over the years, he has learned that putting it under too many shade trees means dealing with all the leaves that will fall into the pond, and some leaves can throw off the pH balance of the water.

A crew worker places the geotextile on the shelves. He does this barefoot so as to detect any stone that might pierce the pond lining. Ruben prefers to use a 45-millimeter thick rubber liner, which stays flexible for many years and has a 25-year warrantee. To ensure that the entire pond is covered, the liner and underlayment are measured by width and length, with two feet added for depth and at least one foot extra all around. The liner is cut only after the water has had a chance to settle.

?EUR??,,????'??A trick I use is to put half the pond in shade,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??It provides less algae bloom because the sun doesn?EUR??,,????'???t hit is as much, and the leaves are still manageable.?EUR??,,????'?? Ruben is also careful not to place a pond where the excess water will drain back toward the house. Though it might sound complicated, he says choosing the right place is just a matter of finding a spot that is in the sun, lower than the foundation plantings around the house and higher than the ground that immediately surrounds it.

Dig In

Once he has chosen the place, it?EUR??,,????'???s time to dig. Rather than just scooping out a bowl of earth, he shapes out the earth in a staircase fashion so that the boulders and pebbles don?EUR??,,????'???t roll down to the bottom of the pond once water is added.

?EUR??,,????'??If you do things in steps and you put your boulders on the steps and then put the pebbles in between the boulders, everything will pretty much stay in place,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??I prefer to dig the shelves by hand so that I have undisturbed soil to hold up the rocks.?EUR??,,????'??

In order to allow the sound of the waterfall to travel inside this solarium, Ruben used Adirondack red rock to build a ?EUR??,,????'??mountain?EUR??,,????'?? that the water could flow from. The stone used for the staircase and bridge is six-inch-thick black late. Two inches of clean, crushed stone under the staircase helps keep the slate as dry as possible to prevent chipping in the winter.

Ruben says he sometimes runs into trouble in areas where the soil is a clay and rock mix. ?EUR??,,????'??When it becomes wet, it?EUR??,,????'???s really hard to dig up,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??I try to find undisturbed soil to build my waterfalls. If you don?EUR??,,????'???t have stable soil, you have to have a proper footing. You have to put a concrete base down.?EUR??,,????'??

Ruben says if the waterfall and pond will be going in near a pool, he always puts insulation between the two, so there is less of a chance that the soil will freeze during Canada?EUR??,,????'???s deep frosts.

After he digs the hole, Ruben conducts a ?EUR??,,????'??barefoot?EUR??,,????'?? inspection to check for small rocks that could potentially pierce the pond liner. ?EUR??,,????'??I remove all the stones exposed in the subsoil and then cover everything with 1-2 inches of compaction sand to protect the liner,?EUR??,,????'?? he says.
Next, he lays the geotextile and the pond liner.

?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s very important to have a one piece liner,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??Don?EUR??,,????'???t try to mend two pieces together because if you get frost down there, it will open up. It has to be factory welded.?EUR??,,????'?? Ruben says it is imperative to check the liner for holes, before laying the rocks and filling it with water.

?EUR??,,????'??Sometimes in shipping, holes can happen,?EUR??,,????'?? he explains. ?EUR??,,????'??There was one time we had laid all the rocks and filled up the pond, and then realized there was a hole. You have to look carefully. It?EUR??,,????'???s not something you want to do all over.?EUR??,,????'??

Rock Placement

Once the liner is in place, it?EUR??,,????'???s time to start placing the boulders and rocks. Ruben says that rock placement is the most important factor when it comes to creating a pond or waterfall. The man, who will often find boulders and bring them home for later use, says it literally makes the difference between success and failure.

?EUR??,,????'??The number one thing is to pick the right rocks,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??The waterfall is dictated by the rock you have.?EUR??,,????'?? Ruben explains that, depending on how the different boulders are placed, the flow of the water will make a different sound as it runs into the pond. He says his main goal when designing the garden is to make sure the waterfall will project sound back into the home.

Cement holds the Adirondack red and other rock garden stones together at the front of the waterfall. The backside of the waterfall has foam to prevent it from being pushed by frost.

?EUR??,,????'??You can spend days just tweaking the sound of the waterfall,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??I tell the customer that they can change the rocks to change the sound that?EUR??,,????'???s produced. It?EUR??,,????'???s a very interactive landscape.?EUR??,,????'??

But Ruben says the waterfall is actually the last thing put in, besides the plantings that will surround the pond. The large boulders are set in place first, followed by smaller rocks and pebbles, which are great for filling up space, but also help to create a natural ecosystem. ?EUR??,,????'??Pebbles are good for breaking down algae,?EUR??,,????'?? says Ruben. ?EUR??,,????'??You have to give a place for bacteria to live.?EUR??,,????'??

On his website, he explains the key to having a chemical-free, pest-free space. He says the anaerobic bacteria in the deep pebbles change the nitrites to nitrogen gas and nitrates?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'???food for algae and plants. The aerobic bacteria nearer to the top break down the plant and animal waste to ammonia and the nitrites.

?EUR??,,????'??That is the life nitrogen cycle, self-contained and totally natural,?EUR??,,????'?? he writes. Ruben is avid about keeping his water features ?EUR??,,????'??eau natural.?EUR??,,????'?? He does not promote the use of chemicals to keep his ponds free of predators. Instead, he makes the best use of particular plants, fish, and a filter system to keep the water free of debris. ?EUR??,,????'??Filter boxes are great for keeping things clean,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??I like Aquascape Designs?EUR??,,????'??? the best. They have a simple, uncomplicated system that works really well.?EUR??,,????'??

Less is More

After the rocks have been placed, the water is added and Ruben allows the pond to settle. He then begins the task of choosing the plantings that will complete the aqua garden. This could be the very thing that sets his ponds apart from so many others. Rather than finding perfectly symmetrical trees, Ruben shops in garden center ?EUR??,,????'??hospitals?EUR??,,????'?? to find trees that are more ?EUR??,,????'??unbalanced.?EUR??,,????'??

?EUR??,,????'??Often I look for the most crooked trees,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??Having things not exactly formal gives a project more character. I?EUR??,,????'???ve never been one for perfect trees.?EUR??,,????'?? Ruben says he always uses dwarf and low evergreens, a few flowering dwarf shrubs, rockery garden perennials and heartier, indigenous plants in the pond.

?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s almost like a Japanese garden where you?EUR??,,????'???re trying to do miniature landscape,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. ?EUR??,,????'??Anything that is eight inches or less is preferred.?EUR??,,????'?? He only uses taller plants at the back and sides of a feature to create a larger hill if one is built for the waterfall. His goal is always to showcase the rock and use the greenery as an accent.

?EUR??,,????'??When I build my rock gardens, there is more rock than planting areas. [It?EUR??,,????'???s] less room for weeds to find a home,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. Ruben says he normally takes charge of choosing and placing all the plants. It falls in line with his whole work ethic. Though, he used to employ several people to help him on jobs, he now usually works with only one other person. It allows him to have complete creative control and to execute the vision the way he sees it. ?EUR??,,????'??Once I have one idea [for a pond] in my head, I usually have an idea for what plants should be there,?EUR??,,????'?? he explains.

Ruben says it takes an average of two weeks to complete an entire project, depending on the size of the feature being put in place. ?EUR??,,????'??The finishing touches take the longest,?EUR??,,????'?? he says. But his best work is found in those small details and the sense of accomplishment when he gets it just right reminds him why he loves his job so much. ?EUR??,,????'??The pleasure when the job is done is immense,?EUR??,,????'?? he says