Landscape Architect Articles

Changing Course07-07-16 | Feature

Changing Course

By Brian Hoagland, Hoaglandscape, Inc.

Homeowners in Indian Trail, North Carolina wanted a natural water feature in their new backyard so they hired Hoaglandscape, Inc., who designed and built a 20' x 12' pond that is fed by two waterfall streams. Also included in the installation was a center patio and pergola with stone columns, and a second patio with a 40-inch diameter natural gas fire pit.

The two waterfall streams, this one 10'-long, are circulated at a rate of around 5,000 gallons per hour by two 9PL pumps housed in 6.0 skimmers.

After using a mini-excavator to dig the pond, a 45 mil EPDM rubber liner was installed and twelve tons of boulders were used to build the feature. The pond is filtered by two 2500 Biofalls units. Fifteen aquatic plants including water lilies, horsetail rush and dwarf cattail were picked to help sustain a healthy ecosystem. This floating ring, designed to contain invasive floating water plants and prevent them from washing into the skimmer box, holds water hyacinth and parrotfeather.

The backyard originally sloped away from the house and part of that slope was kept, which was then retained with a wall of Tennessee fieldstone. But the water feature's designer Brian Hoagland wanted the streams to flow towards the house, so 36 tons of fill dirt were brought in to create the new slope.

Mike and Becky Skudin knew they wanted a pond with multiple waterfalls to highlight their new back yard in Indian Trail, N.C., but they couldn't quite envision exactly how it would fit.

The backyard sloped away from the house and Mike logically went with the idea of following the natural topography of the land. He sketched out his ideas before fishing for a contractor.

He eventually selected my company Hoaglandscape, Inc., out of Belmont, N.C. I thought it would be better if the water fell towards the main viewing area, a deck on the rear of the house. After careful consideration, the Skudins agreed to the plan. So, 36 tons of fill dirt were hauled in to reverse the course of the slope. Eighteen tons of boulders were used to form a natural, two-foot high retaining wall to hold the dirt. The two waterfall streams of 10 and 15 feet now run towards the house and can be seen from the Skudin's master bedroom.

I began building water features in 2007 and am now one of less than 150 Master Certified Aquascape Contractors in the United States and won a "Top Frog" Award in 2012 for my business practices.

The design called for a 20-foot by 12-foot pond filtered by two 2500 Biofalls units. They are fed by two 9PL pumps housed in 6.0 skimmers pushing water around 5,000 gallons per hour. Twelve tons of boulders were used to build the feature. Fifteen aquatic plants including water lilies, horsetail rush and dwarf cattail were picked to help sustain a healthy ecosystem.

Fifteen koi dance colorfully in the water, but they aren't the only abundant wildlife the pond attracts. Birds flock to bathe in the streams and frogs are abundant.

Rain proved to be a challenge during the project. It came after most of the pond installation was complete. Two weeks were lost due to rain, stretching the project timeline to two months. Heavy clay soil led to slow drainage and my three-man crew slogged through the muck at a slower pace.

A heavy emphasis was placed on native plantings in the landscape. That fits well with thick woods that place a nice backdrop to the rear of the property. Three Japanese maples, a Japanese black pine, two "Ogon" dawn redwoods and a dwarf Norway spruce with its twisting, drooping branches were selected as interesting specimens. In all, more than 100 shrubs, flowers and trees were installed. A two-ton mossy boulder was placed in the middle of a center bed in the front yard, providing a great focal point.

Connecting the patios are 5.5 tons of large stepping-stones. More than 100 shrubs, flowers and trees were planted including the vitex tree in the center background of this photo. Goldmound spiraea flank it. In the background left is a Japanese black pine. In the foreground behind the light is a goshiki holly, and to its left is a globose.

Illuminating the water feature and landscape are 29 Vista LED path lights and uplights, 10 deck lights and eight three-watt submersible LED lights.

Hardscapes were also included in the project. Three paver patios offering different vantage points of the pond encompass 350 square feet of space. Belgard Dublin Cobble tumbled pavers were selected because of their aged look. A pergola with stone columns was constructed around the center patio. Another patio has a 40-inch diameter natural gas fire pit. Large stepping stones totaling 5.5 tons of rock connect the patios.

The landscape comes alive at night with 29 Vista LED uplights and path lights. There are also 10 deck lights. Clark O'Neill with Celtic Outdoor LLC designed and installed the lighting package with input from Hoagland. Eight three-watt submersible Aquascape LED lights were used to illuminate the pond.

About the author: Brian Hoagland is the owner of Hoaglandscape, Inc., a business that specializes in distinctive landscaping and water features. It was formed in 2002 and services the greater Charlotte, N.C., region.

As seen in LC/DBM magazine, July 2016.