Signature Landscapes, inc.

677 43rd St NW Suite 104
Fargo, N.D. 58102
(701) 281-1208
www.signaturelandscapes.samsbiz.com
Photos courtesy of Ryan Aakre

Water plants were added to help it blend in and give it that natural feel. Because it is pondless there is no standing water for insects. Lighting was also added for a beautiful effect at dusk. Because of the cold winters in North Dakota, every fall we pull the pump and in the spring we clean up the stream bed and start the flow once again.

The waterfall begins at the upper deck, as if the water is flowing out from it. As the water falls it follows the curved steps until it reaches the bottom and seems to disappear into the patio. The sights and sounds of the flowing water create a serene refuge from the busy street on the other side of the house.

This North Dakota residence sits on a beautiful wooded lot with great privacy. The upper deck which sits off the dining room provides a nice sitting area (upper left) but is not enough space to entertain. The Signature team built a larger paver patio on the lower level to provide that space and then connected the two with block steps.

"The Savage Water Garden"

By Eric Triplett, The Pond Digger?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sweet pitcherplant (Sarracenia rubra) is another insectivorous species that grows reliably in areas without hard winter freezes. According to the USDA web site, the plant is naturalized in California, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Caroline, South Carolina and Florida. Photos courtesy of Eric Triplett

The victim, an unsuspecting Diptera, has no idea what is about to do him in. He?EUR??,,????'?????<

This Musca domestica, or house fly, is nearly hypnotized by the intoxicating floral fluid of a bladelike, lime green plant we Homo sapiens refer to as the Venus flytrap (Dionaea musicpula).

These carnivorous or insectivorous plants include, along with the Venus flytrap, the Hooded pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor), Sweet pitcher (Sarracenia rubra), and Water sundews (Drosera intermedia).

Spoon-leaved Sundew (Drosera intermedia) is another southeast plant that evolved to grow in poor-nutrient waters. Various insects are lured by this plant and then stick to the hairs on the leaves. The leaves are triggered to roll up and trap the insect. Like the venus flytrap, contractors and homeowners should not attempt to fertilize this plant. Photo: www.fs.fed.us

The seeds to nurture a Savage Water Garden were planted, so to write, when I was a boy. Having a flytrap plant shut on your youthful finger was in the same cool category as experiencing Star Wars for the first time on the big screen!

Someone, some how and in some way has managed to keep the Venus flytrap cultivated all these years to entice the public to revisit their childhoods by purchasing the insectivorous plant at super stores, garden centers and even the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. I still have enough kid in me to reacquaint myself with the tiny carnivore.

The venus flytrap (Dionaea musicpula) is native to South Carolina and North Carolina bogs, which lack nitrogen. The plants prefer direct sunlight and moderate humidity, which the pond environment provides in desert climates. Left alone, the plants do well feeding themselves with houseflies and other insects. Photo: sarracenia.com

My fascination with the hungry Venus flytrap, which is native to North and South Carolina, moved me enough to buy a variety of carnivorous plants a few years ago. After just a little research, I learned their specific light, growing media and water requirements. Water needs are key.

To keep your Venus flytrap and other carnivorous plants alive, it is imperative that you water them with distilled water, rainwater or reverse osmosis water. The latter is the purest of water that has been stripped of all nutrients and filtered through fine membranes and carbon filters.

Pitcher plants of various species, including Sarracenia minor and Sarracenia rubra, show off their nicely-contrasting colors and patterns in this San Bernardino County, Calif. pond. The plants prefer clean water with limited nutrients. The builder of this pond filled it with 140 five-gallon jugs of reverse-osmosis water purchased at an aquarium and fish store.

Even though previously I would give my carnivorous plants the proper sunlight and mandatory nutrient-poor water when I watered them, I still would end up killing them because I would get busy and forget to water them as needed.

I reflected on this from the perspective of my years of experience in constructing water gardens and knowing aquatic plants. Because most of the carnivores live in swampy bogs, it occurred to me why not showcase them in a pond ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The completed pond has an attractive flagstone hardscape that complements the other stones and boulders. The use of lights in the waterfall is an optional step that adds ambiance after dark.

Thus was born the Savage Water Garden, which my wife, kids and I enjoy viewing first thing each morning from the safety of our kitchen window. Then we don our flip flops and venture forth for an up-close interaction.

BYOB: Build Your Own Bog

I incorporated into my Savage Water Garden the line of pond equipment from Russell Watergardens in Redmond, Wash. The Exotic Aquatics?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sound and visual impact are two things to consider carefully when placing the waterfall. Contractors should make sure the waterfall faces the site where residents can see it, and make sure it isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

Next, I traveled to a local rock yard to hand select several tons of beautiful specimen accent boulders, and then headed off to the equipment yard to secure the necessary heavy machinery to install the boulders.

After the pond?EUR??,,????'?????<

After the pond was lined with rocks and gravel, and filled with water, and the heavy equipment was gone, we carved out the bog areas on the pond?EUR??,,????'?????<

I chose sphagnum moss as the plant media in which the carnivorous plants would not only survive, but thrive. I knew the sphagnum moss would soak up the water like a sponge to keep the plants?EUR??,,????'?????<

My young son Taylor and I filled the planting pockets with four inches of the sphagnum moss. From an aerial view, the bog areas look like land.

The trick now was to moisten this moss in the planting pockets with reverse osmosis water! It turned out that the reverse osmosis unit I ordered was not going to be able to arrive prior to Exotic Aquatics?EUR??,,????'?????<

The Savage Water Garden, in all of its eerie delight, will be among the many water features casting enchanting spells during this fall?EUR??,,????'?????<

Spray paint is a good way to mark the bounds of your pond and adjacent bog area. This will help the installer ensure that the dimensions aren?EUR??,,????'?????<

Proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, along with other well-deserving non-profit organizations. Due to this event?EUR??,,????'?????<

Thanks to the support of the pond & water garden owners and hundreds of tour-goers who participated in our ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Eric Triplett owns the Redlands-based Exotic Aquatics, which specializes in pond and pondless waterfall construction. Triplett is also an Authorized Dealer for Russell Watergardens and is a board member of the International Landscape Alliance group. He may be reached at (800) 522-5043; or visit www.theponddigger.com