Pond builders do it for love.

Ponds and Waterfall constructors seem to be getting far between, however if a person is diligent they will find that the true professionals are still out there
A culling of the herd (if you will) seems to have taken effect in the water feature business. In the early part of the decade the pond business seemed by many to be an easy way to make a quick buck. The industry was deluged by landscapers, gardeners, construction people, and a lot of other type of tradesmen looking to expand their offerings. The only problem with this idea was that pond and waterfall building is an art.
The true pond and waterfall builders are generally in the business for more than the dollars involved. Things like the feelings, and emotions are a large draw for these professional builders.
Recently with the construction lull most of these new comers to the business have moved on to other types of income. This is a plus for the customer. The odds that there project will turn out great is increased because of the builder they picked is more likely to consider pond building as a passion than a income.

Sometimes a small job can be made so much worse, Last week a pond clean out that should have taken the two guys about three hours stretched into an day project. This was accomplished because the builder of the pond didn't get the correct information on how or why to add gravel in the bottom. I feel that almost any pond can be more beautiful with the addition of gravel, however some ponds are not built in a way that can accommodate gravel. Some ponds are too steep, or thin shelved or deep , but the most common problem I see with gravel is that it is just too deep. The pond last week had over 9 inches of gravel along with sand, and dirt. This made a pretty solid base of muck and mire. The removal was a big job. This could have been avoided if the landscaper who installed the pond would have carried off the extra gravel and sand ( He probably didn't see any harm in raising the bottom ) .....Well when the guys finished it looked great !

Minimal planting

Sometimes the simple way is the best.At Pondman We sometimes get into a rut/certain way of doing things. We have gotten into the habit of planting as many plants as we can fit into the landscape.Now with the emphasis on water usage we are looking at different ways to decorate around the pond. As this one shows , minimal planting can work , if there is enough around the feature to balance out the look.

This is turning out to be a interesting year interms of what type of calls we are getting for work.A bunch of calls from the San Diego area for maintenance or service of some kind. Calls from the Riverside area for small waterfeatures. Calls for pool to pond rebuilds in the desert. What next

Crestline was Cool

We recently completed a fun pond project in Crestline. This 40 ft stream with several drops flows into a great 20 ft pond, and then under a bridge where it continues for another 20 feet and sinks into the ground, only to re-circulate back at the top again. Another thing that made this so fun was the fact that it is located in a camp ground that has kids from ( off the mountain ) up for the week to enjoy and learn. This gave me an on going opportunity to share what it was that we were doing and see how much the kids enjoyed the mountain.

A bio falls was tucked under this booby trap and we were sure to get poked by the thing.
Ben seems to enjoy some of the gunkiest parts of the clean out the most!

Rancho Bernardo

We recently finished this 35ft + double waterfall into a swimming pool in Rancho Bernardo ( a suburb of San Diego)
This was a fun project we will need to spend a couple of hours tweaking the falls , but besides that were done.

We are starting to do our new year clean outs, and finding that people still need things are are still going to get them. This recession is slowing things down , but it wont stop things. I intend to go on with business, Ok it will be a little subdued, but it will go on none the less. I expect my dollar numbers to change but this doesn't imply that it wont be a profitable year. We like so many others will find a new and improved way of doing things and find a way to make money at the same time.

Well here it is a new year.The economy is having a big impact on the pond industry as it seems to be in other areas as well. I have seen pond builders having to drop out of the business and find alternative incomes, Also I have witnessed many builders falling back on or offering other services to help balance the business drop. I am looking at this economy thing as an opportunity to anchor my place as the areas leader in the industry and in the process be all that much more ready to grow and hit the ground running, when things loosen up. Like everyone else I am looking for ways to tighten my belt and still grow,( This is a goal that I will achieve). As this year starts I can see that my crew's skills are much better than last year, and my company seems to be smarter as a whole. With this in mind I'll keep digging holes and selling ponds.

Pond now and Later

Its been awhile since posting last. Now it seems we are in a full fledged recession, this will mean a lot of people will have to pull out of our business and find other ways to pay the bills.
This will mean a tightening of the belt and possibly changing of the pants,but it wont last!
History has proven that THIS TOO WILL PASS.
In the meantime I will be networking and tightening relationships , so that when its all over I will be that much more ahead of the inevitable newbies that will show up itching to get a piece of this passion we call the pond business. More power to them they are welcome to come to me for help.

Change the water

Every year a new batch of naysayers or (sometimes the same ol ones) come up with a new emergency that will negatively effect business. Last year it was the influx of new system manufacturers that would bring down the big guys and any one attached to them. The year before it was" you better join our club or you will be left behind",This year it seems the catch phrase might be "over distribution will probably end it for the big boys", so you had better look for a better way..My point is that every year something happens. Sometimes its related to the economy, sometimes the market and sometimes to specific people.
Well I do pretty well staying connected to the big boys ,and I have learned that if I were to follow those negative naysayers I probably wouldn't be any better off, and possibly I would contribute to the force or power of the message they spout.
Now I'm not saying I wont look at new ideas or materials , I am constantly looking for something that will help my bottom line or business in general. If I were open to other things or ideas how would I adapt and grow. This is the crux-to adapt and grow.
My overall mission in life and business is built around the idea of adapt and grow. I am only at the beginning of this mission and can't even guess what will be the result of it all. I do hope to some extent that it is a long long trip. I am having too much fun to want it to stop.

Who sleeps in the pond

Who sleeps in the pond business?
If sleep were a prerequisite for being in this business I’m not sure any of us would make it.
My ideas about business are just that “mine”. Most of the things I have learned have been picked up from someone else, with this in mind I admit that I have a whole bunch still to learn.
I think all of us in the pond /water-feature field are looking for that magic pill or word, and a large percentage of us stay up late nights reading or surfing for more information. This business to me isn’t just a job. I had several jobs in my life, and I think that one reason I had them was I had to learn my own skills and loves before I would recognize they could be the same thing. It’s possible that if I had started out in this business earlier I could have saved a bunch of time. But I would have probably missed out on the one or two specific things that I was supposed to see at that job or place in time.
So here I am seeking mentorship not only in business but in life. Eventually the perfect person or information will be there in front of me. I hope I recognize it and don’t blink.

Why ponds

Ponds and waterfalls sre my life.
Well after several years of designing residental and commercial ponds/waterfalls, I have come to realize that only a few people know any thing about the industry that I am in. With this in mind , Here is what I think.

My industry is only in its infantsy, although waterfeatures have been in use for thousands of years,By infantsy I mean as an industry. Today if I ask people on the street about waterfeatures or waterscaping, most will not know what I am talking about. So This makes me think that as a whole people aren't aware that a thriving industry exists right under their noses.This is a multi million doller industry.

Garden ponds, koi ponds, waterfeatures, These are some of the terms used in describing what I live by and thru. Well I will try to relate how I do this, and how most people are touched by it every day. www.ourponds.com