Publication Date: Friday Aug 4, 2000

Water, water everywhere

To Ruth Woodruff, the sound of water in the garden is healing. "To me, it's like another form of life. I like the sound, the movement, and the reflection," she says. So her husband wasn't surprised when she asked him to get rid of the 18-by-40-foot swimming pool and mature garden in their Atherton yard, and replace them with natural ponds and running water. It helped that Jack Woodruff was a building contractor and developer, who could figure out how to create the natural look Ruth was seeking, without the usual plastic liner.

It turned out so well that the Woodruffs' oval 9-by-6-foot pond, edged in Connecticut blue stone and lined with pebbles, was included in last spring's Garden Conservancy Open Days Program.

Landscape architect Tom Rauchwerger of Vista Landscaping, Redwood City, says he does not get many requests for waterfalls and ponds, but personally finds them restful. "People have always enjoyed the sound of water and the visual aspect of seeing water falling through rocks. Also the fact that you can have fish and plants--the whole experience is having something natural in your garden," he says.

Steve Grimes, a landscape designer/contractor with Grimes Natural Landscapes in Los Altos Hills, creates quite a few fish ponds and small waterfalls, some as add-ons to swimming pools. His smallest was a 5-foot freeform pool for about $7,000-8,000, which used about a ton of rock; his largest was a 30-by-50-foot freeform pool with a 90-foot river for about $160,000 and 55 tons of rock.

Now he's building one for himself, which he describes as "involving a built-in barbecue and very natural looking . . . Water is kind of coming out all over the garden."

The draw for Grimes is definitely the serenity of the sound. "I've built them (waterfalls) to drown out freeways, or in the quietest mountains." And, he adds, the water corner tends to be a little cooler.

If you've thought about putting in a pond or waterfall, but can't quite picture the effect in your yard, you might want to go on the Pond and Garden Parade, a self-guided tour of 12 homes that mostly incorporate water elements in the garden. Organized by WEMCO Landscapes of Alviso, the tour is a fund-raiser for Ronald McDonald House on Aug. 12-13 (See below for information.).

Included in the tour is Kate and David Burton's Atherton home, which includes two ponds--a small one for David's garden train and a 30-by-50-foot pond that features two waterfalls and a bridge.

Kate Burton finds her back yard sights and sounds very relaxing, and is delighted with the wildlife draw. "It's very peaceful to listen, to watch," she says, noting that the waterfall and pond are sited in the center of the backyard and can be heard not only from all parts of the garden, but from their bedroom as well.

"It's like being in our own little resort, away from the stresses of life," she says.

Maintenance on ponds--even large ones such as the Burtons'--is very simple, says Chris Schriner of WEMCO Landscaping. WEMCO's 5-step system creates a "natural ecosystem" that includes a biological filter incorporated in the waterfall, skimmer with a pump to catch the leaves (a food source for algae), bacteria (which eats the algae's food source), plants and fish. This makes it like a "pond in the woods," Schriner says, suggesting that adding powdered bacteria and dumping leaves is all that is basically required to keep the water clear and the fish happy.

Schriner, who has built about 40 ponds in the last two years, estimates that his crew can install an 11-by-16-foot pond in a day, for about $6,000. Rauchwerger and Grimes estimated smaller ponds, which are lined in concrete rather than plastic, at closer to $8,000. Schriner says the plaster liner is guaranteed for 20 years.

Also included in the tour is Phillip and Mary Ann Lally's Palo Alto home, which features a corner waterfall and pond with lilies and koi fish. "We had the whole place re-landscaped last fall, said Phil Lally, who acknowledges that it was the contractor who suggested the water element. "It seemed kind of nice and enjoyable, and it's easier to maintain than a lawn," he says. Box at bottom:

Pond and Garden Parade

What: Self-guided tour of 12 Bay Area homes, 11 with water gardens

When: Saturday, Aug. 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine

Tickets: $12 (children 12 and under free); benefits Ronald McDonald House in Palo Alto

Call: (408) 263-7700 or visit Web site at www.wemcolandscapes.com



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