What would you do with this rock garden / pond / water fountain project?

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michael001

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#197923 18-Jun-2016 12:08

I've recently purchased a house that has had a number of challenges which are now mostly resolved. Now I'm turning my attention to the not so urgent things, like this:

There is a rock garden in front of the house, which actually looks ok, and then this rock garden/pond/fountain at the rear of the property.

Some details:

There is a pond with a pump.
There is a fully plumbed water fountain running into that center area.
The power source looks to havbe been professionally installed.
The power is currently disconnected because the previous owner intended to re-build it but never got round to it.
I have not attempted to get this going aside from flicking the switch a few times and fishing out the pump and stare at it.
The pond is filthy and the cats seem to like drinking out of it which is making me nervous about vet bills ;-)

It takes a fairly large portion of the back section, doesn't actually work and I'm not even sure I like it all that much, especially in it's current state.

So far my loving family have suggested:

Pay to get the power back on and see if it actually runs.
Take photos and list on trade me for someone to come remove it.
Remove and turn into a vegetable garden.

What would you do with this?

Cheers.

afe66

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#1576204 18-Jun-2016 13:34

Rip the whole thing out and return to lawn.

Unless if it had come with lawn, and you would be planning to build a fountain rock garden.

For me it limits what I could do in the garden.

kingjj

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#1576226 18-Jun-2016 15:03

Ponder it for another few years. Approach each summer with new vigor to sort it. Spend Summer's researching and drawing designs in MS Paint. Visit your local Hardware store and price up different options. Contemplate adding a deck while you're at it. Decide its getting too late in the season to attempt anything big outside. Archive everything until next summer when you will surely tackle the project. As a new summer draws around forget about your previous plans and whip out MS Paint again. Repeat.

mdf

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#1576331 18-Jun-2016 20:24

I don't know the fencing rules, but looks like a magnet for young children. Unless you were going to fence it off, I'd be ripping it out.

richms

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#1576353 18-Jun-2016 20:57

I'd clear the bit crossing the lawn and keep the bit with the bridge over it but paint that decrepit looking wood.

Richard rich.ms

t0ny

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#1576369 18-Jun-2016 21:57

I would rip it out if you have small kids.

gzt

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#1576376 18-Jun-2016 22:08

Breed endangered mosquitoes.

Alternatively fill and plant creatively. Could be a nice ornamental garden area with bridge.

As for the rest - pump, water, plastic, waterslide!

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michael001

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#1576831 20-Jun-2016 05:38

Thanks all - we're going to get rid of the stones, the bridge/pond area will become a herb garden with a bridge. Everything else returning to grass.

I mentioned to a 'friend' that I was thinking to get rid of the stones and he eagerly offered to remove them for free. Made me think they might be worth a couple of dollars?

hairy1

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#1576839 20-Jun-2016 06:43

I have a mate who has a big garden in Mt Eden. Several huge rocks fell into the garden from a large wall. They were too big to move by hand. It was going to cost a fortune to get them removed. He put them on trademe for $1 reserve as is where is and got over $200 and the rocks removed for free. Everyone was happy. I guess you will be able to make a few dollars there.

My views (except when I am looking out their windows) are not those of my employer.

richms

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#1576845 20-Jun-2016 07:20

I had somegiant purple stones that was the previous homeowners idea of a garden. trademed them and someone took many of them but never came back for the second trailer load.

Richard rich.ms

tdgeek

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#1576848 20-Jun-2016 07:30

richms: I'd clear the bit crossing the lawn and keep the bit with the bridge over it but paint that decrepit looking wood.

I'd do that too. Maybe rebuild the bridge by dismantling and replacing like for like. I'd remove the material liner and concrete and marine paint that. I reckon it would look rather good, re stoned, re planted. A few fish, add a few tadpoles to get frogs, kids would love it.

andrew027

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#1576930 20-Jun-2016 10:14

I see your problem - too many cats.

But seriously... if I'm reading the setup right, you have a pump in a pond (pic. #3 - although the pump is currently out of the pond). The pump pushes water from the pond up some plastic tubing to the middle of a rock garden (pic #5) where the water bubbles up (or shoots into the air, depending on how powerful the "fountain" is) then runs down through the rock garden in a channel formed with black plastic until it reaches the pond again, and... repeat.

So these views are just based on my own taste. What you and your family like may differ completely, but if that was my back yard I would:

(a) check how stable that bridge is and replace any beams, boards, rails, etc. that need it.
(b) make sure it's non-slip coated - it looks like it has some moss on it so I'm betting it's really slippery when wet.
rip out that whole big rock garden area (pictures #1,5) and return that to lawn - not a fan of that at all.
(a) get rid of the small rock pile under the washing line (pic #2).
(b) put in a path from the bridge to the line, maybe in a herringbone brick pattern to match the near side of the bridge.
(c) depending on how how wet/boggy your lawn gets in winter or how often you visit your shed (not too often as it looks pretty empty?) you could extend the path to the shed door.
(a) keep the pond under the bridge (pictures #2,3,4), though maybe tidy it up a bit.
(b) replace the plastic lining with something like this - although someone can probably recommend you a better product.
(c) put a couple of fish in it - they look nice and the cats will love you for it.
connect the pump to a low pressure fountain head that recirculates water from the pond, because you still want to hear the water when you're out enjoying the garden or barbecuing on the patio.
replace the current switch (with it's rusty metal tube shielding the cable going to the pump?) with an outdoor timer - something like this.

Once the electricity is reconnected you could achieve #1, 3(a), 4, and 5 pretty quickly, and probably cheaply. #2 is a couple of weekends hard labour plus some new soil and grass seed, and figuring out how to get rid of all those rocks. #3(b,c) could get expensive as good used bricks aren't particularly cheap, and depending on your expertise you may have to get someone to lay the path for you. #6 could be costly - I replaced an old broken analogue timer on my waterfall/fish pond earlier this year with the exact one I linked to above and the timer alone was a couple of hundred dollars.

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chimera

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#1576949 20-Jun-2016 10:49

michael001:

What would you do with this? Cheers.

Sell all the bits and pieces on Trademe, use the money to throw a party then invite everyone who replied to your post.

SepticSceptic

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#1577776 21-Jun-2016 16:49

Looks like someone went to quite a bit if effort to separate the backyard into a couple of distinctive areas.

A bit too much rock on the garden shed side of things.

Perhaps they were looking for a bubbling brook type of feature, and no shooting fountain effect ?

I'd get rid of the rock pile by the pergola, fix up the bridge, and give a good planting over with a mix of grasses in the remaining rocks.

Some subdued lighting around the bridge

A couple of feature plants at either end.

Perhaps a sunset switch ? https://www.bunnings.co.nz/hpm-12v-garden-light-sunset-timer_p00668769

MikeAqua

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#1578872 23-Jun-2016 10:27

A friend who is a well regarded landscape designer once told me pedestrian features like paths, bridges etc need to have a real reason to be there.

A bridge over a herb garden that (if I'm visualising correctly) that could simply be walked around would seem to violate that rule of thumb.

Mike