Frame It All:

Prior to the availability of my Frame-It-All system, constructing a water garden feature was an arduous task! My main concerns when building a water feature were digging the pond hole and constructing a leak proof waterfall. Avoiding large rocks, tree roots, sprinkler & electrical lines was almost impossible.

At that time my construction options were very limited.

Being a professional landscaper, digging the hole wasn’t difficult with plenty of labor and machines at hand but even with all that power when you hit rock, ledge or a boulder that’s too big to move, it was either bring in a jack hammer or a backhoe………………. or else find a new location which inevitably added cost to the project.

Choosing the appropriate location was important and also sometimes tricky - with the possibility of encountering unmovable rocks, or selecting shaded areas often where digging could damage the tree roots or where digging out could be arduous. Locations in full sunlight could result in the growth of excessive algae in the water feature.

For small waterfalls I sometimes used prefabricated plastic waterfalls but these usually didn’t allow flexibility of length, height and width which I would need to make the garden merge into the natural surroundings.

An alternative was to use old carpeting to mold the waterfall shape by propping it on cinder blocks or some other hard supportive material to gain height, then covering the whole thing with a water proof liner. Sourcing the old carpet and molding it to shape was a tremendous challenge.

The Frame-It-All components enable you to construct your water feature above ground and avoid all these problems!

For ponds you can build any size reservoir by framing the pond edge using Frame-It-All joints and lumber. You can build the pond totally above ground or partially above and partially below ground. If you want to have fish I often will dig out a small part of the total area of the pond so the fish have deeper waters to go to and also an area for the pond’s pump and filter.

You can now construct a water garden feature just about anywhere – even on hard ground. Just saw off the spike on the lower section of the joint stake for impenetrable surfaces with no concerns about rocks, roots and utility lines!

Frame-It-All patented Stacking Joints enable you to easily build up the height of the water garden structure - which we call the frame; by simply connecting 2” x 6” lumber and just adding additional levels.

The beauty and simplicity of the system lies in the versatility of the brackets of the joints being used to create any angle in any direction and the convenience of being able to stack one joint into the top of the joint below - allowing you to build up to any height!

To construct a tiered waterfall just connect 2”x6” lumber together building up the frame to your required height, length and angle! Once your frame is built up, check for level then raised the interior level using sand, gravel, soil or Styrofoam. The frame now can support a water proof liner which will cover the whole structure making it water tight. Add rocks to give the water feature a natural look.

In order create the cascading drop in levels of your waterfall; use 2”x4” lumber for the cross section instead of 2’x6” lumber which was used to construct the pond frame, to allow for a reduced height of the cross section thus permitting the water to cascade down into the level below.

Sketch out the design of your water garden feature on paper before starting construction.

Once you are satisfied with the design, calculate the size of the waterproof liner you will need to cover your pond and waterfall. Take into consideration the measurements of the entire interior and exterior sides; up and down the boards, into your hole going across to the other side up and over the boards again. Allow 12 inches on either side of the ponds edge for the water proof liner to rest on the ground (you will put rocks and soil on top of the liner to secure it). Remember to measure in both directions to get your total liner size.

If you have built your waterfall and pond you can either cover both with one big piece of water proof liner or two pieces of liner - one for the waterfall and one for the pond. Just make sure the waterfall liner overlaps the ponds liner to ensure the water stays in the water garden.

Once your frame is built and your water proof liner is formed around your water garden, place your pump and filter in the ponds water and run the recycling hose to the top of your waterfall.

There are many different filter and pump systems available for purchase so please consult your local water garden dealer.

You will need to tell your water garden dealer the height and length of your waterfall and your ponds water capacity (click here for a pond water capacity calculator http://www.vnwg.com/building_tips01.jsp ) so he/she can guide you to purchase the correct size pump, filter, gauge of hose and hose length in order to reach from the pump to the top of your waterfall.

Now that your frame is finished, covered with the waterproof liner and the pump and hose are in place the fun of designing and naturalizing your water garden begins.

I like to combine various sizes of the same type of stone with plants of differing sizes to accomplish this. Before placing rocks and plants bring in good screened topsoil to build up against the waterfall & ponds edge and gradually taper the soil away from the ponds edge.

It’s not necessary or advisable to bring the soil level up around the top of your waterfall as plants and stone will help camouflage the sides and rear of your waterfall - besides you would have to use way too much soil and space to do so. It helps to butt the rear of the waterfall against a fence or solid structure to hide the back and create an illusion of a secret water source feeding the waterfall.

To contend with the various height levels of your waterfall and pond’s height use a combination of dense shrubs (evergreen or deciduous) to cover high parts of the waterfall so you don’t have to depend on using large stones or perhaps on having to stack stones on top of one another, creating an unnatural look to your water garden.

Place stones around your water garden and bring low squatty plants to your ponds edge to break up the stones line. Plants like mugho pine, pygmy barberry, and ornamental grasses make good choices (particularly in the USA northeast).

Also to achieve a natural look stay away from creating organized patterns. Have some rocks dart out from the ponds edge towards the water forming a natural diving board for frogs to rest on.

Now you have become the envy of all your neighbors and you can crow that you built it yourself with a little help from Frame-It-All!

Happy Gardening!

Anthony

Revolutionizing Water Gardens

Easy to install, all-season durable and attractive in any yard, the Frame It All system, from Scenery Solutions, is changing the way home water gardens, ponds and water features are being built.

The Frame It All system consists of three components. The concept is based on the patented design of the Frame It All Anchor Joint and Stacking Joint. Made of durable plastic in a color that blends in with your landscape, Anchor and Stacking Joints swivel a full 270º offering a multitude of design options for laying out the framework for your water garden.

Frame It All Anchor Joints feature a 11.5” serrated stake that is hammered into the earth and remains secure even when the land shifts due to frost of other climate changes. For creating higher edges (a tiered effect), you can also add Stacking Joints through a specially designed connecting hole in the top of any joint.

Frame It All Composite Timbers are the final component of the system. Made of a blend of wood fiber and UV-protected polypropylene, our timbers are both attractive - with an organic texture and color – and all-season durable.

Small caps, designed to cover the tops of the highest Stacking Joint, keep dirt, sand and other grit from getting into the joints. Finishing Sleeves are also available to gracefully cap-off the ends of edging designs.

The unique design of the Frame It All system lets you design a water garden framework that is rugged, resistant to warping from winter frost, won’t rot from exposure to soil and moisture and best of all… is incredibly easy to install.

How easy? Click here for our guide to building a Frame It All water garden.

To purchase a Frame It All water garden, click here.