About that waterfall I mentioned last week.  How’s about a little more info?  Getting a finished patio in the back yard is a priority for this spring/summer.  Getting all heavy lifting done is key.  The waterfall was all Ben’s idea.  He has a knack for coming up with awesome ideas to complicate his life.  But they’re worth it in the end.  Here’s our rough landscape plan:

The waterfall is made up of linear-ish stones we pulled from our property.  A meandering rubber backed stream filled with river rock (also taken from our property) meets the rock cliff.

Below, a hidden pond collects the water.  Hidden pond, what?  I’m glad you asked.  Ben dug a hole, lined it with a thick rubber, then placed plastic containers inside.  The containers have holes, allowing water to circulate and river rock fills the gaps, but the rubber liner holds water in the whole area.  The uncovered box will hold a submersible pump (to get the water up the hill).  Three other boxes store water, which we covered with flat stones before covering with crushed limestone.

After living with the fountain that was in the back yard, we realized an open pond would quickly get filled with dirt, leaves, sticks, and rocks.  Some naturally landing in, other tossed in by the boys.  An open pond is also a safety hazard with two young kids around.

Instead, we’ve got a pond you can walk on.  As you can see, we’ve got more rock to haul up, but we’ve made tons of progress already.

After the rock we can add plantings, pour a patio, and carry on with the rest of our plans, including a fire pit and pergola.  Grrrr, baby.  Very grrr.