My Piece of Paradise

by Tim Wise
(Ocoee, Florida)

Hawaii Calls

We added a covered patio and just knew it had to include a waterfall. Since my wife and I love traveling to Hawaii and had seen so many waterfalls on the various islands, we had our inspiration: Tropical plants with a crashing waterfall.

This was my first ever attempt at building such a thing. I'm a salesman by trade, but I am very mechanical and a real fix-it guy. I actually watched countless videos on YouTube and gathered enough info to decide I could do it. So I did.

The actual waterfall hardware cost about $1,000. The 3,500lbs of rock was another $950. The retaining wall blocks (behind the waterfall) and rich topsoil for the plants was another $400. All of the plants: not quite sure but it was at least another $600.

I dug the hole, built the retaining wall, and did both the cloth barrier and then the rubber liner. Placing the rock was a two-person job since they had to be wheeled into the screened patio and hand-carried into place. I can attest that those 250lb+ big boys are no easy feat on your own. My buddy Scott was the designated helper there. The spill rock was an easy choice. After unpacking the pallet and a half of rock onto the ground, I was immediately drawn to that one. It looks perfect sitting there the way it channels the water. We chose these rocks because they already had moss growing on them.

Anyway, it's a lot of work and I have plenty of respect for those who build them for a living. I would never do it. This was truly a labor of love. My wife and I can now sit out here and admire our plants and enjoy the soothing sound of the waterfall. Because it's screened, there are no pesky mosquitoes either. The funny thing is that we now have a multitude of lizards and frogs living around the waterfall INSIDE the screen. Not sure how they got in.

And, yes, I know it looks like a volcano. So all you pros out there who will scoff at that aspect, I'm sorry. But, hey, this was my very FIRST waterfall! And my wife and I love it!

Doug says - and so you should! When you do something like this - the single most important thing is that you like what you've done :-)

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My Piece of Paradise

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Your Florida Pond
by: wkeithscott

HI Guy: I've gone back for an second look, your local Florida Contractors, sure did an incredible JOB. The whole package, the Pond is the icing on the gazebo, 'an new usable room'. Rather, the icing on the cake, the sizzle on the steak.
It's really quite something special, I've learned quite an bit, in researching, to re-install an new pond, in an old, [artificial outdoor-hill' garden place.
Oddly enough, I had not an disimilar, backround, like your 'V' shape nucleus-construction, evident in the video.
I dismantled it, for it weighed in an pre-cast concrete, base et al of 1,000 lbs, erred in installing it to high, obtuse on the/an elevated hill. Maybe too hastily, for yours, look's, 'perfecto', set out on the patio floor.
Perhap's, I could have better lowered mine an foot or two, but sooo heavy, I was afraid of an personal safety problem.
But the 'work's' you all did there, is an incentive for an old gardener, to 'try' an little harder.

Thanks Shelly
by: Tim Wise

The kudos is much appreciated, Shelly!

To see a video slide show of the entire project, go here:

Doug says - here's the video itself rather than having to go somewhere else to see it. :-) Great job!!

home grown paradise
by: shelly

WOW that is absolutely beautiful....it hits everything you would want ...bringing the indoors out. and if you add water the critters will come no matter what..amazed your a first timer it sure doesnt show...kudos

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