water garden
by Mary Beth Schwartz
Most homeowners dream of having a unique water feature on their property. Today’s water gardens go beyond the standard fountain, pond, or waterfall. You can have a stone wall with water gently flowing down it. It doubles as an art piece when viewed from indoors. You can have a European style fountain with some cafe seating around it. You can have a water garden based on Asian design. You can have an over-the-top feature with a meandering brook, waterfalls, and a raised pond, complete with different rocks and plantings. You can squeeze in a tiny water feature operated by a remote if you have a crowded backyard in the suburbs. When homeowners are ready to bring their water feature to fruition, they call upon Designer Richard Burns of Flowing Springs Landscape Design, Inc.
Burns was introduced to plants by his grandfather, who was the nurseryman for a noted estate in Devon. He studied at Unity College in Maine, spending his summers as a landscape designer and stonemason. With his Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture, Burns went on to work for top nurseries in Maine and Pennsylvania. In 1993, he combined the horticulture, the natural stone, and the water into Flowing Springs Landscape Design, Inc.
“Our team is made up of highly experienced craftsmen. For over 20 years we have designed and built custom exterior environments for entertaining, family gatherings, special events, and peace and tranquility. Our clients are based in Bucks, Chester, and Delaware counties. With our residential projects, we utilize the finest natural materials and plants in creating water gardens, stone walls, walkways, custom patios, ponds, streams, and waterfalls,” Burns says. Burns and his team also work on historic restorations and landscape lighting.
According to Burns, water gardening is getting more popular. “People love to bring nature into their backyard—butterflies, hummingbirds, and wildlife. We completely stock the ponds with goldfish or Koi, or freshwater fish, such as bass and bluegills, even snails. Frogs and other creatures come on their own. The clients also like that the ecosystems are easy to maintain. My job is to make the water feature look like it occurred naturally. A good designer will have a love of nature, a knowledge of plants, vision, creativity, perceptiveness, and experience with the construction materials.”
To finish reading about water gardens, turn to page 128 in the Fall Issue of Bucks County Magazine.