Custom Potting Bench

We have had a busy May, mostly doing wood work.
We are just finishing up a project in San Jose that had a potting bench in the design.

We went back and forth with our client considering what style of bench we would install.

At first we discussed the option of buying one online and assembling it on site.


But after looking around and reading reviews, we decided a custom bench would work better and last longer.

So we decided to create a simple bench that was purely functional. There were a few requirements we were working with: 
We wanted a drawer for hand tools, a cabinet for fertilizers, a drop down cabinet for soils and a waterproof bench to keep the soils dry.

So we came up with a simple drawing and gave it to our client. After looking it over and seeing the rest of the yard come together so beautifully, (see the post on 'Relaxing Koi Pond') we decided to make the potting bench both functional and beautiful.


We redesigned it and started building in our shop.


We used hand picked select heart Redwood for the framework and the bench. The bench was constructed in a 'cutting board' style.

We used a nice bright Pine for the face of the cabinets and drawer.


This gave a wonderful contrast to the Redwood.


As I mentioned above, we installed a drawer for small hand tools, a cabinet for fertilizers and other plant food, a drop down cabinet for potting soils and two shelves for pots.


The bench was then sealed with Poly-urethane, delivered to the job site and assembled.

Asheville landscaping: Koi Pond Construction

Koi Pond San Jose

Although the majority of landscaping we do is in the Santa Cruz area, we just finished constructing an incredible Koi pond in San Jose. It features a nice simple waterfall, two 1/4 horse power pumps, a UV filter and a pressurized bead filter.

One pump feeds the filter from the bottom drain, the other pump feeds two mid-water return jets from the skimmer. The desire of our client was to have a more appropriate space for her koi & a pond that would require less pond maintenance.

Seeing a beautiful water landscape when we're done is one of our favorite parts of pond construction. 

I will post some project pics later.

Enjoy.

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Boulder Fountains

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Central Home Supply

 

I have been landscaping in Santa Cruz for more than 6 years now. I have, since the beginning, used Central Home Supply for all my stone, soils and bulk materials.

Central Home in Santa Cruz has an amazing selection of natural stone, as well as, pavers, concrete products, veneer stone and Allen Block, which we use for our retaining walls.

Central Home Supply has a friendly staff that has helped me on numerous occasions, get the product I need for my clients. Too, they are locals & know all the ins & outs of landscaping in Santa Cruz.

I recommend them for any of your landscaping or masonry needs, whether you are a homeowner or a landscape contractor. Central Home in Santa Cruz is an incredible business to be a part of.

www.livingwaterslandscaping.com 

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Vanishing Waterfall Construction

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Clay Lined Ponds

I had a chance this week to return to a project that we finished last year in Watsonville, which is just outside of Santa Cruz.

This project was an existing 50,000 gallon natural pond with a small stream flowing onto it. 

Our job was to re-work the pond, stabilize the edges and add a waterfall.

So, we drained and reshaped the pond and imported clay pond-fill. 

Using clay as a pond liner is great for natural ponds that don't need a contained system or a consistent water level. Bentonite clay makes a great pond liner, because it expands when it gets wet and seals in almost all the water.

We did some rock work around the edges of the pond for stability, and added a gravel beach area for swimming access. The pond was to be kept as natural as possible because it is going to be used as a turtle and frog habitat. 


Once the pond was complete we added a waterfall and a biological filter system. We wanted this system to have natural filtration only. 

We used locally harvested Limestone for all the rock work.

The waterfall runs off a 3/4 horse power external pump. We installed two 6 inch bottom drains that gravity feed into a small bog. 
The pump draws water from the bog and pushes it to the top of the waterfall. 

At the top of the falls we installed the biological filter. This is a small bog like area that the water percolates through. It is filled with gravel and has filtering and decorative aquatic plants. The biological filter works by allowing beneficial bacteria a place to live and help filter the water as it passes through.

We added some low voltage landscape lighting and landscaped the project area.