Aquascape pondless basins can create fabulous living water features.

Paul Holdeman, owner of The Pond Gnome, suggests pondless water features as an affordable option for customers who want to attract wildlife to their yard.

Products for pondless waterfalls

Some customers are interested in installing a water feature that will attract wildlife to their home. Pondless waterfalls accomplish this because they provide consistent water flow. Consistent water flow attracts wildlife because it is a dependable water source.

However, a water feature that’s consistently running also attracts debris (such as pine needles and leaves) that most pumps can’t handle. A solids handling pump can address this problem.

“Solids handling pumps are designed to function properly, despite the sediments ever present in living pond environments,” Holdeman said.

In addition to a solids handling pump, be prepared to install settling chambers and skimmers. Settling chambers create an easy way to remove large debris, preventing it from reaching the pumps pre-screen, while skimmers scoop floating debris out of the water feature before the debris has a chance to sink.

Safety first

Pondless waterfalls are not only great options for attracting wildlife, they are also great options for families. Roger Ramsey, Ewing’s National Specialty Products Manager, said pondless waterfalls eliminate a large percentage of drowning risks because an above ground basin is taken out of the equation.

“Pondless waterfalls give you the tranquility of moving water without the risks of drowning by eliminating a standing body of water. Children and pets can enjoy the feature without any risks of submersion,” Ramsey said.

Explaining this benefit to customers interested in a water feature can make an excellent selling point.

Prepare your customers for wildlife encounters 

“Customers need to be prepared to have their living water feature be a watering hole for all the wildlife in their area,” Holdeman said.

After a couple years in the business, Holdeman realized if he wanted to continue in this field, he was going to need to become an urban wildlife expert.

“If you are the kind of person that likes to look outside your window and see wildlife, a pondless waterfall is a great option,” Holdeman said.

Location will be a factor that determines what kind of wildlife your customer will see.

Holdeman explained that installing a feature like this in an open front yard may entice creatures as large as bobcats to stop by for a quick drink. If installed in a fenced backyard, you are more likely to see animals like dragonflies, squirrels and birds.

“Pondless waterfalls run consistently and create a living ecosystem, giving their owners an awesome opportunity to witness all sorts of wildlife from the comfort of their own outdoor living spaces,” Ramsey said.

Affordable, easy to maintain, safe and a place for animals to get a drink. If these are all criteria your client has requested, consider suggesting a pondless waterfall for their yard!

Stop by your local Ewing store to pick up the materials you need to start building a pondless waterfall today.

Products you’ll need for this job:

Pondless Basin                 Skimmers                Solids Handling Pump

Take a look at some additional water feature options here!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ol1Y-lisPv8