sk one hundred people to describe their dream vacation, and the
result will be an assortment of answers. Hawaii? The Caribbean? An Alaskan cruise? A fishing trip to the Little Blackfoot River? One thing that will bind ninety-nine of these answers together,
though, is water! For some folks, water is the main component of relaxation. For others, its situated pleasantly in the background, as at a beach or a lakefront cottage.
The public perception of Paradise will almost always include water, and a
landscape contractor who can put aesthetic water features into a backyard or a commercial property will, at some point, be in demand by those creating a miniature Shangri-La at home. Not only will
the sight of ponds and the associated aquatic plants and fish instill a sense of tranquility, but the sound of trickling water is just as important to the overall scheme, as is the way the pond
connects perfectly with its surroundings.
Value to the customer Derk Hebdon, president of Bratt Water Features in Pleasant Grove, Utah, puts it nicely: In my humble but obviously biased opinion, water features incorporate all the senses when dealing with the outdoors, and in the landscape setting. They add value in the mere fact that they can be truly enjoyed from afar as well as up close. Hours can be spent in quiet meditation around a water feature. It can and should be incorporated within the landscape to complement it, and not detract from it. Water is inviting. Both young and old are drawn to it. Its the source of all life.
Michael Becker of Estate Gardeners in Omaha, Nebraska, lists some of the benefits added to a landscape by water features, such as sound,
movement, wildlife, expanded pallet of plants, expanded opportunities for use of stone and lighting. Discussing those a bit further, it becomes apparent that a property owner has much to gain
from water features:
SOUND: Even a little sound from a water feature is enough to calm the din of city noises and sounds perfectly natural in
a rural setting, Becker says.
MOVEMENT: In an environment free of waterfalls or fountains, the most notable movement will be
the swaying of branches in the wind. With water in place, on the other hand, the movement is constant and is certainly an attention catcher. And in the case of a still pond surface, the whole mirror
effect comes into play.
WILDLIFE: With the presence of water features, song birds and amphibians are suddenly more apt to
become a dynamic part of the landscape. Too, the specific plants used in conjunction with the water feature may draw a larger assortment of butterflies and other interesting insects than would have
been possible otherwise. Of course, koi and goldfish are an important part of a pond for many.
AN EXPANDED PALLET OF PLANTS: Given the nature of ones property soil type, aspect, etc. the landscape may
only be able to utilize n number of plants. Now, with a pond in place, that number becomes n x 2 or n x 3. If a customer is dissatisfied with the number of plant species he or she can
effectively install, the improved opportunities created by water features can be a superb selling point.
INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR USE OF STONE: Stone can add a lot of character to an environment, but theres only so much you
can do with it. Water features create more possibilities.
INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR USE OF LIGHT: Applying landscape lighting to a fountain or waterfall can result in a breathtaking
display that moves a landscape leaps and bounds ahead of those in adjacent areas. I think there is an innate connection we make to water, Becker says. It is the basis of life. In
nature, it is where plants would naturally grow, animals would converge and people would settle. This all makes it pleasing on a deeper level than what the neighbors will think.
Value to the company
Becker believes that, as an add-on sale and because the market is relatively untapped, the sales and revenue potentials are outstanding.How many people do
you know who have landscaping? he asks. How many people do you know who have a water feature? The disparity is huge. So, for Estate Gardeners, as an added service, the value is great.
We have few in our market who specialize in water features, so we feel we can grab our share of this emerging market. And since the smallest of water features starts in the $5000 range, these are not
small additions. He points out that the value of water features to Estate Gardeners is increasing, and that the company is currently revamping its marketing to focus more on sales of these
features. Because ponds, fountains and waterfalls create so many additional landscaping opportunities, Becker explains that his companys water feature abilities are also being used as a tool
to sell other services like lighting, irrigation and additional landscaping. There is a large number of people who think of the water feature first, but as it progresses, they realize that the
landscape has to be considered in conjunction, he says. There are companies out there that do nothing but water features, but we intend to offer the full service. Bratt Water
Features is in a different situation. According to Hebdon, water features account for 95 percent of the business there. 
You see, Ive just negotiated an employee buyout or spin-off of the water feature division of Bratt, Inc., which is Utahs largest landscape contractor. The water
feature division is also the largest water feature builder in the state, and perhaps one of the larger ones in the nation. In 2001, we did $2.1 million in sales. Last year, with the effects of 9-11
and the economy, we did about $1.1 million in sales. This year looks to be a little better than last.
Regardless of whether a company wants to specialize in water features or make them part of a full-service package, there are revenues to be drawn from ponds and waterfalls. Simply stated, those property owners who are on a constant quest to add a special look to their commercial and residential properties are coming across water attributes.
Using the best resourcesMany companies get into water features without really understanding them, Hebdon says. Then they build a few and realize theres more to it than a piece of liner, pump and plumbing. There is the whole aspect of blending the feature into the landscape, filtration, dealing with water loss, too much water from rain and simple maintenance . . . I believe that water features, especially the natural ones, are an art form. There is a fairly large learning curve associated with the design and construction of them.
Becker admits to some failures in the beginning, due to a lack of
understanding of pumps, filtration and biology. But self-education solved those problems, and the company has been able to move forward.
