Mother's Day Waterfall I come from a pretty large family-so I have a pretty amazing mother!! It's always difficult to find just the right gift for mom on Mother's Day... flowers? Chocolates? Dinner out? A heartfelt note? Family time is really important in our family. My mom goes out of her way to make as many opportunities for us to gather, share time, a meal, laughter and love as possible. We decided the perfect gift would be a backyard oasis to sit, think and just enjoy each others company. What could be better than the gift of time together??  It took a tribe of us working together to build this 8' Aquascape pondless waterfall. It's the perfect addition to her backyard. It adds a space to gather and relax. You can see and hear it from inside the kitchen, dining room, as well as her office. before & afterPart of what made this project so special was working with my brothers and sisters. They not only helped me to construct it, but they also helped me to go out in the woods and gather the natural materials (stone, wood and moss) that we utilized in this project. Oftentimes, people think that it will be easier to use stone that is available on their site. We can all tell you it is a labor of love to pry the rocks out of the ground and lug them to a place where they can be picked up by a machine and then brought to the building site. Whatever savings there may be on stone cost is more than spent in the labor it takes to move it. We harvested the stone primarily because it meant something to use the rocks that were from the property-rocks that we grew up playing on and around. It made the project unique and personal to us. Here I have to stop and thank my brother Aaron who helped throughout the entire process, but especially for spending long days in the woods with me gathering the tons of rock we used to construct this backyard waterfall. I am continually grateful to be part of an amazing family, but especially for my Mother who continues to be a blessing to everyone she comes in contact with.  The grandchildren love the shallow water it's safe for them to play and explore.  There is nothing more transformative in an outdoor living space than a waterfall. The sights and sounds of water draw you into the space and take your mind off of the worries of your day. The negative ions a waterfall produces work to lift your spirits (that I just walked onto the beach feeling) and your day transforms from a rush of random activities to include a bit of calm and peace. Pondless waterfalls are extremely low maintenance, energy efficient and attract a variety of wildlife. A pondless waterfall is simply a waterfall that falls into a bed of gravel. Under the gravel is a storage tank and a pump that recirculates the water back to the top of the waterfall over and over again. This simple system requires little maintenance and is ideal for families with young children or pets that love to play in the water. 
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