Do it yourself water feature

Add music and beauty to any garden.

If a koi pond seems like too much maintenance to you, then you might want to consider a pondless fountain.  Pondless fountains add an element of water to your garden without the cost and upkeep of a traditional pond.  The secret is underground...a submerged basin, hidden by river pebbles keeps the water flowing.  The water comes out of the fountain and then magically "disappears" into the ground to be recycled.  Best of all, you can install it yourself in just a few hours!

If you can dig a hole and put together components, then you can build one of our user-friendly fountains. How easy is it to build your own garden feature? Just check out the pondless fountain that Diane M. of Greensboro built! Everything you need to build this feature is right here at Oak Ridge Shrubbery and our friendly, knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to help you find what you need. So what are you waiting for? Your perfect fountain is waiting for you!

First dig your hole and insert one of our basins.

Next, install a water feature pump kit.

Cover the basin and pump with pretty river rocks.

Attach fountain or hollow basalt pillars to the fountain and Voila!  Your feature is finished.

Don't let the summer heat cook your garden!

Sea Hollies

It's been viciously hot lately, with no signs of letting up any time soon.  Are you taking care of your garden?  When conditions are this severe, even well-established plants that don't normally need much water can suffer.  Newly installed plants will need extra careful attention as well...more so than ever before.  Here are some tips for helping your garden survive the dog days of summer:

• Test the moisture levels of potted plants daily.  Pick up the pot...it is light?  Stick your finger into the soil, up to your knuckle...is it dry?  If the plant requires moist soil, keep it moist, but take care not to overwater plants that thrive in dry conditions or just need to dry out between waterings.
• When watering individual plants, water the roots and base of the plants, where the water can do the most good, not the foliage.  The leaves on some plants can develop a fungus when wet or are prone to burning from the magnifying effect of the droplets and the sun.
• Take care not to go overboard by over-watering plants that don't need as much moisture.  You can kill a plant just as quickly from over-watering as under-watering.
• Water early in the morning or after the sun has set to allow the plants to soak in the maximum amount of water before it evaporates.
• In this kind of heat, drip lines and soil soakers are more efficient than sprinklers that spray water into the air.  Air born droplets don't penetrate the soil as well as the direct soil hydration.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Don't let the sun be the only sizzle in your yard!  Try adding some splashes of bright summer colors with these gorgeous plants!