BackyardBananaCA

Just wanted to share pictures of my completed waterfall project. The maturing jungle around it contains of an FHIA 3, FHIA 18, Zebrina, and a red & green ensete.








Here's a movie clip as well:

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showp...=500&ppuser=62

MediaHound

That's beautiful!

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momoese

Cool, it has a nice sound to it! Looks like a lot of work to get to that point.

AnnaJW

That is totally awesome! Great job!

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PhilMusa

Great work looks very nice!

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BackyardBananaCA

Thanks everyone for your kind feedback. My pondless waterfall project is now complete. It has a low voltage (12V) setup powered by a 300 watt transformer. Activated by remote control or automatically turned on and off by a timer.

I didn't want to run a 120V line out to the corner of my yard, so I went with low voltage. The strongest low voltage pump I could find was 270 gallons-per-minute, so I have 4 small low voltage pumps buried in a plastic basket, with 3/4" tubes running to the top tier. The pebble gravel acts like a filter and keeps the water clean. I had to go pondless, because of the kid-safety thing.

The hardest task was trying to make the waterfall look natural and at the same time functional. I had to move the thunder basin boulders around many times, and let their shape dictate the look of it. Now I can sit back and wait for the jungle to grow around it.

austinl01

That is a great waterfall. Just wondering what made you decide to use pebbles in the base instead of having some water plants? You did an excellent job! Nice selection of plants around it as well. What kind are they?

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

BackyardBananaCA

Austinl01,

There's a large plastic pond liner under the pebbles. I decided to make it pondless because of my curious 2 and 4 year old. The liner is deep enough to hold fish, so I plan on converting it to a pond later once my kids are old enough to know the difference between a pond and swimming pool. I've been looking for water plants which I can submerge into the rocks and water.

Besides the bananas, here's a list of the different plants; different types of dwarf and tall canna, giant bird of paradise, elephant ears, pineapple lily, ornamental grasses, rose hibiscus, passion fruit along the fence, pink guava, yellow angle trumpet, lemon guava, strawberry guava

banana_fun

You did a very nice job. It looks fantastic!

MediaHound

I havent seen many ponds with the rocks filled in like that, but it's pretty mellow to watch the water disappear out of sight.
And functional, too.

I've been thinking about installing a pond here for so long.
I've always wanted one - I once worked in a pet store that had a pond and I enjoyed caring for it.

Did you install an ultraviolet sterilizer? I think a UV light would really keep the water clear and you wouldnt have to worry about overspray of any chemical additive you'd be adding to the water to keep it algae free. The light would do it for you.

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saturn

Your project looks awesome. No need to wait for the jungle to grow - looks pretty full right now.
I have not seen a gravel basin like that - what a good idea.
I have a very small water feature in my yard, and it is a real hot spot for frog breeding. Gets quite noisy!

saturn
(whoa, is it just me, or are the dancing banana icons new? Cute....but now I am getting very dizzy. Still, I will add one: )

austinl01

Good idea with the pebbles because of the kids. The project went very well and looks great! Nice choice of plants as well.

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

rane

Looks nice, how much power do the pumps draw ?

BackyardBananaCA

I think they are rated for 25 watts each, but draw more like 25-30 watts. I experimented with 4 pumps on a 100 watt transformer, but it would overheat after a few hours of running and automatically shut off. If your thinking about running low voltage pumps, make sure the transformer you use is designed for water features.

jpfloors

Wow, that's awsome, about to start a similar project with a waterfall, but going into a pond!

jason

Hey to the right of the pond is that a Ensete superbum??? Great Job!!!!!

mskitty38583

that is great looking. you did very well on your project. i love the stone.

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natedogg1026

Wow! That looks great. Would you be offended if I "borrowed" some of your idea?

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musa_monkey

That is exceptional, congratulations..........

sandy0225

Very nice setup! You must be very proud. Nothing changes your landscape like a pond/waterfall/stream.
Great relaxing area....

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Northern Tropics Greenhouse
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