Case Studies

Case study 1.

Jamie Clapham - Landscape Architect.

Background.

"Jamie Clapham Landscapes is a Melbourne based design company offering a fully integrated landscape service that includes consultation, design, construction and project management.  Their expertise extends from space conscious courtyards, pool design and outdoor rooms through to large-scale residential and commercial projects.

They develop individual designs for each project by interpreting our client's needs and lifestyle. This involves a comprehensive site analysis incorporating the specific strengths, constraints, climatic conditions, and associated architectural influences.

With a range of diverse styles including Spanish/ Mediterranean, Period and Contemporary, Jamie's designs have been showcased on the front cover of Outdoor Design and Living magazine and ABC Television's Gardening Australia program."  (www.claphamlandscapes.com.au)

Brief:

Jamie has had the pleasure of working closely with his clients and their personal trust in him has lead him to find people that he can trust to look after his clients.

He contacted the team @ Oz Watergardens late on a Thursday.  His client was going to have their garden on show, through the Open Garden Scheme and the pond had had little done to it since it's construction a year or so before.  It needed a makeover and quickly.

Solution:

Darryl was driving back from Sydney on the Friday and coordinated with the team, so that he could turn up onsite with them on the Saturday.  New plants had been selected from Oz Watergarden's nursery, based on Jamie's design criteria.  Where possible, flowering plants were chosen and the team were able to give the pond a new lease on life and make it just as much a show piece, as the rest of the garden.

The flow on effect…

While we were working on the pond, a group of people, all of whom were having their gardens on display as part of the Open Garden Scheme, came through to view each other's gardens.  They were impressed by the pond plants and we were even able to gain another pond service booking.

Jamie's client was rapt with the results and we feel that this helps to reflect on his business.

Since then we have had more referrals from Jamie, including the pond below

and also a commercial landscape at Jayco Caravans head office.

Here's what Jamie had to say…

"I have found the team from Oz Water gardens to be very enthusiastic and helpful…. The maintenance service was very valuable, leaving the pond and plants looking very fresh and ready for the next year."  Jamie Clapham.

Adam from Balaclava.

Background.

Adam is a young professional.  He had recently moved into his town house and had a problem with his pond.   It was overgrown, he suspected that it might also be losing water and he didn't want his fish to die.  Adam's pond is the primary feature in his courtyard.  It is also viewed through a large window from inside the house and has a 3 metre wide mirror on the wall behind it.  This creates the illusion of more space, especially in an inner city courtyard.  The gentle splashing of water also takes you away from the sounds of traffic and the hustle and bustle of the world outside.  This is his oasis, as well as a place to entertain.

Brief:

Adam wanted us to clean out the pond, find the leak and make it a great environment for his fish.

Solution:

Clean the pond.

The team @ Oz watergardens drained the pond, caught his fish and set up a temporary holding tank (with an aerating pump) to store them in, while we worked on his pond.  The waterlilies and other pond plants were removed, pruned, divided and repotted into fresh soil and stored in the tank with the fish. 

Find the leak.

Once the pond was thoroughly cleaned out, we were able to find the leak.  In this case, the original sealant was flaking away from the concrete. 

We reported this to Adam and provided him with a quote to strip back and reseal his pond.

Reseal the pond.

The process involved

 - Grinding all the pond paint back to the bare concrete

- Cleaning the pond ready for painting.

- Then applying 2 coats of a professional pond sealant.

The mistake that is often made with sealing a pond, is haste.    We needed each coat to cure before continuing and we informed Adam of this.  We only applied the sealant in weather conditions that were suitable.  We monitored the weather and would contact Adam the day before, in order to make arrangements to meet him before he went off to work.  Fortunately Adam was patient and there were a few days of dry weather, during our unseasonally wet Summer.

Biological filtration system.

Once all the pond sealant had cured, the pond was thoroughly washed and refilled.  We installed a new filter pump and an OASE biological filtration system with an ultraviolet sterilizer.  The pond water is pumped through this system every couple of hours and controls green water algae, as well as removing the toxins that build up in the pond from fish waste and other organic debris. 

These systems are backed with a Clearwater guarantee.

With the water feature statues put back in place and the fountain pump refitted, we were able to return the plants and fish.  A final tidy up and the pond looked pristine again.

Here's what Adam had to say…

"A big thank you to Oz Watergardens for repairing my pond and turning it into a key feature of the backyard. 

The finished product exceeds my already high expectations and your professional approach throughout the process was much appreciated.  You were able to work around the weather and were considerate of my availability. 

I would not hesitate to use Oz Watergardens again for any water garden assistance. 

Thanks again. 

Kind regards,

Adam."