Water Gardening as Thrifty Family Entertainment

So you and your better half went on a pond tour this summer and you were both bitten by the water gardening bug. Now you're trying to figure out the answers to a number of pond related issues, with the primary one being, "How can I justify the cost?"

On the pond tour, you probably saw a variety of ecosystem ponds complete with waterfalls, several fish, and a range of stunning aquatic plants. The first real issue you have to struggle with is, do you want to install it yourself and save up to 50% on labor charges, or would you prefer to hire a professional pond installer to create your new water feature?

Now let's presume that you've thought about it long and hard and that you've decided to go with the pro. You've gotten a couple of good estimates, and it looks like the job is going to run you between $8,000 and $9,000, depending on the installer you choose to do the job. So the question becomes, "How can you justify spending this money on such a luxury?"

Compared to a Hot Tub
For the sake of a good starting point, let's begin by comparing that $9,000 figure to something similar like a hot tub, or an aboveground swimming pool. If you make a few phone calls, you'll find that the average hot tub today is running a little over $9,000, and the average pool is more than that. Furthermore the maintenance factor for both hot tub and pool is dramatically more expensive and time consuming than a pond, which requires almost none. And since time is money, and you'll use that pond almost every day of the season, the pond is really cost effective when compared to hot tubs and pools.

Or to a Family Vacation
Let's try a little different point of comparison. How about we check out the cost of an average, one-week, family vacation to a waterfront destination like Jamaica? If you have two kids, and you're traveling by plane, add up the travel, the meals, the hotel accommodations, and the small ransom they charge to do the tourist-like things in Jamaica these days. Then, throw in some miscellaneous bucks to cover unexpected expenses, and you'll find that it's not hard to spend $8,000 on that family vacation. In addition, since it's a one-week vacation, it's all over in only one week. Why not bring Jamaica to your backyard and enjoy your vacation all season long? You might just call that a slam-dunk, vacation bargain.

The High Costs of a Stressful Lifestyle
Now let's think about comparing the cost of a pond to the medical cost of a high stress lifestyle. You know, the workplace is getting more and more competitive and demanding these days, as corporations become more and more efficient. That is to say, you have to produce more and more product without spending any more money. That's the name of the game in the 21st century.

If you don't get away and relax, you're looking at stress that could cause all sorts of health problems in the future. So how much is some daily rest and relaxation worth to your health? Well, as a commercial has been saying lately, it's priceless.

The High Cost of Couch Potatoes and Childhood Obesity
How about your kids? Water gardens are the kids' natural antidote to the TV and video games. It's also a natural antidote to "couch-potatoism," childhood obesity, and keeps your kids busy doing things that are healthy for them. In other words give your kids a choice between the tube or the computer, and jumping in the pond and investigating the fascinating world of Mother Nature, first-hand, the way that kids did back when Norman Rockwell was painting pictures on the cover of Saturday Evening Post. Then just see which one they choose. Nine out of 10 will choose the pond.

An Outdoor Room Addition to Your House
How about comparing the cost of the pond to the cost of constructing an additional room for your home? You know, like adding a den or another bedroom. Why is that a good comparison you ask? Well, most people who have a pond consider it to be an outdoor room - an extension of their home's living area. And it's not just a room - it's THE room!

It's the room where the kids like to go most. It's the room where friends, family, and guests inevitably congregate. This room can be magical, especially at night when the underwater lights go on and you can see into the pond to watch the koi darting and gliding from rock to rock with one swift snap of the tail, and the turtles, the snails, and the beautiful plants all take on a romantic glow in the presence of the underwater lights. The pond wins again, right?

The Dog, the Horse, the Zoo
Do you know people who spend at least that much money each year taking care of a dog, or even worse - a horse? Do you know others who spend that much money just entertaining guests? How about the family membership to the zoo to give the kids access to wild animals? Now we've probably shifted into overkill with this exercise in comparison-shopping. You could obviously push this as far as you'd like, but by now the point is probably becoming abundantly clear. Justifying the cost of a pond is real easy, depending on how you choose to look at it.

One Last Important Consideration
But if you drop one last factor into your justification equation, the whole process will quickly become ancient history. What's that you ask? When you improve your landscaping with the addition of a water feature, the value of your home will increase, and probably by more than it costs you to install it. Think of it as building equity, the most enjoyable and most cost effective way possible. Now, how many waterfalls would you like with that beautiful pond?