CityView Magazine

The water feature gives kids a place where they can learn about science and nature just by watching the fish such as gold fish, shubunkins, koi, comets, black moors, and oranda grow, and aquatic plants such as water lettuce, taro, iris, lotus, cattails, canna lilies, and horsetail flourish F BY BHAIRAVI BHATT or many people, the weak economy these last few years has meant forgoing extra expenditures like vacations. Rather than dropping cash on temporary escapes in tropical environments, many people are choosing to invest the extra funds they do have in their homes to create relaxing retreats right in their own backyards. And that's exactly the sort of thinking that Jamaal Hall hopes will continue. Hall started his company, NDH Aquascapes in 1998, to offer customers a variety of water feature options that include ponds, waterfalls, fountain scapes, eco-system ponds and more. "A water feature not only increases the value of your prop- erty, but it also creates a unique place that is always welcom- ing," Hall said. Named aſter Hall's deceased daughter, Nyrie Dakota Hall, NDH Aquascapes is a husband and wife business, that spe- cializes in designing and building water features, utilizing local stone yards for materials, providing local and exotic aquatic plants and fishes and providing year round services for all types of ponds and water features. Another benefit is for families with children, Hall said, is that the water feature becomes a backyard habitat and oſten acts as a magnet for kids, giving them a place where they can learn about science and nature just by watching the fish such as gold fish, shubunkins, koi, comets, black moors, and or- anda grow, and aquatic plants such as water lettuce, taro, iris, lotus, cattails, canna lilies, and horsetail flourish. The Halls work with their clients and their clients' budgets to select a water feature that meets all of the client's needs. For clients who have limited space, he said fountain scapes are ideal, as these are tiered fountains created from urns, any type of statues or anything that is able to dispense water. Pond-less waterfalls, on the other hand are exactly what the term implies: all the benefits of a waterfall without the need for a pond. With these types of features, the maintenance is virtually nonexistent. Similar to fountain scapes, water fea- tures without ponds do not require a big yard. This type of water feature is ideal for someone who wants the sound and look of a waterfall but may not have the space or desire to maintain a pond. Systems without ponds are also great for commercial locations where liability is a concern and the fea- ture does not have to run all the time, which decreases the energy consumed — and the long term costs associated with the feature. Environmentally conscious clients can also opt for full fledged eco-system ponds, which can be almost as small or as large as they'd like. A major benefit to eco-system ponds is the option of having aquatic fishes and plants. Even though ponds require additional maintenance compared to other types of water features, if built correctly with proper filtra- tion, maintenance should be minimal. Many sustainability- minded customers choose NDH Aquascapes because they are the only certified RainXchange Professionals in the area. This means that NDH Aquascapes collects rainwater to use towards their water features. In addition to conserving water, rainwater harvesting helps reduce the water bill. CV CityViewNC.com | 31

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