A Unique Waterfall

Landscape Smart : Episode LDS-612 -- More Projects »

A bare corner in this yard is transformed with an eye-catching waterfall.

Homeowner Mary Ann Bafia has a small backyard surrounded by lots of greenery, but there's an empty corner that's been completely neglected. Landscape designer Jeffrey Tuffin suggests a waterfall feature fashioned from castoff sinks.

Two sinks will serve as pools in the water feature, with a third sink at the top of the formation becoming the water source. The waterfall will not only transform dead space in the yard, it will also make good use of a slope. Tuffin wants to use cast-iron sinks reclaimed from a salvage yard--he says this will help make the water feature a little out-of-the-ordinary and give it character.

There are a few challenges: an old tree trunk in that portion of the yard doesn't allow a lot of room for a water feature. Digging up the stump would destroy the plantings around it, but the space is usable if the ponds rest on top of that stump. Since they're made with old sinks, they'll be heavy and stable enough to sit on top of the tree stump. It sounds unusual, but when you're finished, this will be a beautiful, natural-looking water feature.

The sinks weigh about 90 pounds each, so you may need some help lifting them. Other than that, it's not a very difficult project and should take only about two weekends to complete. Tuffin rates it a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult. Doing this project yourself will cost about $600. A professional would charge about $3,000, not including the cost of the plants.

There are quite a few advantages to using old sinks as the ponds for this waterfall:

Traditionally, people use plastic pond shells for this kind of project because they're very light and easily moved around. Since the ponds have to be placed on top of a tree stump, however, heavy pools, such as these porcelain and cast-iron sinks, are required.
The second advantage to using recycled sinks is that they are very inexpensive. This project calls for three sinks and they cost only about $30-35 each, compared to about $50 for just one small pond shell. You might see some that cost as much as $100, but the prices also go as low as $15 each--$35 is the average cost.
Finally, sinks come in a variety of shapes and depths, offering a range of looks that's hard to find in plastic pond shells.

Step One: Clearing the Site

Figure A

Begin by shoveling out any weeds, rocks, or roots that might get in the way. At the same time, use your shovel to start carving out the mound into a terrace to prepare it for the ponds (figure A).

Setting the ponds at different heights creates more sound and drama as the water spills over one pond and down to the next. Playing up the splashing sounds of the water gives the area a very serene, tranquil feel. Keep in mind that all sinks are different--measure your sinks ahead of time.

Tuffin starts by digging out a two-foot-deep basin for the middle pond. He wants the lower pond to sit deeper, so he's making this basin about 3 feet deep. He says there won't be a hole for the upper pond since it rests on top of the tree stump.

Step Two: Preparing the Sinks

Tuffin wants this waterfall to have a rustic look, so he asks artist Karin Taylor to camouflage the sinks to match the landscape. He starts by covering them with stucco to ensure that they're watertight, and then she paints them. Taylor stresses that you don't have to be an artist to paint the sinks.

Here are a few tips for a successful stucco job:

Figure B

Cut pieces of metal lathe (available at home supply stores for about $15 a roll) and lay them over the sink to give the stucco something to stick to. Bend the lathe so it conforms to all the corners and curves (figure B) and tie the corners together with tie wire. Be sure to wear some gloves because the metal can be sharp.
Next, blend a standard stucco mix (about $3 a bag) with enough water to form a thick but spreadable consistency. Add a few drops of liquid soap to make the mixture creamier and help bind it together.
Tuffin also adds some brown and black masonry tint to give the stucco a darker color--this should cut down on the amount of painting Taylor needs to do.
Apply the stucco with a trowel, spreading it over the lathe to cover the entire sink. You need to apply about three coats of the stucco so the lathe doesn't break through. Wait about 12 hours between each coat. Allow several days to dry.

Painting the sinks:

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Taylor paints the sinks to give them a faux-stone look. Use acrylic paints in colors such as brown, red, and black--natural earthy colors to match the stones ( figure C). The paints cost about $4 a bottle at an art supply store.

Creating that faux stone effect is really easy to do--with a 1- or 2-inch paintbrush, just try to mimic the mottled look of real stones. Use darker colors to add shadow or definition around the rocks (figure D).

Go for subtlety for a more natural look, but don't worry if you make a mistake--a little water or some extra paint will take care of it. Allow the paint to dry for about an hour (figure E).

Figure F

Step Three: Installing the Ponds

Begin with the top sink. Since it rests on top of the tree stump, you need to make sure it's really secure. Pin it in place using a 3-foot steel foundation stake (figure F), which you can purchase at any building supply store. Run it through the drain of the sink to keep it from sliding or shifting at all.

To set the upper pond, drive that stake into the ground. Then, just slide the sink over it and check the level. If you need a more level surface, go back and add 2 to 3 inches of sand before replacing the sink so that it's level.

Figure G

Set in the other sinks, too, and use sand or soil to make any adjustments so that they're not off-kilter. Fill in around them to hold them in place before moving on to the stonework (figure G).

Step Four: Completing the Waterfall

Before setting any of those stones, lay a PVC pond liner over the waterfall for some extra protection against leaks. (You can buy one for about $130 at home supply centers.) Cut it out around the sinks so that it covers the sides of the water feature.

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

The waterfall

Now it's time start placing those stones, which is really a process of trial and error rather than an exact science. Work in small sections (figure H), then fill up the ponds to see how everything looks once the water is flowing. That way, you can easily make any adjustments. Don't worry if the water looks cloudy at first, the suspended particles will settle in about 36 hours.

Tuffin is using flat Bouquet Canyon (figure I) stones against the backsplashes of the waterfall. Moss-covered stones (figure J) are drystacked around the perimeter. Every rock has a natural face, so take the time to find each stone's best side before you set it into place.

Once you're finished with the stonework, run some PVC tubing from the lower pond all the way to the upper one and hide it between the rocks. Connect the lower end to a pond pump that can handle about 700 gallons per hour to recirculate the water back to the top of the waterfall. Sink the pump into the pond, plug it in and give the system a test run.

Planting Plan

Tuffin wants to give this woodland waterfall a natural, random look, so he's using an assortment of grasses and reeds in the ponds. Around the waterfall, he brings in lots of color for some vibrant highlights that help play up the feel of a woodsy setting.

Porcupine grass (Miscanthus sinensis) 'Strictus', Zones 4 to 9
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) 'Red Dragon', Zones 6 to 8
Grassy bells (fairy wand) (Dierama pendulum), Zones 7 to 9

Guests
Jeffrey Tuffin
Landscape Designer, Tuffin S. Scapes
1504 Posen Ave.
Albany, CA 94706
Phone: 510-526-0504

Karin Taylor
Artist, Aqua Design
1504 Posen Ave.
Albany, CA 94706
Phone: 415-861-2021
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