« View Post
Photos

Oops! Leave without saving?

If you leave this page, the information you have entered will not be saved!
Are you sure you want to leave this page?

Leave this page Stay on this page

Hometalk.com

  • Sign Up
  • or
  • Log In
  • Professionals
  • Community
    • All Members
    • Professionals
    • Bloggers
  • About
    • About Hometalk
    • Blog
    • FAQ
    • Guidelines
    • Resources
    • Support
    • Press
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Following
  • All Topics
    • Cleaning & Organization
    • Crafts
    • Design & Décor
    • DIY Projects
    • Gardening
    • Home Maintenance & Repairs
    • Outdoor Living
    • Painting
    • Remodeling
    • Repurposing & Upcycling
    See More Topics »
  • Questions
    • All Questions
    • Open Questions
    • Unanswered Questions
  • Clips
Post & Ask
Join Now

Get advice, inspiration and feedback on all your home & garden projects!

Backyard Getaway

Professional | Myakka City, FL
Services: Lawn & Garden
57 Followers 230Likes 768 Shares
  • Overview
  • Portfolio
  • Posts13
  • Q&A2
  • Comments35
  • Boards1
  • Clips2
  • Likes46
  • Following50
  • Write a Review
  • Send a Message
  • Request a Quote

Portfolio View full portfolio

Koi pond with raised bog
Backyard Getaway Creations
Haile Middle School Learning Takes Flight
School Habitat Projects
Displays, events & unusual water feature

About Me:

Co-owner of Backyard Getaway. We offer professional pond & water garden design, installation & renovation services as well as other outdoor living services. I currently write for Sarasota Pet Magazine, Florida Creative Living Magazine & blog for Backyard Ponderings (our own blog), Bradenton Patch, Examiner.com & Lux Magazine.

Favorite area of home improvement:

I enjoy sharing my love of the water gardening lifestyle, gardening and outdoor living! I especially enjoy showing off my creative husband's creations

Company Overview

Would you like to add the peace & tranquility of flowing water to your backyard? Let Backyard Getaway help you enhance your landscape with a one of a kind pond or water feature. We will create the perfect backyard getaway for you, whether it's a pondless waterfall, a water garden overflowing with colorful water lilies or a pond filled with graceful Koi. Backyard Getaway is a family owned & operated company. We offer professional pond design, installation, renovation & maintenance services as well as ... See More many other outdoor living services including outdoor firepit/fireplace installation, lake fountain & bio-island installation in Bradenton, Sarasota & the Tampa Bay area. Do-it-Yourselfers shop our online store for all of your pond needs & more. Call us for local delivery of pond supplies, equipment, Koi & Water Lilies in Bradenton and Sarasota.

Services

Water Features, Landscaping, Lawn & Garden, Ponds

Areas of Expertise

Professional Pond & Water Garden design, installation & maintenance

Service Area

Manatee, Sarasota, Tampa Bay

Contact Info

S. Duette Rd.

(941) 752-7663

http://www.backyardgetawayponds...

In Business Since

2004

Professional Associations

IPPCA, Manatee Chamber of Commerce


Recent Activity


  • This is the pond in front of our house.  Built by previous owners.  Fun, but dirty w/the trees surrounding.
  • Front of house w/large garden in front, and to the side.  Entry gate is to the left of the corner of the house.  Hoping to build deck along the length of house

Outdoor Living: Our Front Yard Pond and Other Projects

We just purchased this house and it has a great 3/4 acre yard with a pond in front. It has a fountain, w/a spray fountain (see white pvc pipe in pic). We like it OK, but it is dirty as it ...»
is under the trees and gets lots of leaves in it. The fountain leaks in back and the water keeps getting lower and lower, probably a hole in the liner somewhere.

So we are thinking of filling in the pond w/small red lava landscaping rock on bottom (lots of this in a garden we are redoing and I dislike it), then river rocks on top w/the fountain still bubbling up in the middle. Any suggestions on how to do this properly so that the water will not leak out, and we don't have to continue to refill the water level? Thanks for any ideas, I live in Wyoming so there is LOTS of snow in the winter and it is only used in the summer months.

Now we are also going to redo the front of the house w/a full length deck (eventually a roof over it). Have some cinder blocks, and thought about using wood decking over them w/the blocks as support. Do we need to place the blocks in sand to level? Or how should we proceed?

Kris Lee
Kris Lee Jackson, WY
13 Comments | Post Comment | 767 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented 22 hours ago
    Kris, As a pond contractor for nearly 10 years I agree that hiring a pond contractor is a good ...»
    idea for most people but if you are at all handy you can do this yourself. The very first thing you need to do is find out where the leak is. When you say the "fountain" leaks in back are you referring to the waterfall? If so your liner may not be the issue. When the pump is off does the pond still go down or is it holding water? If it is holding water than the waterfall is your only leak. Lava rock not only is abrasive but they "decompose" over time and can clog your pump. Look into Atlantic Water Gardens Ecoblox for the bottom of the pond and a pump vault to protect your pump. then cover the top with the gravel/river rock. If it was me I would knock down the waterfall and once you have "pit" filled in where the white pipe is install a bubbling urn or a large boulder with a hole drilled through it for the pipe. It will give you more of a focal point. As for the preform plastic "drop in" types of ponds they tend to crack and break much more frequently than you find tears in rubber liner. Can't wait to see what you come up with for this space.

  • Share 3
  • Like 7
  • Clip 3
Clipped to:
  • Gardening/cu...
  • garden bench 1
  • planter box
  • table
  • work bench
  • doghouse and bridge
  • garden sign
  • Tool organizer
  • garden signs
  • See 5 more photos

Re-purposing pallets

Here are just a few ways we've re-purposed pallets through our new business venture Re-Scape.com
Backyard Getaway
Backyard Getaway Myakka City, FL
7 Comments | Post Comment | 2150 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on May 10, 2013
    You are welcome Dawn! All these projects were created through our new business www.re-scape.com
  • Share 301
  • Like 63
  • Clip 77
Clipped to:
  • Cool Projects
  • Decor Ideas
  • I finally had some time to spray paint old tires to add color to my back yard 1
  • Spray painted old tires I had around the house to add some color to my back yard.

My colorful tires.

I finally did it. I had seen this idea on Hometalk some time ago and loved the idea. The color choices are not the best ones, but those are the only spray paint colors I had. I did not ...»
plant inside the tires, however I thought by placing the plants also would work. Over all it looks colorful. I will probably change the colors later on, once the colors fade away.

Elvira Pulido
Elvira Pulido Mcallen, TX
3 Comments | Post Comment | 851 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on May 06, 2013
    I like the color choices very spring. I did this in our yard too but chose jewel bright jewel ...»
    toned colors. It sits at the edge of our driveway and we always get compliments on it. The color is still strong after a year. You could spray paint the blocks to so they blend in. Love the old well pump too!

  • Share 19
  • Like 15
  • Clip 16
Clipped to:
  • Garden Inspiration
  • Crafts and more

Tin Accent Wall- for the Backyard

Our new 'industrial chic' backyard is coming along. Our first project was to add a bit of tin for some visual interest. It was pretty easy! #OutdoorProjects #DIYProjects
Crafty Texas Girls
Crafty Texas Girls Grapevine, TX
10 Comments | Post Comment | 1917 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Liked on Apr 27, 2013
  • Share 63
  • Like 42
  • Clip 60
Clipped to:
  • Innovative Landscapes
  • Backyard Escapes
  • Dave motivating the volunteers
  • memorial bricks
  • getting started
  • Making sure the sign is straight
  • One of our wonderful volunteers
  • It's a dirty job but someone has to play with the puppies.
  • Waiting for his turn in the dog house
  • finishing touches
  • enjoying a peaceful moment in the almost completed garden
  • dry creek bed and pallet dog house
  • pallet bench and side table
  • photo courtesy of Connie Summer Photography
  • photo courtesy of Connie Summer Photography
  • photo courtesy of Connie Summer Photography
  • photo courtesy of Connie Summer Photography
  • photo courtesy of Connie Summer Photography
  • See 13 more photos

Re-Scape/Backyard Getaway Community Project

As if we weren't busy enough, Dave and I have embarked on a new business "ad"venture with our long time friend Brenda. We have merged our ideas and inspirations to create re-scape.com. We ...»
celebrated the launch of Re-Scape on Earth Day with a community project at Vintage Paws Animal Sanctuary where along with other volunteers we created a memorial garden complete with a dry creek bed and butterfly garden. Finishing it off with a bench, side table, bridge, sign post and dog house created out of pallets and other re-purposed materials. Next month we will be adding a brick paver patio that supporters will be able to purchase a memorial brick in honor of their pet to help raise funds for the sanctuary.

Backyard Getaway
Backyard Getaway Myakka City, FL
2 Comments | Post Comment | 162 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on Apr 26, 2013
    Thank you Barb. We really enjoy doing these kinds of projects, we get to meet and work with so ...»
    many wonderful people!

  • Share 0
  • Like 1
  • Clip 1
Clipped to:
  • Creative Garden/Yards...
  • After the forsythia blooms die off I plan to add an ivy plant to each boot.
Liked a photo from:

Easy Rain Boot Vase or Planter

Ann @ On Sutton Place
Ann @ On Sutton Place Findlay, OH
Comment on this photo
  • Backyard Getaway
    Liked on Apr 04, 2013
  • Share 8
  • Like 6
  • Clip 2
Clipped to:
  • Garden inspiration
  • garden ideas
  • Mural, waterfall, mosaic benches and garden. New sod and mulch will be added shortly
  • Putting together the Atlantic Water Gardens Ecoblox
  • Our first pond visitor. The kids found a worm while digging the basin area. No worms were harmed, he was safely relocated
  • ready to lay the underlayment
  • Installing the waterfall weir
  • Ecoblox are in place and covered with gravel
  • Dave gets into his work
  • creating the perfect size rock for the waterfall
  • The students worked well together and even voted on every rock that went into the waterfall
  • Installing the autofill valve
  • cleaning the soil from the aquatic plants before planting in the pond-free basin
  • Some of the students were "journalist" interviewing the other students who were working on the project. They created a 25' banner with quotes.
  • Great quote from one of the students
  • more good quotes
  • Principal Herd and Councilman Brown cut the ribbon for the peace garden
  • Principal Herd is so proud of his students and what they created
  • Teacher Holly Clouse celebrates, we have water!
  • Close up
  • See 15 more photos

EcoScape project

We really enjoyed working with the students at Harllee Middle School. There were over 200 students participating in the project. They not only created an amazing pond-free water feature, ...»
they also created a mural of the school mascot, mosaic benches and a peace garden. Here are a few of the in-progress photos of the pondfree water feature and peace garden they created.

1.5 Weeks 5000 Moderate
Backyard Getaway
Backyard Getaway Myakka City, FL on Mar 12, 2013
Post Comment | 147 Views
  • Share 0
  • Like 2
  • Clip 0
  • Our 1916 cast iron sink now serving as a fountain and potting bench. 2
  • Summertime ~ aprons skirt the sink and hide the recirculating pump. 1
  • Fall ~ a gourd tower made from hay, gourds and a bottle drying rack with a burlap skirt.
  • Thanksgiving ~ dried seed heads & pods in an old galvanized watering can.
  • Winter ~ dried hydrangeas, pine cones and a rusty star.
  • See 2 more photos

My Favorite Garden Repurpose ~ Potting Sink Fountain

Little did I know when I made this old sink into a potting bench/fountain last summer that it would become a year-round garden accent as well! Here it is decorated for summer, fall and ...»
winter and I'm dreaming up what to do for spring now! See my blog post to get the directions!

#Love2Repurpose

2 Hours 60 Easy
Barb Rosen
Barb Rosen Wilmington, DE
35 Comments | Post Comment | 7169 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on Mar 06, 2013
    Adorable. Love that you change out the accents each season.
  • Share 1.2K
  • Like 105
  • Clip 119
Clipped to:
  • Gardening/cu...
  • Organized Clutter - Gar...
  • Danger Garden's front yard after the lawn came out.
  • A lawn-less front yard designed by Rebecca Sweet of Gossip in the Garden.
  • A portion of Hoe and Shovel's (Cynthia Meems) back garden.
  • The book. 2
  • See 1 more photo

Seven garden giveaways in support of smaller lawns

It will be no surprise to anyone on Hometalk that I'm an advocate for smaller lawns, so I'm happy to call attention to Pam Penick's new book, "Lawn Gone! Low-maintenance, Sustainable, ...»
Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard." Penick gardens in Texas and is the author of a wonderful blog, Digging, but the book is full of great advice no matter where you live. In honor of the book's publication today, Penick and six other garden bloggers, several of whom have contributed regional plant recommendations to the book (another contributor is Hometalk member Eden Maker Garden Design) are hosting giveaways on their blogs for everything from garden tools to grass pillows to $50 gift certificates at Plant Delights and Annie's Annuals. So stop by all of them for a chance to win, and for some great smaller-lawn inspiration:

To enter the giveaways, follow these links:

http://www.hoeandshovel.com/2013/03/lawn-go...

http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/mo...

http://gossipinthegarden.com/previous-artic...

http://reddirtramblings.com/blogging/blog-p...

http://www.northcoastgardening.com/2013/03/...

http://deepmiddle.blogspot.com/2013/03/give...

http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=20495

Douglas Hunt
Douglas Hunt New Smyrna Beach, FL
28 Comments | Post Comment | 2782 Views
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on Mar 06, 2013
    Sounds like a must read! Can't wait to pick up the book, thanks for sharing.
  • Share 469
  • Like 35
  • Clip 24
Clipped to:
  • Garden inspiration
  • OUTSIDE
  • 2
Commented on a photo from:

Pond-Free water features are very popular

Backyard Getaway
Backyard Getaway Myakka City, FL
2 Comments | Comment on this photo
  • Backyard Getaway
    Commented on Mar 06, 2013
    Thank you. This was created at a retirement community. Dave taught a class with some of the ...»
    retired men in the community working hands on to create their pond free feature in the center of their mini golf course.

  • Share 6
  • Like 2
  • Clip 6
Clipped to:
  • Garden Inspiration
  • Cool Projects
Loading
Back
to top
Feedback