bubbling rock can fit into almost any space. It can be inset into a patio, tucked into a corner where nothing seems to grow, enhance a beautiful bed of annuals or perennials, greet visitors as they approach the front door of your home or business and even act as an accent feature when placed within a larger water garden. Another reason to add one of these gems to your space is the fact that it doesn’t even need to be a rock or boulder — it can almost be anything you want. The prospects are only limited by your mind’s eye. At Aquatica we like to think outside the box. The owner, Dean Pipito, collects antique instruments. He once created a feature using bubbling trumpets, trombones and saxophones. If you love clay works, craft a new work of art from your favorite pot or planter. Antique water pumps are also a wonderful way to add some rustic charm to an established flower bed or newly installed shade garden. Integrating basalt columns is a beautiful way to create multiple features in one small area and give your bubbling water feature height and modest prominence. You can see that a bubbling water feature, like any professionally installed water feature, can be an extension of your interests and personality — just like your home.
They can be turned off when no one is home and kept running when the house is full of family and friends, unlike larger features such as ponds and water gardens. If necessary, bubbling water features are easy to shut down for the winter
as a memorial for a lost family member or a beloved friend. There are companies that engrave a person or pet’s name into the natural stone used in the water feature, creating a permanent reminder and tribute to their life.
No Troubles with Bubbles An important thing to keep in mind when it comes to bubbling water features is that it is incredibly easy to change and update the centerpiece. This point alone could be one of its most important selling points. Because the plumbing can be considered interchangeable for most of the items used in a bubbling water feature, you or your client can substitute one rock for another, or a trumpet for a saxophone, or even a basalt column for a classic, decorative urn. Speaking of selling points, there are many to choose from based on your client’s interests and ideas. A great reason to install a bubbling water feature is because it can be one of the lowest-maintenance water feature options available. May/June 2017
Two bubbling saxophones (top) were featured at the Festa Italiana festival grounds. A formal, minimalistic approach (bottom) for a bubbling water feature is shown atop a high-rise building in Milwaukee.
and start up again in the spring. Other selling points that Aquatica has found to be important include affordability for all budgets, ease of cleaning and ultimate safety for display in public places. A bubbling water feature can also serve
Attracting New Friends Wildlife is also another reason why I like these simple, yet captivating water features. Many years ago, I installed a small bubbling water feature for my parents in their front yard. My parents POND Trade Magazine 19