​Being “plugged in” is a normal way of life these days. If you’re like most people, your smartphone alarm wakes you up in the morning. You get ready with the TV news on, and then scan your text messages. Some people even start the day with text messages or their social media feed before they get out of bed. Throughout the day, you check email, text-chat with friends, and scroll through your social media platforms. In the evening, you watch your favorite TV shows while online shopping, checking in on social media, and possibly playing a video game on your phone. And, at bedtime, you use smartphone apps for meditation or white noise, or just play games on your phone until you pass out.

​In fact, Americans spend an average of four hours watching TV, and about seven-and-a-half hours on digital devices. Every. Single. Day. Predictably, so much screen time is stressing many of us out – and we don’t even know why.
The solution may be a digital detox, which can provide relief from the pressure of constant connection to electronic devices. Research has found that doing a digital detox may even help improve your sleep, relationships, and mood.
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The definition of a digital detox is to take a break from using electronic devices or certain media for a period of time. The specifics are different from person to person. Things people avoid during a digital detox may include:

• Checking email
• Playing video games
• Scrolling social media
• Text messaging
• Using smartphones or tablets
• Watching news or other TV programs

​Doing a digital detox is a great way to find out if technology is holding you back from living your best life. The results of unplugging can be far-reaching, from being more productive at work to deepening your relationships with family and friends. Benefits of taking a technology timeout include:
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Sharper focus
With frequent beeps and pop-up notifications on electronics, it’s easy to be distracted from what’s going on around you. During a digital detox, you may find that you notice more in your immediate surroundings. Your brain can concentrate much better on your tasks. Remember, life is what happens around you while you’re staring at your phone.

Less stress
For some people, too much information can be stressful. For example, many people get really upset from watching hours of news. And then there’s the stress of feeling like you must look at that text that just came in, and feeling that you must reply right away. It can be overwhelming.

Better social interactions
Eliminating digital distractions creates more opportunities to pay attention to those around you. For example, without devices around at dinner, you naturally interact and connect more with your family. Or if your nose isn’t buried in your smartphone, you have the chance to meet someone new in the checkout line. And if texting is off-limits, you’re more likely to pick up the phone to chat with a friend – via your voices!

​More control of your time
Ever feel an overwhelming urge to check your smartphone or pop onto social media? You’re not alone. On average, Americans check their smartphones 96 times a day and spend more than two hours on social media. For many people, checking their phone or social media whenever there’s a few free minutes is a reflex action that isn’t based on any real need. Taking a break from digital devices or media helps you combat compulsive, habitual, or addictive use.

​Wondering if you need a digital detox? If using electronic media causes you to have any of the following experiences, it’s a sign that you may need to disconnect:

• Depressed mood
• Increased irritability, frustration, or anger
• Feeling insecure
• Loss of sleep or interrupted sleep
• Feeling obligated to consume, respond, react or check in

You also want to be wary of how your digital media use impacts other areas of your life. If you ignore responsibilities at home or work because of the amount of time you spend online, then consider a digital detox.

​You have to be intentional about the use of your time. Set aside time each day to unplug or decompress. Notice the benefits and barriers you experienced during this time. What happened when you stopped watching the news for three hours straight? How did you feel when you weren’t using Facebook or Instagram? Was it easier than you thought, or tough to do? Making it a household rule that no one uses digital media during family dinners is a great place to start! 

Spending time in nature has been documented time and again to have healing powers. Take a day hike, stroll along a nature path, walk barefoot in a park, or create your own respite in your very own back yard. Shameless plug here for adding a living ecosystem pond or water feature by The Pond Gnome to your outdoor living space. You’d be amazed at how spending just 30-60 minutes a day away from electronics can benefit your mind and body! You don’t have to go cold-turkey for hours, days, or weeks at a time to decompress and allow yourself some relief from the techno-crazy world we live in. A little time each day can be extremely beneficial. It allows your mind to rest, away from constant stimulation.

​Basically, a digital detox is about taking charge of how you spend your time and energy and what you give your attention to. It helps you realize what you want more and less of in your life so you can break unhelpful habits and create new, more meaningful ones.

Besides all of the wonderful aquatic plants available to us, we can also use annuals in Phoenix ponds and water features to spice things up a bit. Being annuals, yes, they will eventually spend and die, but they last for a whole season! This is most helpful in the wintertime when most aquatic plants are dormant and not showing off with blooms. However, it's also a great way to really liven things up in the summer, and add even more variety to your aquatic plant palette.

One of the first questions we're often asked when folks call us for the first time is how long will it take to build my pond. Obviously, that depends on the size. The short answer is that our average pond project is started and completed in the same week. Part of our reputation, besides being the cleanest contractor people have ever worked with, is that we show up when we promise and we stay until the job is done. As a rule, we don't hop around between projects.
Keep reading to understand our entire process -- it's a bit different than you may have experienced with other contractors before. ;-)

If you're planning on building the pond yourself, then it can take anywhere from a weekend to a whole lot longer.

We estimate that the average time it takes for someone to go from first contact with us to signing a contract and getting on our construction schedule takes about 2-3 weeks. That time estimate depends on our client's schedule, as well as the amount of incoming requests at any given time.

We do our best to get back to people who first contact us within 48 business hours. During times of unusual incoming requests, this can take a little longer, and we try to keep you posted on where you are in our que.

Once we've had a chance to chat, we usually get out to see your job site and put together your plan and contract within a week from the first telephone conversation.

Once we have a plan, contract, and deposit, we can schedule your start date for next in line.

The next question is almost always, when can you start? Depending on the time of year (Spring being our busiest season), we are typically between 3 and 5 weeks out for a new project. Not gonna lie, we've been as far as 3 months out before. We always appreciate people who can plan ahead just a bit! ;-)

It's as easy as 1-2-3! You might find our process a bit different than what you've experienced with contractors in the past. Our system is designed to first and foremost make sure that we're a good fit for you -- that we're the company that can best meet your needs, goals, and expectations. If we're not, we have no problem referring you to a colleague that we feel would be a better fit.

Step 1. The initial contact is typically done through a phone or video conversation. We ask a whole bunch of questions, so please be patient with us as we get to know you and go through the discovery process of how we can be of service. Again, we have your best interest at heart. The last thing we want to do is jam our product down your throat and create an unhappy client because we didn't meet your expectations. We have a stellar reputation for a reason! If we're looking at remodeling or replacing an existing feature, we'll also ask for photos so we know where we're starting from. If everything goes swimmingly with the phone conversation, and you're comfortable with moving forward with your project -- and our company, we move on to the on-site design consultation.

Step 2. We call this an on-site design consultation because we're coming out to design your pond or water feature. The "free estimate" part has already been handled during the phone conversation beforehand -- another factor in making sure we're a good fit for you. At this time, we meet with all the decision-makers involved to make sure that everyone gets their questions answered, their concerns addressed, and their expectations heard. When everyone involved is comfortable and chomping at the bit to get the party started, we lay out the design, write up the contract, and collect the deposit. The deposit is 1/2 of the contract amount, which allows us to go ahead and order and dedicate the materials necessary to complete your project.
We do have a design consultation fee if you're not quite yet comfortable, or want to continue to talk it over amongst yourselves, etc. That covers our time, education, and expertise for this visit that was set aside just for you. This is why Step 1 is so important to make sure we're all on the same page before Step 2.

Step 3. You are put on the construction schedule for next in line. And we don't just leave you hanging until then! We send out communication emails to let you know what comes next, and keep you informed along the way.

That's really all there is to it. It's as easy as 1-2-3 to elevate your outdoor living experience! Can we get started on yours?

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
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WHY BACKYARD WATER FEATURES HAVE HEALING POWER
LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR DIY POND​

Yes, we DO have a Fall season in Phoenix, albeit not very darn long. And there are some things you should and should not do to prepare your pond for the "winter" ahead.
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Decaying leaves and foliage produce toxic gases that can harm your fish so you want to remove this debris before they can get saturated and sink to the bottom. If you have a skimmer on your pond, this helps tremendously. If you have any deciduous trees around, our Fall winds can blow them right into your pond. You don’t need to remove every single last leaf, but try to remove the majority. If you have a skimmer, check it weekly.

It's tempting to get everything "cleaned up" to prepare for winter. This is actually the worst thing you can do for your aquatic plants. We typically don't get any hard frosts in Phoenix; however, we can get a freeze or two. If you've trimmed and thin your aquatic plants too much, they will have no protection, and a frost could kill them. After the last danger of frost has passed (around the end of February), THEN you can go after any dead stuff and reveal the new lush growth getting ready to "spring" forward.
​Aside from protecting the plant, if you have any amphibious life in your pond, they need the protection from the cold, too. They'll snuggle down into the heart of the plants and hibernate for the winter.

Add Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria to the pond once the temperature drops below 50 degrees, if you need to use any at all. You may not need it, especially if your pond is mature.

​Once temperatures drop to 50 degrees at night (remember, pond water more closely follows nighttime temps rather than daytime temps), stop feeding your fish. They need to get ready to hibernate and you’ll want to avoid any metabolic complications. You can feed them Cold Water Fish Food, or give them natural treats like melon, oranges, lettuce, and even Cheerios.

​Mosquitoes breed in still, standing water. A well-designed pond has lots of water movement. In fact, we recommend turning the water over once every hour. Also, ponds support fish, frogs, toads, and other wildlife that are natural predators of mosquitoes. Did you know that a dragonfly (a pond-loving creature, for sure!) actually eats hundreds of mosquitoes each day?

A properly installed ecosystem pond takes less work than the expanse of grass it replaces. A balance of five key factors creates the basis for a truly low-maintenance pond, including filtration, circulation, plants, fish, and rocks and gravel. Will you need to perform a bit of maintenance from time to time? Of course, but you’ll spend less time maintaining a healthy pond than you will a mowing, fertilizing, and watering the lawn. And how much fun is it to watch that grass grow?

​If your pond isn’t chemically-dependent, there’s nothing to test! Rivers, lakes, and oceans aren’t tested and plenty of wildlife thrive in their waters. Stick to a philosophy of a balanced pond with minimal maintenance and your water should remain healthy throughout the year. Granted, there might be outside forces (such as a big ol' dust storm) that can temporarily alter water chemistry. But as a rule, you won’t need to test your pond water. If you do need some help from time to time, there are natural water treatment products available.

​A proper proportion of algae is considered beneficial and an integral part of a healthy ecosystem. Pristine, over-treated water isn’t natural, nor is it good for your fish who enjoy snacking on algae that cling to rocks. An abundance of algae has a simple cause – too much sunlight and plenty of nutrient-rich water. That’s why a well-designed pond includes proper filtration to diminish the nutrients that contribute to the growth of algae. In addition, aquatic plants compete for the same food source as algae and can help control its growth.

​Building a pond, and building it right, are often two very different things. This is one of the pond myths that can prove costly. A good landscaper might be talented with hardscapes and softscapes, but that doesn’t mean they are knowledgeable in the concept, design, or construction that makes a naturally balanced pond function properly. Be sure to hire a trained, certified installer like a Certified Aquascape Contractor. Hiring the landscaper with the cheapest bid often becomes the most expensive option when you realize you need the pond completely renovated when it doesn’t work right.

​Actually, the larger the water feature, the easier the maintenance. Aquarium hobbyists know it’s much easier to achieve a healthy, stable tank with more water, not less. The same is true for ponds. Small water features don’t have the flow or capacity necessary for long-term stability. However, regardless of size, a properly designed pond is better able to achieve ecological balance. Ponds become more stable with each passing year as plants, bacteria colonies, and other vital life becomes established. The most often expressed regret is: "I wish I had made it bigger."

​While it’s true there are predators that would like to snack on your fish, you can do things to deter them from visiting your pond. Built-in fish caves are a great option to create a safe retreat for fish to hide from herons, raccoons, etc. Decoys such as a floating alligator or blue heron can also deter predators from your pond, as well as a motion-activated "scarecrow." Some pond owners choose to put netting over their pond to keep predators out. Fishing line can also be crisscrossed over the pond to keep herons from wading in the waters. And some people simply choose to stock their pond with cheap feeder goldfish and enjoy the birds.

​Pond fish, including koi, go dormant in ponds just two feet deep through winters as cold as Minnesota’s bone-chilling temperatures. A small circulating in-pond pump and pond de-Icer are all you need to keep a hole in the ice for the exchange of gases.
​In our Phoenix, Arizona, environment, we deal more with the heat issue. With a pond that circulates 24/7/365 and some plants in and around the pond for shade, fish do just fine! We've been building ponds in Arizona since 2000, and we haven't boiled any Koi yet.

​Professional installations for a small pond is about the same price you’d pay for a paver patio (but you’ll enjoy the pond so much more!). At the most affordable end of the spectrum, DIY pond kits begin at roughly $1,000, plus another $700 for items that don’t come in the kit such as rock, fish, and plants. If you have a smaller budget, consider an AquaGarden Mini Pond Kit that retails for approximately $200. It comes complete with a waterfall, filter, and waterfall light. All you do is add water, plants, and even a few small fish if you’d like. Lots of our clients start out with a small DIY model, and then come to us when they're ready for an upgrade.

​This is the last of the common pond myths that we’ll debunk! Well-designed, ecologically balanced ponds need only an occasional treatment of beneficial bacteria or algae inhibitor. In addition, the pond skimmer basket should be checked once a week for debris. A pond cleaning in the winter (in Phoenix; Spring in other parts of the country) might be in order but isn’t always necessary. Maintaining a pond is less time-consuming than pulling weeds and watering annuals and perennials. In fact, you don’t have to water aquatic plants at all!

And, for your convenience, we offer several different pond management programs to help you out!