Ep 148 The Secret to High-End Naturalistic OutdoorDesigns: Fontana Ponds & Water Features

Ponds, fountains and natural pools can transform luxury outdoor living into a daily retreat, and in this Luxury Outdoor Living Podcast episode, Mike and Trey Farley of Farley Pool Designs interview Diego of Fontana Ponds & Water Features, an Aquascape Master Certified contractor and Aquascape Artist of the Year. Diego shares his path from landscaping to specializing in ecosystem ponds and water features, explains his client-first process (aligning goals, discussing budgets early, marking layouts with spray paint, detailed drawings, and adapting designs during installation), and contrasts pond types including pondless waterfalls, koi ponds, and recreation swim ponds (which require increased biological filtration such as constructed wetlands). He discusses local stone sourcing, misconceptions like mosquitoes and required pond depth, maintenance offerings (bi-weekly to quarterly plus annual clean-outs), notable large projects including a retirement facility rebuild, and collaborations such as work in Africa and upcoming builds in Utah.   Discover more and connect: https://fontanawaterfeatures.ca/ https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@MikeFarleyDesigns https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/ Watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MikeFarleyDesigns/podcasts   00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:42 Meet Diego Fontana 02:29 From Landscaping to Ponds 04:46 Where to See Work 06:42 Design Process Explained 12:09 Artist of the Year 14:08 Aquascape System Basics 17:23 Feature Types Overview 23:08 Pondless Waterfalls 24:40 Biggest Builds Stories 32:34 Small Spaces Big Impact 34:11 Sound Versus Visuals 34:43 Design From Indoors 36:49 Landscaping Makes Ponds 38:28 Choosing Local Stone 41:25 Pond Maintenance Plans 44:07 Ponds Improve With Age 45:57 Common Pond Misconceptions 48:42 Future Goals And Growth 51:10 Big Collaborations And Travel 54:27 Resale Value And Repeat Clients 59:53 Rapid Fire Favorites 01:02:29 Inspiration And Family Wrap 01:04:09 Podcast Mission Outro