Parading To Chicago’s Water Gardens

Started in 1993 with 12 ponds, Batavia, Ill.-based Aquascape Design’s ninth annual tour of water gardens throughout the greater Chicago area, July 21-22, 2001, will feature more than 185 ponds. Participants include homeowners and business owners who have had ponds and other water features installed on their properties, as well as the contractors who performed the installations.

The Parade of Ponds serves several purposes for the wholesale distributor of pond and water feature kits and accessories, including showcasing the company’s products, promoting the company’s customers - those contractors who create water gardens - publicizing water features as whole and contributing to charity.

SHARING PONDS. Jenny Cowling, customer relations supervisor for Aquascape Designs, said the company’s president, Greg Wittstock, wanted to share water gardens with as many people as possible. The idea was an easy one to organize because the typical water garden enthusiast is eager to share his or her experiences.

"People are so enthused about a water garden in their backyard," explained Cowling. "They’re very proud of what they’ve done and the lifestyle they lead. They’re very willing to open up their backyards and share their water garden with other people."

Cowling said many water garden owners who volunteer to include their properties in the Parade of Ponds make a party out of the event and offer refreshments to pond visitors. She said that owners look forward to the event each year and often keep the next year’s Parade of Ponds weekend open in their schedules to be able to participate. "It’s a big testament that all of these people are willing to open up their backyards and have people come and see the lifestyle they have created," she said.

Contractors who created ponds on the tour benefit from the exposure through word-of-mouth referrals. If someone comes to a house and likes a pond, the homeowner is on hand to provide information about the contractor who installed the pond, who is, in turn, an Aquascape Designs customer. "We do it to help our customers build up their business and to showcase their work," explained Cowling. "It’s a growing trend across the country to have these Parade of Ponds. Many of our customers hold their own. It’s a great way to get the word out about the water gardens and a great way to advertise their company."

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. From its inception, the entire ticket price from Parade of Ponds sales has been donated to the Conservation Foundation of DuPage County and the Illinois Nature Conservancy. "The charities do great work in land conservation, and Greg is very concerned about what is happening with the wetlands, so he thought they would be great charities to donate to," noted Cowling.

Aquascape Designs raised more than $20,000 last year and has a goal this year of $25,000. With tickets costing $15 per person for adults and free for children under 12, the company needs to sell close to 1,700 tickets for this year’s event. The goals for number of ponds to showcase and total ticket sales increase each year, and Cowling said that although ambitious, they are attainable. "I have never seen a year where we have not reached our goal," she noted.

In addition to taking the tour, ticket purchasers have the opportunity to enter Aquascape Designs’ photo contest, which offers the chance to win cash prizes totaling $15,000 in five categories. Although open to pond photos from any location, Cowling said the Parade of Ponds is a good opportunity to take photos to enter in the contest. The contest categories include:

• Best all-inclusive pond photo that captures the essence of a backyard paradise;
• Best people and ponds;
• Best nature;
• Best waterfalls; and
• Best pond landscaping.

Pond visitors purchase a booklet featuring a map and description of all ponds on the tour. The booklet is their ticket for the weekend to visit as many ponds as they like. Cowling said that depending on how much time people spent per pond, visitors could see more than 10 ponds each day. Additionally, a large area of Chicago is represented in the Parade of Ponds. "We try to spread the locations out so people everywhere have an opportunity to go to these ponds," she explained.