“The pond was green every June. They moved the skimmer intake and cleaned the filter on a schedule, and now we can see the koi.”
Mamta S.Opening and cleanouts
Ponds and water gardens · Naperville, Illinois
A backyard pond, opened each spring and put to bed each fall
Burrell Water Gardens builds ponds, streams and waterfalls across Naperville and the western suburbs. Then we come back with the seasons: open it in spring, clean it in summer, close it before the freeze.
The pond year
Twelve months at a Naperville pond
Dates move with the weather, so we go by the water: open when it holds above about 50°F, close when it holds below. This is the usual year for a pond in the western suburbs.
January
One hole in the ice lets gas out and fish breathe, and the de-icer keeps it open. Don't smash the ice. Skip feeding; the fish are barely awake.
February
A quiet month. Look at the de-icer on a hard-freeze morning and call us if it is off or the pump has stopped. Choose lilies and edge plants for spring.
March
The first warm days tempt people to start up. Wait: the water is still cold and the nights still freeze. This is when we book openings.
April: opening
Net off, leaves and sludge out, pump and filter restarted, liner edge checked, part of the water refreshed. Feeding starts again once the water holds above 50°F.
May
After the last frost, new lilies and edge plants go in and hardy lilies get divided. The first string algae shows up, and the weekly skimmer check begins.
June
Feed the lilies, check the water level after each hot week, and look over the fountain or aerator. The lily pads begin to shade the water.
July: cleanout
Warm water holds less oxygen. We rinse the filter pads, clear the skimmer, trim the plants and check the aeration. Feed lightly once the water passes 80°F.
August
Evaporation peaks. Top off, trim spent lily leaves and empty the skimmer basket every few days. Call if the water stays pea green after a cleanout.
September
As the water falls below 60°F, switch to a wheat-germ food. Put the leaf net up before the maples let go.
October
Net on, filter cleaned, hardy plants cut back, tropical plants indoors. Stop feeding once the water holds below 50°F.
November: closing
Final cleanout, pump pulled or set deep, de-icer in, net checked. A pond two feet deep or more can keep its fish through winter.
December
Switch the de-icer on after the first hard freeze, keep snow off the net, keep the vent hole open, and keep people off thin ice.
Opening day
What happens at a spring opening
The same six steps at every pond, in the same order, so nothing gets skipped when the weather turns.
- 01
Step 1: We look before we touch
A walk around the pond: the liner edge, the stones, the pump, the water level and what the winter did.
- 02
Step 2: We take the winter off
The net, the leaves and the de-icer come off, and the sludge on the bottom is pumped or bailed out.
- 03
Step 3: We clean the working parts
Skimmer basket, filter pads and pump intake are rinsed, and the UV bulb is checked if you have one.
- 04
Step 4: We refresh the water
Part of the water is replaced, with a conditioner for city water so the fish aren't shocked.
- 05
Step 5: We restart and watch
Pump and fountain on, the flow checked at the waterfall, and the edge walked for leaks.
- 06
Step 6: We hand it back
You get a short note: the water temperature, what we found, when to feed again and when we're back.
What we do
Build it, keep it, fix it
New ponds and streams
Dug to the depth your winters need, lined, edged in stone and planted. We call 811 before we dig and put any permit in the estimate.
Waterfalls and fountains
Spillways and fountain bowls set against the pump, so the sound is a trickle, not a roar.
Spring opening and fall closing
The two visits that decide the year: start-up in spring, shutdown before the freeze.
Summer cleanouts
Filter pads, skimmer, plants and the water itself, rebalanced when it turns green.
Repairs and upgrades
Leaks, tired pumps, cracked spillways, or a skimmer added to a pond that never had one.
Who comes out
A crew of eight that learns your pond
Percy Burrell started the company to build ponds people could keep up with. Cassandra Burrell books the visits and keeps each pond's notes: its depth, its pump, its fish, what we found last time. Xavier Clemons and Sophie Pearson lead most visits, with three more technicians and a bookkeeper making eight.
A written note after every visit
The same notes on file from year to year
Electrical work goes to a licensed electrician
Sophie Pearson and Xavier Clemons
Technician leads
Sample reviews
What a season looks like from the patio
“They closed the pond in November and told me exactly where the pump and the de-icer cord were stored. In April, they were.”
Gerald W.Fall closing
“We wanted a waterfall that wasn't loud. They ran the pump with two spillway heights before they set the last stone.”
Rafal K.New waterfall
“The estimate said what it left out: the electrician and the town permit. Nothing surprised us later.”
Yumiko H.New pond
Sample reviews.
Towns we serve
Ponds across the western suburbs
Naperville first, and the towns around it in four counties.
DuPage County
- Naperville
- Lisle
- Wheaton
- Warrenville
- Downers Grove
- Woodridge
- Glen Ellyn
Will County
- Bolingbrook
- Plainfield
- Romeoville
- Shorewood
Kane County
- Aurora
- Batavia
- Geneva
- St. Charles
Kendall County
- Oswego
We don't take ponds in Chicago, the north suburbs or south of Joliet. If you're a town or two past the list, call and ask.
Questions
Before you call
Do I have to drain my pond for winter?
No. A pond that holds water stays full. Draining stresses the liner and the fish. We clean it out in fall instead, and set up a de-icer so one hole stays open.
Can my koi stay in over winter?
In a pond two feet deep or more, usually yes, with a de-icer and no feeding once the water is below 50°F. A shallower pond needs a plan, and we'll tell you at the visit.
Why does my pond turn green in summer?
Usually the sun and the nutrients in the water outrun the plants and the filter. We look at the filter, the plant cover, the fish and the sun before we change anything.
What does it cost?
It depends on the pond's size, depth and access, and on what goes in it. The services page says how we price, and the number comes in a written estimate after a visit.
What should I do before you arrive?
Clear a path from the gate to the pond, show us the outdoor outlet and hose bib, and tell us about dogs. You don't need to be home for a seasonal visit.
Request a visit
Tell us about your pond
A new pond, a spring opening or a green summer. Say what you have and we'll book a visit.
Phone(630) 555-0100
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed