Joy, Peace, Love and Happiness
What?! A water garden? Yes. A water garden will not instantly solve all of your problems. A water garden will help you to relax, relieve stress, and regain perspective. Nothing else in the material world can bring such deep peace. Only God can, (but that is another article.) A water garden will bring joy, peace, love and happiness.

Now, don’t think about slimy bottom, smelly, high maintenance, leaky, expensive eyesores with pea green water Those days are gone. Aquascapes has revolutionized, heck invented water gardens for every one. Today, all of those old concerns are corrected. Replaced by naturally crystal clear water. By using the Aquascape system and my God given artistic talents for landscaping, flower gardening, stone work, and water gardening, I can create a PARADISE in your backyard.

How does a water garden unlock the secret of happiness for you?
You and your loved ones will have PARADISE in your own backyard. The kids will put down the video games, turn off the TV and spend countless hours enjoying their outdoor classroom. You and your spouse will spend quiet time together cuddling or communicating by your romantic stream. No more “Shut up, I’m watching TV.” And who wants to leave paradise to go on a vacation that only lasts one week?

You will find yourself and your family getting back to nature in your outdoor living room. Your stress will melt away at the sound of falling water. You will anticipate dipping your toes as your fish playfully welcome you home. You will smell the evening blooms of the water lilies and the tropical exotic flowers. You will be mesmerized by the darting and playing fish. You will search for the frogs and turtles that have adopted you and made your oasis their home. You will find yourself with dozens of newfound pets, to the delight of your dog and cat. Don’t worry, they can’t catch them, but oh how they love to watch.

You love to watch
You will love to watch, too. You’ll love to watch the seasons on the pond. The peace of ice on the falls changing to the exhilaration of spring as everything jumps to life. The fish wake up as the lilies and plants emerge, the bulbs and flowers bloom, the trees bud, the air smells fresh and new. You will love summer time as a lush palate of foliage, flowers and fragrance descend upon your oasis. As the season wanes, you’ll love the crisp air and color to the water garden paradise. As life slows down and the pond and its inhabitants settle for a much needed nap, you’ll love to watch the snow blanket the rocks as the frost tucks the pond in.

A source of joy and love
You will love watching your kids love and enjoy and learn from this aquatic classroom and friend. You’ll see your spouse at peace. You will get back to nature together, and fall in love all over again. Years of life and stress will melt away. Your whole family will be closer and happier. Yes a water garden will do all this and more.

Now, lets talk about extended family, old and new friends, and neighbors. You will suddenly find yourself more popular, maybe the envy of the neighborhood, and entertaining more often. This is a common phenomenon.

Not only will a water garden make you and your family and friends more happy, joyous and free, it will also be appreciated by many of God’s creatures. Do not be surprised to find all sorts of birds, critters, and pets enjoying your newfound paradise. Being at one with God, nature, family, and the world is the TRUE SECRET TO HAPPINESS. A water garden is the answer to life’s big question.

What is this Aquascape system?
Aquascapes began in 1990. Greg Whitstock founded the company that took his hobby to his profession and soon to his industry altering and leading juggernaut. The system consists of a twenty step process that simplifies installation, everything you need (except rocks, gravel, fish, and plants) in a package, and industry training programs. You just add water. It is just that simple. His philosophies are “work with Mother Nature, not against her,” and “K.I.S.S.” (Keep It Simple, Stupid.)

What do I love?
In the past I had constant trouble with water features. In fact I recommended against them, until I heard about Aquascapes and finally decided, at my fathers urging, to attend an Aquascape training seminar in 2000. I did attend and my life and business has changed. I have found that pond ownership and pond construction are truly enjoyable. I had always loved landscaping. What I loved the most is making people happy, especially with flower gardens. Sometimes it would take all year or more to complete the satisfaction of a well planed garden that includes winter structure, spring bulb displays, perennial plantings, summer annuals, tender late summer exotics like dahlias and cannas, and fall plantings. I always love the surprise and joy a new season brings to my clients. But sometimes the wait is hard. Not so with a water garden. I have never found anything that so instantly, profoundly and positively affects people as a pond and stream and waterfall set into a year round garden. The affect of water is instant. The joy grows throughout the seasons and years as the garden grows. But the water garden itself is INSTANT GRATIFICATION that lasts ALL YEAR LONG. Now I love to design and build complete gardens with water, year round flowers, and spaces for people to enjoy.

Who am I?
I am Kevin Soergel. I am the third generation of Kenneth P. Soergel and Associates, Inc.

My grandfather, Kenneth P. "K.P." Soergel, started the business in 1936, after a time as the head groundskeeper at the Pennsylvania State Capitol and a stint with the USDA. He graduated from Penn State in 1931, with a degree in Agriculture - Horticulture. In 1941 he established the business in Pine Township, our current location. He started as a tree man. He became an internationally known, pioneering certified arborist. He also evolved into a landscaper and specialty plant collector and nurseryman.

My father, Kenneth P. Soergel II, took over the business in 1976. He ran his own Landscape Architectural design firm in the Washington DC area and taught Landscape at the University Of Maryland. He graduated Harvard in 1963, and Penn State 1961, with degrees in Landscape Architecture. He brought landscape architecture and design build to the company.

I started working with Dad in ‘76, when I was ten, through high school and college summers and weekends. I graduated Penn State in 1989, with a degree in Landscape Architecture. I brought and developed flower gardening, stone work, and now water gardening to the company. I am a Certified Aquascape Contractor, one of only 229 in the world. We are the best of the best.

My son, little Kevin is already a junior pond builder and Bobcat driver. Yes, we are related to Soergel’s Orchards, we are cousins.

My goal and my promise to you
I design and build spaces for people to enjoy. I use water, plants, flowers, stone, wood, lawn, and earth as my medium. My goal is to make you happy, both now and in the future. I try to build the best gardens and landscapes as well as lasting relationships with satisfied customers. That is how I have been taught in my family business. I want it to be even better in the coming generations. We are not a fly by night operation. We were here before you, and we are staying. We MUST take care of our customers! I promise to do my utmost to make you as happy as you can be.

KISS
I have always tried to "Keep It Simple, Soergel", but at times it was easy to lose that in business. I use a simple approach to all of the elements of my designs. By simplifying the steps I can concentrate all of my talents on the artistic side of the equation. After my father's retirement, my wife Jolene, a Penn State graduate, took over the business aspect, leaving me to concentrate 100% on the ART. The other main part of Aquascapes philosophy is to work with Mother Nature, not against her. I have always tried to do this since Cub Scouts. As a nature lover and a landscaper with common sense, how could I work against God’s natural order. I can’t make water flow up hill.

A design for those seeking true happiness
If you can believe as I do, that a well designed landscape and water garden can bring peace, tranquillity, healing, and true happiness, then I can offer you two levels of Landscape Design Services. More...

My Design for living
My design for living a happy life includes 1. spiritual, 2. family, and 3. well designed landscapes and water gardens. We will concentrate on the later, but my work and life entails all three aspects. I hope you do find your spirit and family improve as your landscape improves.

My design process is simple, but multi faceted. I will try to boil it down.
First, in our first site visit, I determine the intended uses; play space, entertainment needs, quiet space, the need for privacy, the desirable views, the surroundings, the topography, and potential problems in the first site visit and analysis.  Next I will prepare a base sheet from a satellite photo or the information from your property survey and home plans (this information is usually part of the mortgage package if you are not building a new house.)  With the base sheet I measure and record the features of the property, the results of my analysis, and our criteria from our discussions.

Next I begin to synthesize a design that blends all of the desired features and accomplishes all of our goals in the most cohesive and integrated way possible.  There may be more than one perfect design solution, so I may present you with alternatives in our design presentation.  You may choose one or the other, or blend features from this one and that one.  I will help and guide you through this decision process.  Remember, we are creating paradise on earth, right in your own backyard.

Then in our preliminary budget meeting we will begin to prioritize and phase if necessary.  We will realistically work towards creating your paradise.

Then in our fourth meeting, we will have a contract signing.  We go through all of these steps so there are no surprises, and to assure you that your paradise is just that, YOUR PARADISE.  You have input through the entire process.  I tailor everything to you, your needs and tastes, and your properties unique character.

In a Simplified Design Consultation, I take you through the same process in one visit.  You still receive a professionally designed, personalized project.  I offer this service for smaller jobs and single dimension jobs.  No blueprints or drawings are given at this level.  If no contract is signed at the Simplified Design Consultation, then the consultation fee is not applied to future work.

Paradise found
Creating PARADISE ON EARTH. I will take a deposit at the contract signing, and begin preparations for the installation and construction of your Eden. Sometimes the period between contract signing and commencement of work is long. The wait is usually about one to two months. In our busiest seasons, and in some weather conditions it may take up to six months to start a job. It is definitely in the interest of expediency to sign a contract early and get on the schedule. As I have mentioned, we are a small company and very quality oriented. I personally design and install all work.  I take the jobs one at a time, in the order they are received, and see them all the way to completion before moving on.

Here are some of the elements found in many of the garden paradises I design and build.
1. Water features such as ponds, streams, waterfalls.
2. Landscape plantings for privacy, curb appeal, garden setting, year round interest etc.
3. Flower gardens and culinary gardens.
4. People places such as patios, decks, sitting or meditation gardens, paths, etc.

I like to blend and mix these building blocks. I do not separate all of my elements with a hedge. I try to create places for people to enjoy by creating focal points, backgrounds, foregrounds, and privacy just as an artist would create a painting. From every angle and vantage point the art changes. The masterpiece also changes throughout the day and through the seasons. Any of these elements could be the focal point depending on how the design is worked out. It is important to properly design the landscape before installing it. Design is my strong point. Good design does not cost, it pays.

Beware of wolves!
Some people have many or all of these elements, no focal point, or worse yet 100 competing focal points. Some poorly conceived landscapes appear to have some elements that just plop off of the truck into your yard. Paying a "landscaper" does not guarantee a well designed and implemented project. Some landscapers are unscrupulous. Others just do not know any better.

It is in your best interest to know who you are dealing with and what you are buying. Hence, I write this introduction and propose my design service to you. No surprises. No hidden or after the fact charges. A design on paper that you can see, that you help me to create, as we create PARADISE together.

You can achieve true happiness in your own Garden of Eden! I would like to help.
Please call 724 444 POND to set up your free design consultation.

Kevin Soergel
info@yourescapes.net