Okanagan Oasis: A full backyard transformation built around a custom water feature

The Brief

Lake Country sits right in the heart of Okanagan wine country, wedged between Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake, and the families who call it home tend to want their backyards to feel like an extension of that landscape. This project came from a homeowner who wanted exactly that: a backyard that had been mostly lawn and unused corners transformed into a real gathering space, anchored by the sound and movement of water rather than a flat, static patio.

The goals were simple to state and harder to build well — a water feature the whole family could enjoy year after year, a paved seating area that could host both quiet mornings and full family gatherings, and plantings that would hold up to the region’s hot, dry summers without constant babying.

The Approach

Lake Country properties often carry two site realities that shape design decisions from day one: sloped terrain that steps down toward the valley, and a semi-arid climate where summer irrigation matters as much as the hardscape itself. On a property like this, our design team starts by reading the existing grade rather than fighting it — a pondless waterfall or recirculating stream can be tucked into a natural slope in a way that looks like it belongs there, using the elevation change to do the work instead of importing artificial berms. Where the yard leveled out, that’s where the patio and gathering space made the most sense, so foot traffic and furniture placement never had to compete with the water feature’s sound line. Planting choices lean toward Okanagan-hardy, drought-tolerant species that stay attractive through the region’s long dry stretches, framing the water feature rather than competing with it for maintenance attention.

What We Built

The centerpiece is a custom rock waterfall and recirculating water feature, built the way we build all of our water installations — a durable underlayment and liner system, a properly sized pump and plumbing run so the sound and flow stay consistent through the seasons, and a boulder and cobble placement pattern designed to look naturally deposited rather than stacked. Around it, a paver patio ties the water feature to a functional outdoor living area, using a segmental paver system set on a compacted, engineered base so the surface stays flat and stable through freeze-thaw cycles. Planting beds were layered around both the water feature and the patio edges to soften the hardscape and give the whole space a finished, grown-in look from day one.

Curious what a custom water feature could look like on your property? Explore our Water Features and Paver Patios & Driveways services, learn more about the work we do in Lake Country, or browse more of our completed projects.