ANDREATTA WATERSCAPES
Connecting Personal Stories to Landscapes in Water and Stone
Story By: Valerie Coulman
Photos: Provided by Andreatta Waterscapes
When exploring the mountains and river valleys of Southern Oregon, it’s always a special thrill to come across a waterfall, a pond, or a cascade of water set in a natural fall of rocks or sweeping meadow. For Tonja Andreatta, owner and founder of Andreatta Waterscapes in Central Point, bringing that sensation of connection and serenity into local landscapes has both fulfilled a personal passion and become a rewarding career.
Andreatta credits her grandfather, a retired Air Force veteran, with her love of the many faces of nature. “I grew up playing in these mountains,” having spent much of her childhood exploring the area around Emigrant Lake where her grandfather lived, managing a large garden, fishing from the lake, and bringing fish back to stock his own pond. “He taught me a love of gardening and the land.”
In one of her early jobs, while working for a landscape company, she saw an ad for a workshop in Portland that covered the basics of building ponds. Water features were a service her employer at the time did not offer, but she scraped together the fee and went. “I came back from that hands-on training knowing that I had to build water features. It’s the only thing in this life that I have for sure known that I’m supposed to do.”
With only her enthusiasm driving her, she rounded up her softball team and built her first pond. And was hooked. She got her contractor’s license, put a logo on her truck—and continued to work her landscape maintenance job. “I had vision, but no work,” she says, laughing.
The opportunities came, though, and Andreatta spent weekends creating beautiful waterscapes and building her skill set. As she expanded her network of clients and developed working relationships with other landscape professionals, her fledgling business grew until she took it full time in 2000. “We are a crew of five,” she says of her current team. “We install an array of projects and like to bring in trusted designers and other subcontracted professionals as needed.”
Today, Andreatta, often referred to as “The Pond Lady,” describes her work as “a hobby that went a little crazy.” But she also readily acknowledges that her enthusiasm for the work adds to her passion for seeing a project finish well and gives her a unique edge in the landscaping industry. “You don’t get a thrill out of doing something that isn’t really what you want,” she points out, and this holds true for both the clients she works with and for her personal satisfaction in working as a landscape expert.
“Personal connection is huge. That’s what I do have as a female in the business.” A majority of landscape projects are steered by women, she points out, either as wives or as single women looking to create their own landscape, and her relatability has been key. “I am all of it. I can explain not just the mechanics [of a project] but the why.” If there’s a sense of trust, it leaves space to offer suggestions and work together as the plan unfolds. When that happens, there is a better chance of combining both purpose and function into a significant and welcoming space for each client.
Her process begins with conversation so that she can best shape the project to meet their ideal. “What’s the story?” she asks. “What’s the reason for the vision they have for this space?” Once that understanding is in place, she builds a workable plan, or fine tunes an existing one to be sure each client can fully take advantage of each element they are building into their yard or property. “In a sense, the project is going to work me. I can tell when something falls into place.”
That innate knowledge, built from her experience and her connection to each landscape, helps her to make recommendations into areas clients often overlook. “Make it a focal point instead of just a solution to an unused spot,” she often advises. “Build where it makes sense. Where will you see it year round? What can bring out curiosity or draw you outdoors to enjoy that space?”
Whether considering window views, stable footing, materials to use, caring for natural residents like birds or fish, or including materials that have personal meaning, Andreatta works to stay true to the story each client shares and, to deliver more than they are anticipating. “If someone cries you know you got it right.” And then she laughs. “I’ve been accused of saving marriages because now they’re spending all this quality time together enjoying their new outdoor space.”
From her roots as a waterscape expert, Andreatta has grown into a range of landscaping projects, adding hardscaping, pathways, and structural elements to her portfolio. “I’m known for my rock work. I love the earth colors of our local basalt.” As a readily available material in Southern Oregon, she notes that it blends well with other materials and gives an authentic feel for the area.
She sources all materials locally as much as possible, and she also stays intentionally connected to her passion for water features and the tribute they bring to the nature reflected around us here in Southern Oregon. Whether a disappearing waterfall, a koi pond, or a fully functional “rec” (recreational) pond, Andreatta’s creativity and professional expertise come together to add natural, serene and beautiful elements back into the Rogue Valley’s growing urban development.
As she explains, “I’ve watched the Rogue Valley’s landscape change as the orchards, fields, and wetlands from my childhood memories vanish. A backyard pond helps keep a connection with nature, soothes your senses and,” she adds, “can be a huge benefit for the wildlife that are losing their natural habitat.” And that’s a story worth telling.
Andreatta Waterscapes
541-664-4511
www.andreattawaterscapes.com
