Moving Water

Whether they’re big or small, water features are a great way to add interest, beauty and tranquility to your landscape. Rock pools can embellish your garden with a wide variety of fish, foliage and flowers, while the sounds of moving water from a fountain or waterfall can help to create a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Water features can be simple or complex, depending on your needs and interests. From a small pond of water lilies to a reflecting pool with statues and fountains, the choices are virtually limitless. The first step is to decide what the purpose of your water feature will be.

For example, if you’re interested in an ornamental pool, do you want it to reflect surrounding plants, attract birds, or serve as a home for water plants and fish? Would you like a combination of all of these? Keep in mind that fountains work well in formal pools but may look out of place in informal pools, such as water gardens. In water gardens, a gentle waterfall usually works best.

Once you’ve decided the overall style of water feature, you’ll need to decide on a location. Ideally, it will be visible from inside and out. If plants will be incorporated, you should choose a location that gets from four to six hours of sunlight per day.

Surrounding trees should be considered as they may drop excessive leaves. For obvious reasons, it makes sense to choose a location that has easy access to drainage, a water source, and electricity (in case you’ll be using a pump and lights). If you’ll be installing a fountain, you’ll want to avoid windy areas.

In most cases, a water feature will require less maintenance than you might imagine, and the relaxing ambiance it adds to your landscape will be well worth the effort.