Add a water feature to your landscape
A water feature can add a lovely focal point to your landscape. The sound of water adds cooling to warm days and creates a soothing, calming effect at any time. Whether you choose a simple fountain or a bird bath to attract colorful wildlife or go for a more elaborate pondless waterfall, a stream, pond or even a small lake, a water feature can transform the ordinary landscape into something unique and splendid.
Before you jump into adding a water feature to your garden, think a bit about what is appropriate for both your landscape and your lifestyle. No matter what sales talk you hear, more elaborate features like ponds will require considerable maintenance. No water feature is perfect or maintenance free. Ponds, rivers and lakes deal with water circulation and support an intricate balance of life forms that will need to be kept carefully controlled. Any artificially created feature that requires interaction of different natural elements will have to be watched and regularly adjusted since Mother Nature is not the one in charge.
More involved water features need to be built properly with provisions made for maintenance and repair. Be aware that anything that involves water can be a potential breeding site for mosquitoes. Living creatures will be dependent on water that is kept clean and safe. And the more water that is involved, the more wise stewardship will be demanded.
If you don’t want to deal with the time, expense and work involved in maintaining one of the more involved water features you might want to consider building a pondless waterfall – a waterfall that flows into a covered or rocky area where it is recycled without an open exposed pond. There is less need for fish or plants and less concern about algae or mosquitoes.
A fountain will also give you the delightful sound of water. Fountains can come in many forms. They can blend naturally into the garden, be built as artistic sculptures or be purchased ready-made in styles that can enhance just about any theme or design. Fountains will still need to be cleaned and can harbor mosquitoes if allowed to sit idle. Pumps can burn out if water levels fall too low. And algae and dirt can build up. But maintenance will be much less in these water features.
You can even stay simple with a little table fountain that can be switched on and off, or a bird bath. Birdbaths can be highly ornamental and wildlife will love them. These, too need watching and the water should be regularly changed.
Water features may require some work, but the rewards are huge. And there are products on the market that can help you deal with mosquitos, algae and other water feature issues. Apart from the beauty they add to your landscape, water features can offer the opportunity to grow a whole world of magical and beautiful water and bog plants. They add texture, color and art. Water features will create a whole dimension of sound, reflected light and build a serenity into your garden that no other feature can offer.
Think carefully before adding a water feature to your landscape. Design it where it will have the most impact and be practical to care for. And build it properly so maintenance will be as easy as possible. The right water feature in your landscape can give your garden a whole new dimension and make it a place where you will want to spend much more of your time.
In Defense of Ponds
In some parts of the country there was ample rain to lift water rationing this year whereas in others drought settled in like the ancient plague. The weather patterns certainly do seem to be changing no matter who or what you choose to blame. And the increasing population of the world continues to make disproportionate demands on fresh water supplies.
Although I am a firm proponent of Eco-friendly gardening, I sometimes worry about the reactive, legislation-happy regulations that are often slapped down as band-aids with being thought through. There is still talk of banning ponds in many cities across the country so they won’t waste water.
In defense of ponds, it’s important to first think about what good they do. It’s also vital to re-define ‘waste’.
Ponds are effective stress-reducers. Watching fish encourages the brain to slip into theta waves that can be both healing, refreshing and restful. Gazing into a pond can be like a meditation or a mini-vacation.
Ponds water wildlife. Many natural watering holes and streams are destroyed with human construction and they need these resources to survive. I just noticed how many honey bees settle on the tiny floating plants on my pond for a drink. There are some there drinking away no matter what time of day I stop to look. Here we are worrying about the decimation of our precious honeybee pollinators. We can help them by offering water features like ponds.
Ponds can be an important part of sustainable landscaping. When built as water catches, drainage, or parts of rainwater storage, they can become decorative, serious advantages to water recycling and efficient usage.
Ponds add the calming sound of splashing water that can be therapeutic in our unnaturally frantic daily schedules. They also put us in touch with nature and the basics, reminding us that life is a fascinating, connected network in which each of us is an important link.
Ponds partake in the chain of life. They promote water life like fish, dragonflies, damsel flies and water bugs. They also attract insects that feed birds and spiders. We may not think much about it, but without this fragile chain of life, all life on this planet — including human beings — will perish.
These are just some of the justifications for building ponds in the landscape – apart from the obvious addition of beauty to the landscape. There are ways to build ponds responsibly. There is no need for gushing waterfalls that splash away water and offer fast evaporation. A moderate or small spill of water can aerate a pond, add sound and beauty yet be water-conscious. Planting a pond wisely can also help save water while creating a lovely little micro-climate. And raising goldfish, koi or other fish or using biological controls can stop the worry of breeding mosquitoes.
It isn’t hard to defend the building of ponds in a successful landscape. It just takes a little forethought and planning to do it right. With proper care in spring and fall, the pond can become an asset to the garden and can help the ecology of your area — without ‘wasting’ any water.
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