A water feature is the perfect way to bring a part of nature to your yard. Close your eyes and envision the sights and sounds of waterfalls, streams, and ponds. You picture variations in color, with the browns, grays, and blacks of stone and the whites, blues, and greens of water and plants. You hear the sound of water running over rocks and bubbling up from the ground.
There is an immediate sense of calm when you are near water in nature. The idea of being able to walk out your door and experience that calm is very appealing. Water features can be large or small and come in a variety of options. HGTV.com has 16 Landscape Ideas for Water Features for inspiration.
You can create a natural landscape or an architectural focal point. You can use several water features together as well. A waterfall can spill into a fountain. A pond can have a bubbling fountain in the middle of it. Get ready to incorporate water features and bring nature to your landscape!
Fountains
Fountains have a wide range of size and style. Fountains can be made with natural, uncut stacked stone slab and rock or be highly architectural. The variety of fountains allows this water feature to work with any type of home and in any size of yard.
There are running, bubbling, raining, pouring, and cascading fountains. The way the water moves and catches light has a lot to do with the feature’s visual appeal. Water sheeting off a colorful, rounded urn is more playful than a forceful stream pouring from basin to basin.
The material of the fountain will not just dictate the visual appeal, but also the sound quality. Metal fountains tend to have a louder sound than stone fountains. You will want to consider which material works with both your home’s style and your desired sound.
Waterfalls
An outdoor waterfall is dependent on two structures: the pool into which the water falls and the cascading structure for the waterfall itself. You will need to determine how you are achieving the height for the waterfall first. That will also determine how big and what kind of structure is needed for the pool.
Water needs to flow over a vertical drop or a series of drops to create a waterfall. You can use a natural raised area like a hill to get started. You can use large, natural stones in precise locations for the water to flow over. There are wall mounted waterfalls as well.
You will need to determine if you are digging a pond, using a structure above ground, or creating a stream for your waterfall. No matter which option you choose, the key is making sure that the structure helps you mitigate water loss.
Ponds
Thisoldhouse.com has Everything You Need to Know to Build the Perfect Backyard Pond. A pond can create a lush habitat and be natural, semi-natural, or formal in structure. You will need to make sure that you understand what ongoing maintenance will be needed for your pond. You will also want to decide if you want it to support fish or aquatic plants. A pond that does not have proper maintenance can quickly become an unhealthy environment for plants and wildlife.
A natural pond is a ground pond that requires no pumps or flowing water but relies on plants and fish to create a perfect environment. It is a more classic look and type of pond. A fountain pond keeps water clean without having to have many pond plants. A pump is used towards the surface of the pond to spray water upwards. Patera Landscaping experts are ready to build the water feature that will be the perfect way to bring nature to your yard. Contact Patera Landscaping today!