Spring and summer are the perfect seasons to consider adding a water feature to your garden pond. Not only do the sights and sounds of a flowing waterfall, trickling stream or bubbly fountain create an overall relaxing and peaceful feeling, they enhance any outdoor living experience.
Garden waterfalls take outdoor living to the next soothing – and stunning – level.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of TetraPond
Even fish benefit from the oxygenation a beautiful water feature brings to the garden pond.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of TetraPond
A simple spray fountain or two can transform an ordinary pond into an extraordinary focal point.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of TetraPond
Whether it’s a waterfall, stream or fountain, adding a water feature to your existing garden pond adds a stunning focal point that provides the ideal tranquil setting. It also helps draw a variety of wildlife, including dragonflies, frogs and many species of birds – not to mention envious neighbors.
There’s quite a range and variety of water feature options available, some more extensive than others. You can choose from a simple fountain or spitter, or you may decide you’re ready for a full-blown waterfall, stream or small connecting pond. No matter what you choose, the sight and sound of moving water adds an extra dimension to a garden and enhances “pond appeal.”
In addition to beauty, water features also serve a fundamental purpose: Waterfalls, streams, fountains and spitters help oxygenate the pond and provide a biofiltration benefit. As helpful bacteria become embedded in the stones, harmful ammonia is converted into relatively harmless nitrates. Pond fish also benefit from the oxygenation and biofiltration water features bring.
Whether installing a simple or elaborate feature, planning as much as possible in the beginning of construction will save time and money in the end. An elaborate waterfall, for example, may incorporate a number of smaller waterfalls, requiring your pond to have multiple levels. Establishing all specifications and equipment needs from the start is vital.
The pump is one of the most important equipment purchases you’ll make when adding a water feature. It’s the heart of the pond, circulating water to the filter and keeping your entire ecosystem healthy.
As a rule of thumb, 100 percent of a pond’s volume should be circulated in an hour. (The more circulation, the healthier the pond.) If you’re adding a waterfall or stream, be sure the pump has enough head height – i.e., is powerful enough to lift the water to the top of the water feature and create the desired flow effect. You may want to consider using a pump that’s more powerful than what you really need to compensate for some loss of flow due to friction in tubing and filtration components.
Among the more popular water features are fountains and spitters, which add a whimsical and decorative flair to garden ponds. While you may be driven to buy a fountain based on the beauty it adds, remember the ecological benefits it offers as well: Fountains and spitters also provide necessary aeration which oxygenates the water, helping to keep your fish healthy. (If there’s not enough water movement, oxygen levels can drop too low to sustain all of the fish. Similarly, large fish have a very high oxygen-demand due to their size, placing a burden on oxygen availability.)
Regardless of the type of water features and ornaments you choose, adding water to your garden creates increased interest and enjoyment – and at a relatively low cost both in terms of money and maintenance.
But don’t stop there. By adding a lighting system to your water feature, you can extend your garden enjoyment well into the evening. Showcasing water flowing through fountains and waterfalls with light can greatly heighten the ambiance in and around the pond at night, creating an entirely different feeling than during the day. There are a variety of lighting sources available to accentuate your water garden and accentuate your backyard retreat – from candles, lanterns and strings of decorative lights to more complex lighting plans, such as submerged lighting.
Just imagine the possibilities that a water feature can bring to your outdoor living experience. A lush aquatic garden filled with multiple textures, shapes, sizes and colors waterscaped with streams, fountains and cascading water can create a soothing paradise like no other. (Sounds nice, right? It’s even better when it’s in your own back yard!)
