Water features can make for a beautiful addition to your outdoor space, enhancing its aesthetic and creating a calming ambiance. The visual and auditory interest created by babbling brooks or flowing fountains can even promote creativity and mindfulness, while also helping to mask noise pollution.
Water features also have the added benefit of creating a cool micro oasis in your backyard, attracting wildlife such as birds and insects, all while helping to humidify and improve the air quality.
Choosing a Water Feature
Water features come in an array of shapes, sizes and styles, and some styles can even be combined to create a dramatic effect, for example backyard ponds and waterfalls. The three basic types of water feature include fountains, waterfalls and self-contained features, like water bowls.
Besides budget, sizing the water feature to your garden is essential to avoid overwhelming the space. In smaller gardens, consider scaled-down designs such as container ponds, or make use of the available vertical space with features such as water fountains.
Safety
Safety is a major priority when installing a water feature. In particular, pools and ponds pose a drowning risk to both children and pets. Some precautions you can take include fences, mesh covers and installing ponds with raised designs or sloped edges to prevent access, and even with these measures in place, supervision at all times.
Another safety consideration concerns electricity. Many water features such as fountains are mains-powered. Water acts as an electrical conductor that can cause serious shocks if a feature is improperly installed. For this reason, always hire a professional electrician to assist with installing electrical-powered water features.
Budget
If you are using a mains-powered water feature, this should also be factored into your budget. While water features are relatively inexpensive to run, larger, mains-powered designs tend to be more costly. One alternative is to use a smaller feature requiring a smaller pump, or if a larger feature is a must, a pump operating on a timer.
In addition to any ongoing running costs such as pumps and water usage, ensure that you have enough cash to cover initial expenses, including items such as filters, installation and the water feature itself.
Placement
A water feature specialist can also help you decide through discussing the unique requirements of your garden and how the feature will be installed. In addition to aesthetic and sensory considerations, there are also a number of practicalities to consider.
One is to place your water feature away from any low-hanging trees to avoid filtration systems becoming clogged with leaves and debris. A specialist can also offer guidance on structural integrity to help avoid accidents, in addition to climate considerations such as wind, heat or freezing temperatures.
Wildlife Care
Make sure that you are willing to put in the time, effort and money to take care of any animals and plantlife that choose your water feature as their new home, including fish. While animals such as koi carp are frequently regarded as being decorative, they are still living creatures who can suffer if confined to an unsuitable habitat.
Understanding topics like water quality, proper feeding and cleaning practices (in addition to appropriate use of native plants) will help to ensure that your fish (and any other creatures in or near your water feature) stay happy and healthy.
