Bringing Water into Your Outdoor Garden Space

If you have a space in your garden you can add a water feature. Water features, once popular mainly for Zen gardens, now can be tucked in any sized garden to provide a relaxing, naturally peaceful sense to a garden.

Whether you have an acre for a backyard garden or just a balcony, adding a water feature to your garden adds that something special. For small patio or balcony gardens you can do something as simple as a setting a decorative dish out from a birdbath. The birds, for one, will appreciate the added source of water.

Your dish should be fairly shallow and wide enough for the birds to extend the wings and flap around! Depending on the style you want to use, pie pans, frisbees, flower pot saucers work well. You will need to keep it washed out everyday or so.

You will be surprised at the variety of wildlife that will find that saucer of water! Squirrels, toads, frogs, rabbits, butterflies and birds will put on quite a territorial display for their turn at the community watering hole!

Adding Sound to the Garden

If you want to add sound to the pictures, there are many small affordable fountains available today - from loarge cascading types to small bubbling rocks. They provide the music of relaxation to your outdoor space. Consider how you will plug in your fountain if you ware planning to place it outdoors. Make sure you have a stable table or spot that will both support your fountain and not be easily knocked over. How large a fountain can your garden support? Costs range from $30-$100.

Adding the Pond to the Equation

From there you may want to add a pond to a larger outdoor garden. Whiskey half barrels, for instance, make fabulous ponds. You can get various sizes of tubs in plastic you can "bury" up to the tub's edge for an inground pond. The secret for a successful pond is the liner. The quality and thickness should be enough to support the weight of the water. Be sure to cut to size very carefully - better to be too big than too small.

For bubbling or more water features like a cascade, a smalll pump is needed. Again get a quality pump from the start so you aren't replacing it each month. Look for kits that all you have to do is add the right size container.

For a real natural water feature, add plants and a fish or two if you want. To grow water plants like water lillies, you need a deep pond - at least 12 inches deep. Consider variety and color before going plant shopping - water lillies have exquisite blooms in color. A variety of water plants will provide interest to your garden pond.

While lillies require deep water, duckweed is a nice floater. These floating plants will reduce the sunlight and help control the growth of algae in your pond as well.

You might want to actually set potted plants in your garden pond. Prepare your potted plants by putting a good layer of pebbles in the bottom of the pot to keep the roots from setting in thw water.

Where winter temperatures are a problem, you will need to consider what you will do to winterize your garden water feature. Moving a reasonable sized water feature to the garage, the sunroom, is one option. Otherwise you will need to invest in a heater or insulated cover. Draining a pond is a last option as well.

Lastly consider safety. If children or grandchildren will have access to your garden pond, even if a foot deep, a drowning hazard exists. Be sure to place the spot that will be safe to all before installing.

A well though out water feature is a great addition to any sized garden. Add one to yours today!