Small Water Features for Your Yard

Incorporating a water feature into your home landscape is a wonderful way to add interest to your garden.  There are a number of designs to choose from and you can be as creative as you like.

Bubbling Boulder

Another beautiful water feature you can choose for your yard is a bubbling boulder. It’s a water rock feature that easy easy to maintain while still giving you that natural fountain look. It’s a wonderful outdoor accent piece that fits in well with any garden or landscape design.

Fountain

Especially if you are filling a small space, a wall fountain is a good option.  Basically it is a basin or bowl of some sort that holds the water.  Using a pump and pipes, the water is circulated up to the face plate that is mounted on a wall.  Then the water splashed back into the basin.  All the plumbing is hidden behind and under the fountain.

Containers

Let your imagination run wild with a glazed pot or a barrel cut down to size.  There are also kits available if you are not quite that creative.  Something around a three-foot diameter will work even on a patio or deck.

Birdbath

If you enjoy watching our feathered friends, technically this is a water feature.  Be careful where you place it though.  It should be fairly close to a tree or other refuge for the bird to escape if they are frightened.  For the winter there are models that have heating elements.  For under $50 you can add a solar powered fountain or mister.  It is also a good idea to place it on a flat flagstone that you can level to the ground so that the water is even.  Don’t use any chemicals, but you will need to scrub it out at least every week.

Options

You may have noticed that bubblers or pumps were mentioned.  They prevent the water from stagnating and will deter mosquitoes from breeding.  For several of the categories of water features, you can add fish to reduce the algae.

It is also fun to put in plants like papyrus, lilies, or other appropriate varieties.  There are some shops that specialize in water plants but many garden centres have special sections just for this purpose.  Another option is to place potted plants around.

For wall mounted features, you can put different kinds and sized pots and plants around the base.  That means at the end of the season, you can bring the whole pot inside to enjoy through the cold season and return outdoors in the spring.

For in-ground, surround the exterior with decorative rocks or, again, plants in pots.  Another option is to plant the pot.  This is particularly effective to control the spread of your flowers or herbs.  Just select the right plants based on the amount of sun the area gets on a daily basis.

So, if you are interested in the white noise of a water feature or are looking for the calming effect of running water, this is the project for you.  It doesn’t take a lot of space if you plan right.