Do you feel like your garden is still missing something? You have everything looking neat and lovely. You have a fine array of flowers you take care of. You have the patio or the decking and the masonry around the garden to balance it. But if you want that extra bit of life and tranquillity, there’s one ingredient missing. Water. Here, we’ll look at the reasons you want a splendid water feature adding that little final cherry on top of your gorgeous garden.
The water garden
There’s no one kind of water garden that best fits every garden. If you like a slightly wilder, more natural look, then it’s easy to create a stone bordered, simple centrepiece of a water garden. If you prefer the rigid, clean look then you could follow the form of your patio and create something minimalist too. But one of the best aspects of the water garden is the kind of life it invites. You can create a habitat for some wildlife right in your garden. Or if you really want to make it beautiful, you can make a home for creatures of your own choice. For instance, butterfly koi fish, adding a serene glow of colour to the garden that isn’t just your flowers.
The plant-life
Whatever water feature you choose, you can also consider it an extension of your horticultural exploits. There’s no shortage of variety to the kinds of water plant-life you could introduce to your garden. Hardy and tropical waterlilies are considered a must-have for water garden enthusiasts. But there are also floating plants that drift peacefully across the surface, underwater plants for those who keep their waters clear and bright or even bog plants like pitcher plants that add a certain earthy, natural element to the garden. If anything, a good water feature just gives you more opportunity than ever to experiment with new plant types. Is there are a gardener out there who doesn’t relish that opportunity when it comes?
The fountain
If you don’t quite want the effort of dealing with a water garden full of life, then you can consider something a lot more ordered. There’s more than aesthetic value to a good fountain that can be created from sculptures of all kinds of concepts, objects, and creatures. There’s also the sheer relaxation that it offers. The sound of peacefully running water is one that can just push your garden from relaxing sanctuary to total Zen heaven. Fans of the classics may choose fountains with ornamental features like cherubs, fish or lions. Others may consider a more contemporary look, like ball features or cascading wall fountains. There’s no one-size-fits-all option when it comes to choosing a water feature. You have as much freedom to explore your tastes as you do with every other aspect of the garden.
It’s aesthetic. It’s calming. It’s better for your environment. There’s really no reason not to add a water feature but for a little maintenance that’s easy to fit amongst and already active gardener’s schedule. Consider letting a little of the aqua vitae into your garden.
