Water Gardens
A water feature is always a great idea for a garden, it can add a habitat for wildlife, sparkle, a relaxing ambience or even a mini water park for the kids, but what is the perfect water feature for your outside area?
Wildlife lover? Well, the perfect water feature for you could possibly be to put a pond into your garden. Not only can you put in some beautiful big fish to glisten in the sun as they come up to feed, but you can plant some stunning colourful flowers around the pond. Daylilies will add hot pink, Iris will provide deep blues for spring and Zebra grass adds depth to the edge of your pond and also somewhere for little creatures to hide. Water lilies and Burr reeds can grow within the pond if you want to add more pond life.
Having a pond will attract all sorts of wildlife including dragonflies, frogs, tadpoles, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and maybe even herons. This obviously all depends on the size of your pond, but if it is quite large you could have ducks too. Most of the animals will come to rehydrate whereas some of the amphibians may make themselves a home. Either way it will give you interesting sites throughout the day and night.
Maybe you don’t want all types of wildlife in your garden and instead want a smaller water feature that trickles creating beautiful, relaxing sounds to help you unwind on a hot summers evening?
Well, I have done a bit of research and explored some water feature shops to see types of water features I like and ones you might like too! The first one I will mention I saw at this years Hampton Court Palace Flower show. It was small, but created therapeutic patterns with mini water cannons. Just to complete this fantastic little water feature, it had LED lights inside which changed colour as the water was shooting across. By the evening this water feature looked really pretty and although simple it may be that little bit of excitement you want in your garden.
However, if you were after something a bit bigger and stylish but keeping some of the ideas of the mini cannon feature, then this beast is just what you need.
This breath taking water feature gives a moodiness to the garden, a dark but hypnotising statue that has deep blue lights inside meaning every evening you can have the blue moon-light.
Although this is a lovely feature it may not be the natural looking water feature you are after, which brings me to my next idea. Like the recent Garden ER episode with the rock water feature, you could invest in getting an interestingly shaped rock and get a hole put through it. Then it is just a case of buying a pump and tubing to create the beautiful sound of trickling water. I love this one because of its texture and shape. Shame it wouldn’t go in my garden but would be perfect in the forest garden on Garden ER Wednesday 27th.
Maybe your garden is not a relaxing area as the kids are out there when there is the slightest glimmer of sunshine? Well, there are child friendly water features out there, but safety is absolutely key to all of them. Make sure if you have a pond, rocky water feature or any kind of feature that gathers water, that is protected with fencing or covered so no little ones can fall in. One idea that is good for your grass as well as the children is to have a kids sprinkler. It hydrates the grass, the kids can run around getting wet and playing games and you can have fun with them too, all relatively stress free and it can be put away easily!
Paddling pools are also a great way for the little ones to enjoy the excitement of water fights, splashing around and making bubbles, albeit under close supervision, but it is another way for you to get involved with your childs play time and gives you the chance to spend quality time with them. Paddling pools are relatively cheap, need no maintaining and can be put away when you’re finished with them. The water used in them can then be used water the plants and grass too!
If I haven’t nailed the type of water feature for you then leave a comment and I will come up with some ideas for you! Why not share your garden too to help me with ideas for your perfect water feature?!
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