Rainwater Harvesting

Organic Ecosystem Ponds

Pondless Waterfalls

Urn and Fountain Features

Water-Wise Landscapes

Meet Your Water Feature Professionals

Texas Ponds and

Water Features

Water Water Everywhere

by Matt Boring

The Natural Water Gardener

  The constant sound of moving water is perhaps the most relaxing sound in nature.  Whether it is the  slow steady pounding of the waves at the beach, the steady splash of a waterfall, the low gurgle of a flowing stream, or even the gentle tinkling of a desktop fountain, the sound serves to block background noise and lull you into relaxation.  Even now, the steady sound of my aquariums is trying to make me sleep rather than writing this article, but I must. 

  Water is invading landscapes at a rate not seen since Atlantis sank into the sea.  Ponds are great for people who have the space.  Recent advances in ecosystem ponds have made the hobby very low maintenance and there are so many teaching opportunities available for parents and grandparents to teach the younger generation about nature's processes.  Plus, the beauty of a well-built water garden adds to your enjoyment of your own back yard and boosts the value of your property as well.  And you can't help but love when your fish eat out of your hand and you walk out to see real frogs sitting on your lily pads. 

  But some people just don't have the space for a pond.  And some simply don't have the time to spend maintaining a pond no matter how low maintenance it is.  Some people are in love with the waterfalls and streams, but have no interest in the plants and fish.  For these people, the pond-less waterfall fits the bill perfectly.  You can make it as big or small as your space allows.  From a small disappearing waterfall next to a patio to a series of waterfalls and streams across the whole backyard that seems to vanish into a bed of gravel, just about anything you can imagine can be achieved.  These water features give you all the natural look and sound of our waterfalls and streams, but without the pond at the end. 

  A reservoir is dug into the ground that houses the pump and intake manifold as well as an AquaBlox matrix that allows us to hold more water in a smaller area, eliminating the need for a lot of valuable real estate being taken up at the bottom end of the falls.  Gravel or even polished beach pebbles are layered across the top of the AquaBlox matrix level with the surrounding ground.  Water is pumped from this reservoir to the top of the falls.  You can have multiple falls at the top leading into streams if you have the space.  At the end of the feature, the water appears to just disappear into the bed of gravel. 

  These pond-less waterfalls are great for front yard water features or public areas where liability is a concern.  Unlike a pond, which needs constant circulation to keep the ecosystem healthy, these can be turned off when you're at work or on vacation, saving electricity and money.  I recently completed one in a small courtyard at a beautiful town home in Dallas.  The entire courtyard was only 11 feet wide and we had to leave a little room for flagstone to be installed around it, but the homeowner wanted the rest of the space taken up with the disappearing waterfall and stream.  We managed to split the waterfall and get five separate drops into it, each with a light in it.  I'll get you a picture as soon as the landscaper gets the flagstone in.

  But most people who only have 11 feet of backyard don't want it all taken up with a large water feature, yet still yearn for the tranquility water adds to their personal space.  There are other ways to achieve your watery goals without taking up a lot of space or a big chunk out of your wallet.  Fountains, both indoor and outdoor, are enjoying increasing popularity.  Some combine planters with the sound of flowing water to really maximize what you can do with a small space.  Even an apartment balcony can become a relaxing retreat when surrounded by plants and cut off from the sound of the city.  Some indoor water walls are made with glass or plexiglass and use colored LEDs to create  changeable color schemes to fit your mood.  Combined with the soothing sound of trickling water, they can really set the theme of the room, or they can just provide a steady background noise to help you unwind at the end of the day.

  Bubbler rocks are also great in small gardens or front yards.  Bubbler rocks are simply rocks that have a hole drilled trough them through which water flows.  They can be large horizontal boulders or taller thiner obelisks with water spilling from their tops.  They can be used alone or in combination with other bubbler rocks in an arrangement.  A trio of obelisks of varying heights from two feet up to four feet provides both height interest and motion to your garden.  Using uplights on them at night can create a really dramatic effect.  Scattering a few boulders throughout the  yard, some bubbling and some not, can tie the landscape together and provide water for birds and other life.  Like a pond-less waterfall, the pump is underground, hidden in a bed of gravel into which the water spills and is recirculated. 

  Another low maintenance and elegant way to add the beauty of flowing water to your landscape is with overflowing urns.  Whatever style of vessel fits into your décor can be turned into an overflowing urn.  Tall Grecian urns tilted slightly askew can be arranged to spill gracefully into a bed of beach pebbles.  Mexican pottery can be used in a more southwestern-themed yard, spilling over and disappearing into a bed of gravel.  If the vessel has a perfectly rounded lip and you're really good with levels, you can even position it so that the water flows out evenly on all sides.  An interesting addition to the overflowing urn is a fogger.  These devices float on the water and use vibrating discs to create a mist or fog which seems to float above the urn.  Some also have colored LEDs that light up the fog at night in ever-changing shapes and colors.