Even a simple water feature can transform the most ho-hum of gardens. The movement and sound of water brings tranquility and is automatically a focal point. Some homeowners are handy enough to install their own water feature, even if it’s somewhat complicated. Others rely on good, reputable water fountain services. Here are types of water features:
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Fountains
Fountains can also be bubblers or gurglers that are easy to put together or magisterial edifices constructed by contractors who specialize in garden fountain repair and installation. Many have several tiers, sconces from which arcs of water pour into the collection pond or statues that can also serve as sconces. Depending on their size and material, fountains make noises from refreshing trickles to oceanic roars. Few things are as refreshing as the spray the wind blows off a fountain on a hot day.
Bubblers
Often, these are nothing more than repurposed containers fitted with pumps and pipes hooked up to a water source. Even a homeowner who doesn’t think they know anything about plumbing can create one of these water features in an afternoon. The garden can have one in the midst of plants or pebbles or bubblers of different sizes. They can be small enough to set in a corner of the patio or taller than a person, illuminated at night by different colored LEDs or even part of a swimming pool.
Ponds
Some ponds are surprisingly affordable, if not exactly cheap. They are made, like swimming pools, by digging a hole in the ground and lining it with something leakproof. Like a swimming pool, this water feature needs a filtration system to keep the water sparkling clean and a pump to keep it moving. Other than this, the homeowner can add boulders, pebbles, aquatic plants, garden gnomes or whatever suits them. Because ponds are “natural” they complement any type of backyard. Ponds can also be designed with waterfalls.
Water Walls and Rain Curtains
These are walls where a sheet or sheets of water flows down into a trench then is returned to the top to cycle down again. The wall can be made of a many materials, including copper, stone, ceramic tile or glass, and the material and even its texture affect the sound of the water as it falls. As with bubblers, lights can be added for a spectacular nighttime look. A rain curtain’s beauty also relies on a curtain of water. In this feature, holes are drilled into the horizontal element, and water is allowed to pour through them. As with a water wall, a pump keeps the water cycling.
Baths for Birds, Bees and Butterflies
Even a homeowner on a budget can afford a birdbath. Sometimes it is nothing more than an old pan filled with water placed on a support. Simply watching the birds visit is delightful. Honeybees and butterflies shouldn’t be neglected. Place some kind of island in the center of the birdbath where the insects can rest and safely drink.
A properly installed water feature adds beauty to any garden. If you’re interested in having one, be it simple or complex, get in touch with us at OC Pond and Fountain Care. Our number here is 949-653-2305.
