Fountains, Ponds and More for Your Backyard Atmosphere

If you want to make your backyard extra special, there's nothing like a water feature to bring it to life. From simple ponds to fountains and waterfalls, water features always look beautiful, impressing the neighbors and providing lots of fun for children. They can also be charming to create.

If you want to set up a water feature, your local home and garden supplier should be able to provide you with the basic things you need. Make sure that you'll have ample water available to supply it and keep it from becoming stagnant, which could be a health danger. You may need to install pipes to supply it, so if you're creating your garden from scratch, it's best to set it up before you lay gravel or turf.

There are typically two different methods of creating a pond for the backyard. If you plan to keep fish in the pond, it is crucial to excavate a hole that is six feet deep at minimum. It needs to also be significantly wide to allow for sufficient oxygen exchange. Plenty of oxygen grows larger, healthier and happier fish. The lining can be made of pond specific material or simple heavy duty plastic. The plastic can be secured at the edges with large stones. Once the water has been added, you can enhance the look with reeds or other water friendly vegetation. Test the water on a regular basis to make sure that the habitat remains safe for the fish.

If you're not concerned with keeping fish in your pond, creating it is much simpler, but it will still need to be at least two-and-a-half feet deep to avoid damage caused by evaporation and frost. If you line it with rocks or porous plastic, it will slowly leach out water into the surrounding soil, helping to support your plants, but it may also become polluted by chemicals in the soil, making it hazardous to wildlife. Test it regularly if you aim to supply a safe watering hole for local animals.

Traditional fountains need a pond, but free-standing fountains are less complicated and self-contained with the pump already installed. The free-standing variety comes in an assortment of designs, sizes and materials so the biggest quandary you may face is choosing which one is your favorite. The material you decide on may depend on the area where you live. If you live in a very cold environment, then you should bypass the faux stone because this material can crack. If your space is restricted, you can still enjoy the ambient feel of a water feature. Wall-mounted fountains can be installed to a sturdy fence or wall to produce the same charm and character.

Waterfalls can be purchased as complete units, made from simulated stones and with a pump already installed, or they can be made by hand, usually using real stones. Many are surprised to find out that they're simple to construct. They can be situated so as to pour water down into your pond, or even into your pool. Even a little waterfall can be surprisingly effective at providing the look and sound you're after. They're great compact water features which work even in small or crowded yards.