Picture of a decorative pond or water garden

Water Gardens & Features Q & A

Why its so special to have your own decorative water garden.

A: Perhaps you encountered your first water garden while on a local home and garden tour. Maybe your neighbor installed a koi pond, or your best friend put in one of those disappearing fountains. They’re everywhere and for good reason! Water features and decorative ponds bring so many benefits to your outdoor living space. Here are just a few:

The peaceful sound of flowing water: There’s nothing like the whisper of water down a stream or pondless water feature, the gentle splash from fountain spray or spitter, or thunder of water flowing over a waterfall. Moving water masks road noise and gives you the sense of privacy, whether you’re in an urban courtyard or a suburban neighborhood.

An investment in your home: Given the current economy, many of us today are trading vacations for “staycations,” and we’re looking at ways to build on our biggest investment, our homes. Landscaping with decorative water features and creating functional outdoor living areas adds value to a home. Plus, it’s fun to add personalized décor,
like stone frog spitters, turtle statues and Japanese towers, to turn the space into your own oasis.

A wildlife magnet: Other living things are drawn toward water. Wild birds, dragonflies, turtles, squirrels, butterflies, and frogs will congregate around your pond. In fact, if you provide water, food and shelter for critters, you can create a wildlife habitat in your yard that will both entertain and build into the overall ecosystem.

It’s a hobby that’ll grow with you: Keeping a decorative pond will definitely be a learning experience, and as you learn more about the technical aspects of maintaining water quality, keeping koi or aquatic plants, and managing the pump and filter, your pond will look better and better, and bring you more satisfaction as a hobbyist.

Cheaper than therapy: More than one decorative pond owner has told us about how therapeutic their water features are! After a long day at the office, there’s nothing more relaxing than sitting alongside your pond with a cold drink in hand, feeding the koi and pond fish, or appreciating the water lilies in bloom.

Of course, these examples only scratch the surface of the benefits that a decorative pond or water feature can bring to your yard. You don’t have to start out with a big in-ground pond; you can begin with a simple plug-and-play water feature on your deck or patio. But once you hear the sound of the water, see the wildlife it brings and feel your stress melt away, you’ll be hooked!

POND TALK: What’s your favorite thing about your decorative pond or water garden?