Just Add Water

Everyone knows that one cannot have a garden without water. Even a rock garden needs some H2O! So what’s the difference between the water needed to create a garden, as opposed to garden water features?

The Watery Eye Of The Beholder

There was a time when garden water features described that damp area in one corner of your plot that you couldn’t get rid of, or your garden’s nonexistent drainage. Nowadays, the term refers to everything from a koi pond, to a birdbath, to a traditional swimming pool with landscaping, to fountains, to cascading Zen-like waterfalls. Even what in less politically correct days would have been called a plain old swamp can be a garden water feature if you want it to. The benefits of such features are many. They:

1. Provide an area of tranquility and beauty
2. Provide water for some wildlife
3. Can enhance property values

So what is needed to create garden water features?

  • money
  • time and patience
  • space
  • the ability to work within what might be a limited space
  • realistic expectations
  • assistance, preferably from someone with landscaping experience

Go Pro

What if you’re a Michigan gardener? What are your options for garden water features Ann Arbor style? There are vendors in the Ann Arbor area that can assist you with creating water features on your property, and even if you have a good idea of your goals, some professional assistance is suggested. Even that tiny table top fountain can be a disaster if it’s not set up and maintained properly, and those beautiful garden ponds as a rule need to be at least three feet deep and often require at least a thousand gallons of water. Careful planning and most importantly, installation can make all the difference between a dream water feature and a nightmare that has your neighbors not speaking to you.

Aside from preventing the flooding of your neighborhood, professionals can best advise you as to what would be the best type of garden water features Ann Arbor style for your particular needs. Michigan, for example is not the warmest of places in the winter. Although the USDA has reconfigured its “Climate Hardiness Map” to make allowances for climate change, Ann Arbor still falls firmly within chilly Zone 6, meaning freezing weather. This means you’ll need to consider whether you’ll want to keep some water features flowing year round, whether there will be live animals residing in the feature, etc. This can certainly be done with the assistance of heaters and other devices, and landscaping and garden pros can provide lots of good advice on costs and options. While rock and water are primary feature components, many like to add aquatic vegetation to it, and knowing the appropriate species to use is vital as well in creating garden water features Ann Arbor style.