Steve
07-31-2006, 06:04 PM
Water features have become something of a Holy Grail in landscaping. New products and techniques, perfected by some great minds and some darn good "tinkerers" have made it less intimidating than ever for an amateur to install. It has also enabled the professionals to perfect their own art. There are water features of all sorts out there of uncommon beauty and which supply, among other things, a peacefully serene sound and visual we all seem to strive to have in our homes and even our workplaces. I have clients who call after experiencing some wonderful moment at home, reading or musing by a water fall or pond I have installed, just to say "Thanks". That's some nice payoff for a constructor.
There are as many types of water features as there are techniques for installing and servicing. This thread will deal with a few examples of water features, per se, to acquaint us with the wide and surprising array of possibilities for installing water in our gardens and landscapes.
The Waterfall
Waterfalls delight the senses in so many ways. The motion itself tends to lead to fascination as we admire the coursing of water over a falls, catching sunlight and refracting, looking so fresh and natural. The sounds of the splashing water as it drops delights by soothing, a somehow powerful sound which overcomes and demands attention. Waterfalls seem to close off the outer world, fascinating humans since time immemorial. They remain focal points in many of the most exotic grdens and cityscapes in the world, providing places of congregation and repose. And, hey, if kids love them, they have to be cool.
An underestimated benefit, as well, of waterfalls is their night time possibilities. Modern lighting techniques can spotlight cascades of water by illuminating from under the falls themselves as well as from outside them. I have seen waterfalls thus lit up which appear positively phosphorescent, apparently generating light in and of itself. Naturally, other techniques can mute or even liven this idea up, yet a waterfall at night reasonably lit up, is something to see.
Creeks
Many waterfalls lead into small creeks, coursing through some property most enjoyably, a construct of Nature and man providing more liquid motion to delight the eye and senses. There is no accident that perhaps the most famous residence in the world, Frank Llloyd Wright's "Falling Water" is built over a stream, intimately connected with running and falling water and the sounds and sights therein. The same attributes supplied by waterfalls and listed above pertain here. The sound is effective and can be induced to course through areas to change the sound environment. Water's piercing sound qualities are quite amazing, really. I have constructed water features close to patios and homes to a client's specifications where, later, they asked me if there was some way we could soften the sound. "We sit at the patio and cannot hear ourselves talk!", lol, was a comment from one. I now caution folks on this and they are almost universally surprised. Water's sound is penetrating and a little can go a long way. Thus creeks themselves, if long enough, can literally change the audial environment substantially. And, man, I love thier look.
Bubble Rocks
Here is a unique, modern achievement. Bubble rocks are rocks which have been bored through, length-wise, providing a channel for a small pump to allow water to bubble out from the top and thus coat the rock in water. These also provide the sound of tricking water and can be used in incredibly small spaces. We install many at entrances to homes, say in a courtyard entry or alongside a walk. These also take lighting most admirably. The range of rocks one can do this with is literally limitless. There are places one can get any rock bored, usually costing about $50 a linear, bored foot, depending on the size of the hole. Their virtue is in the fact that they do not need a lot of room. Enough for a small basin to hold water and a pump.
Ponds
Ponds can be from 8 feet across to lake size. Ponds offer yet another marvelous quality in a landscape or garden: absolute serene water. Inside the pond, there is a range of possibillity that boggles the mind, from fishes to plants, from decorative bottoms to decks built to shimmer an inch or two above the water. Ponds need space, naturally, thus they are not really an urban choice. Having said that, however, most waterfalls I construct do have ponds at the other end, connected, perhaps by a nice flowing creek. Generally, ponds have algae issues much more severe than those encounted by rapidly-moving water and it is always something to consider. Many folks aerate their water by using any number of fountaining gizmos to send the water skyward. This really helps a pond's ecology, especially inasmuch as the aeration provides excellent amounts of oxygen for what lies below.
Formal Features
These are constructions of cement and more formal style. They can be hard-lined, sparsely severe-looking edifices which supply the smoothest of cascades, virtual "sheets" of water, falling into almost endless types of basins and pools. I will provide pictures of some of these I have made over the years. These are every bit as satisfying as the more naturalistic waterfalls, creeks and ponds and are also subject to astounding lighting effects.
As well, formal water features include those cool little basins mounted on walls, a particular delight at an entryway or even inside a home. The art applied here can be the most electricly amazing, using items like stone, copper, brass, steel to form illusions and literal artworks. There is, as one can see, no limit in the ability to transform something as simple as the use of water itself into some awe-inspiring human construct.
There are as many types of water features as there are techniques for installing and servicing. This thread will deal with a few examples of water features, per se, to acquaint us with the wide and surprising array of possibilities for installing water in our gardens and landscapes.
The Waterfall
Waterfalls delight the senses in so many ways. The motion itself tends to lead to fascination as we admire the coursing of water over a falls, catching sunlight and refracting, looking so fresh and natural. The sounds of the splashing water as it drops delights by soothing, a somehow powerful sound which overcomes and demands attention. Waterfalls seem to close off the outer world, fascinating humans since time immemorial. They remain focal points in many of the most exotic grdens and cityscapes in the world, providing places of congregation and repose. And, hey, if kids love them, they have to be cool.
An underestimated benefit, as well, of waterfalls is their night time possibilities. Modern lighting techniques can spotlight cascades of water by illuminating from under the falls themselves as well as from outside them. I have seen waterfalls thus lit up which appear positively phosphorescent, apparently generating light in and of itself. Naturally, other techniques can mute or even liven this idea up, yet a waterfall at night reasonably lit up, is something to see.
Creeks
Many waterfalls lead into small creeks, coursing through some property most enjoyably, a construct of Nature and man providing more liquid motion to delight the eye and senses. There is no accident that perhaps the most famous residence in the world, Frank Llloyd Wright's "Falling Water" is built over a stream, intimately connected with running and falling water and the sounds and sights therein. The same attributes supplied by waterfalls and listed above pertain here. The sound is effective and can be induced to course through areas to change the sound environment. Water's piercing sound qualities are quite amazing, really. I have constructed water features close to patios and homes to a client's specifications where, later, they asked me if there was some way we could soften the sound. "We sit at the patio and cannot hear ourselves talk!", lol, was a comment from one. I now caution folks on this and they are almost universally surprised. Water's sound is penetrating and a little can go a long way. Thus creeks themselves, if long enough, can literally change the audial environment substantially. And, man, I love thier look.
Bubble Rocks
Here is a unique, modern achievement. Bubble rocks are rocks which have been bored through, length-wise, providing a channel for a small pump to allow water to bubble out from the top and thus coat the rock in water. These also provide the sound of tricking water and can be used in incredibly small spaces. We install many at entrances to homes, say in a courtyard entry or alongside a walk. These also take lighting most admirably. The range of rocks one can do this with is literally limitless. There are places one can get any rock bored, usually costing about $50 a linear, bored foot, depending on the size of the hole. Their virtue is in the fact that they do not need a lot of room. Enough for a small basin to hold water and a pump.
Ponds
Ponds can be from 8 feet across to lake size. Ponds offer yet another marvelous quality in a landscape or garden: absolute serene water. Inside the pond, there is a range of possibillity that boggles the mind, from fishes to plants, from decorative bottoms to decks built to shimmer an inch or two above the water. Ponds need space, naturally, thus they are not really an urban choice. Having said that, however, most waterfalls I construct do have ponds at the other end, connected, perhaps by a nice flowing creek. Generally, ponds have algae issues much more severe than those encounted by rapidly-moving water and it is always something to consider. Many folks aerate their water by using any number of fountaining gizmos to send the water skyward. This really helps a pond's ecology, especially inasmuch as the aeration provides excellent amounts of oxygen for what lies below.
Formal Features
These are constructions of cement and more formal style. They can be hard-lined, sparsely severe-looking edifices which supply the smoothest of cascades, virtual "sheets" of water, falling into almost endless types of basins and pools. I will provide pictures of some of these I have made over the years. These are every bit as satisfying as the more naturalistic waterfalls, creeks and ponds and are also subject to astounding lighting effects.
As well, formal water features include those cool little basins mounted on walls, a particular delight at an entryway or even inside a home. The art applied here can be the most electricly amazing, using items like stone, copper, brass, steel to form illusions and literal artworks. There is, as one can see, no limit in the ability to transform something as simple as the use of water itself into some awe-inspiring human construct.