Garden water features for a tranquil outdoor space

Bring some beauty and soothing sounds to your outdoor spaces with a garden water feature. With the right equipment, a water feature can enhance your garden design without wasting water.

Just because water is a precious resource doesn't mean we can't have garden water features in our outdoor areas. All water features on the market today recycle water, so there is actually very little wastage. Once the feature is filled, the water is reticulated around the system, providing a pleasant, natural sound of gurgling water.

"People really like having moving water in their houses and gardens," says John Burrett, owner of Lotus Water Gardens in Braeside, Victoria. "It's got a really nice calming effect." According to John, the popularity of water features has remained steady and he believes that people are confident that with the right advice and the correct equipment their water features will not waste water.

Water garden for the outdoor area

One of the more popular types of water feature is the water garden, John reveals. "A water garden is a pond with fish and water plants," he says. The most basic design consists of a small pond with a few goldfish, a couple of water plants and a pump to recycle the water and maximise its oxygen-holding capacity.

From that starting point you can get creative, incorporating waterfalls, a fountain in the middle, or connect two or more ponds with trickling streams. Elaborate water gardens can even be landscaped to take advantage of natural rainwater runoff.

Controlling water flow in the pond

The movement of water in a garden water feature is usually controlled by one or more pumps; these are fully sealed, 240 volt units powered by transformers and connected to the power supply. "The size of your pump is very important," says John. "A good basic rule is to choose one with the capacity to pump the entire volume of your pond in an hour."

A range of pre-made ponds manufactured from fibreglass, plastic or artificial rock is available to kick off your water garden design. Or if you're after something unique, flexible pond liners made out of rubber or high-density PVC will let you create your water garden in any shape and size you like.

If you're contemplating establishing a water garden or feature, John recommends seeking advice from a specialist, as a number of mistakes are commonly made by amateurs. Talk to a professional today, and find out how you can create a soothing garden water feature in your backyard: