Transform your garden with an aquascape

By Chris Robertson

There is nothing like the calming sound of water. I know that because I have a natural brook running through my property. In all but the driest weather I am comforted by the gentle babble of the water passing over rocks. I am lucky to have the little brook near my house; but for those of you who don’t have such a special landscape feature, you can create an Aquascape.

An Aquascape is a man-made water garden or water feature, ranging from a decorative fountain to a backyard pond and waterfall. A water garden can transform your backyard into a natural paradise that not only creates lovely sounds but also attracts butterflies, birds, and pond life. Whether you have a large yard or a small balcony, you can enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds of a water feature.

Let your imagination run wild as you envision how to integrate a water garden into your outdoor space. Picture an arched redwood bridge over a gently moving stream or water falling over natural-looking faux rocks. Imagine water lilies blooming in your garden pond, goldfish swimming around, and frogs jumping from lily pad to lily pad. Your water garden will give you and your guests hours of relaxation and pleasure. You won’t have to invite people over; they’ll be inviting themselves over to sit by your pond and watch the natural world as it passes by.

If you would like more active entertainment, consider adding a synthetic putting green to your outdoor living area. It’s not that hard to do. Stock up on golf balls and putters and you’ll never want to go away from home. That’s right-you’ll hardly need a vacation when you turn your backyard into a heavenly retreat and playground. You’ll have everything you want right in your own backyard.

You may need some garden accents and accessories to complete the transformation of your yard. Solar post caps use the power of the sun to create soft lighting for your garden. You can hide unsightly utilities such as wells and propane tanks under covers that blend right in with their surroundings. Accent your space with stone and metal garden sculptures that provide focal points to guide your eyes through the landscape. Create paths with brick, stones, or interlocking sectional redwood paths.

Unless you are working your garden features into a mature landscape, you will want to add ornamental plants. Aquascapes create pockets of habitat where plants that don’t mind wet feet can grow. Consider planting shrubs and perennial plants that have colorful flowers and fruit that attract wildlife. Your water garden installer can help you figure out which plants will grow best in your new landscape.

Aquascapes sound expensive, don’t they? The truth is there is a water feature to fit almost any budget. And when you consider the lasting pleasure, relaxation, and enjoyment a water feature can bring, it’s a good investment in the health and wellbeing of you and your family and in the value of your propert