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There are a vast range of water features to choose from nowadays ranging from a calm mist of water droplets through to pools of reflective stillness or the excitement of crashing white waterfalls.
All will affect a site dramatically, so taking plenty of time to consider before making your final decision.
Your prime consideration should be where you will place your water feature.
If your garden is near a busy road, there is nothing like the gentle splash of a small fountain of moving water to detract from the noisy traffic but likewise, if the water creates an overpowering roar close to a seating area, the noise could become annoying rather than calming and relaxing.
Moving water has another dimension that is sometimes overlooked - light. Placing a fountain, jet or cascade at a spot where natural light can refract through it can provide glittering, vibrant effects.
When considering placement, there are a few more deliberations to ponder. Even though a pool in a leafy glade surrounded by trees is an idyll, when shedding their leaves, deciduous trees can block up a pond in no time. Permanent damage can be avoided by the use of netting.
Wind can be either an advantage or disadvantage. Breeze-blown ripples in a usually tranquil pool can give beautiful reflections of the scene surrounding it.
Too much wind can blow water about to an extreme, bringing with it dust and dirt that could collect in the water and block pumps and jets. Very windy situations are best avoided unless a wind-reducing filter or screen such as fencing is used.
Some people may want to have a body of water as the dominant feature of their gardens, while others may want the water feature to complement a space rather than dominate it. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the size of the pool and be as generous with size of the feature as you can afford to be.
Types of water features
Water bodies can be used as formal or informal features.
Pools, ponds and water channels formal pools include firm architectural lines in the outline of the feature - square, oval, L-shaped, rectangular or a combination of these elements - you may want the shape to reflect the lines of the house.
Channels and pools of water can be used in an informal style to provide a very different, far more natural effect. These features can have any shape you like but try to keep it as natural as possible.
Water fountains
Ponds and pools, whether informal or formal, can incorporate another use of water with fountains.
A fountain can unusually transform a calming sheet of water into an effervescent, playful scene. Fountains are fun and add a sense of humour to a scene. A bouncing water jet will attract attention and provide an ultimate vertical aspect to a water scene.
Streams
A steam in your garden can encourage exploration while it sweeps through a space and this flow can provide a connecting element to other points of the garden. Steams of water bring movement, light and sound into a garden.
Bubble water fountains
One of the safest water features is a bubble water fountain. The water reservoir remains hidden beneath a grate topped with pebbles and the water trickles out over the surface.
Safety measures
One of the principal considerations when thinking about using a water feature in a family garden is the safety of young children.
A safety mesh should be securely fixed and the depth of the water should be at a minimum. Smaller children should never be left unattended in such a garden.
