Adding A Waterfall To Your Landscaping

What You Need To Know Before Adding A Waterfall To Your Landscaping
By: Scott Fromherz

Water features are a great way to enhance your landscape, but they can be quite intimidating to someone who has never had experience building or maintaining them. The good news is that, by understanding a few principles and following some basic steps, anyone can create a beautiful waterfall in their outdoor landscaping.

The advantage of adding a waterfall to your landscaping as opposed to a simple pond is that a waterfall will add sound and motion to your waterscape. These characteristics will most certainly add to the relaxation factor of your waterfall landscape. Once you have made the decision to move forward with the addition of a waterfall to your landscape design, there are some simple elements to consider.

Finding The Best Location In Your Landscape For A Waterfall

Location, location, location! It will not only add to your home value, it will determine whether your waterfall landscape will be high or low maintenance. For example, the idea of a beautiful running waterfall under a tree or two might sound good - until fall arrives and you find yourself cleaning many fallen leaves out of your water.

Since you will be installing a pump to continue to circulate water through your waterfall, availability of electricity will most certainly be a factor. Since too much direct sunlight can trigger algae growth in your water, finding a shadier spot for your waterfall landscape will save you on water maintenance. With these issues in mind, it is also helpful to remember that your waterfall will create a focal point in your landscaping, so plan for a central location that you will be able to enjoy.

Landscaping Your Waterfall To Scale

Many starting out in the quest for a water feature will originally design a waterfall landscape that will be higher than necessary for the desired effect. A waterfall drop of about two feet will bring you the desired effect, and create the proper scale for your average sized pond.

For additional trickling action, build your waterfall a slight distance from you pond to achieve a beautiful stream effect. Waterfall materials do not have to be complicated or pricey. You can stack rocks above your pond for a natural waterfall landscape, and a fiberglass liner makes a simple and low maintenance pond come to life.

Adding a waterfall to your landscaping plan is an attractive way to bring the element of water into your yard. The sound and motion of your waterfall will offer a relaxing retreat for you and your family to enjoy.



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