Waterfall Safety Starts With Planning

When putting in any waterfall or water feature safety is a top priority, it starts with planning.

Wherever you locate your water feature project, make the call to the local utility company, check and locate any possible buried power lines or water lines. You can’t exactly build a waterfall where there are buried utility and water lines!

What Size - Take Some Measurements

Take your digital camera, shoot some pictures of the “proposed” area and make some notes about the area of where things will be placed. As with most designs, when you move away from the area you’re building in, the space appears to grow or shrink in size.

Once you have the area “sized” - it’s design time. If you can imagine it - with money, flexibility or speed - you can probably build it. Search the web for waterfall or water features - there are many websites where you can get from.

Don’t worry to much about rock placement, the perfect design or how-to make it all work, don’t complicate things.

Trying to layout the exact placement of rocks - natural or artificial - usually doesn’t look right until final placement. You’ll be surprised at how some rocks and boulders are left or right handed or has a face which looks better when mixed with other stone and elements.

The goal is to make everything flow together and look as natural as possible.

Where To Put Your Water Garden

The allure of a water garden pond or water feature can immediately create a picture in your mind. Which is good. But when planning your water garden think about how you plan on enjoying its beauty.

How many times have we heard in business it’s location, location, location… building a water garden is no different.

What’s the point of sticking a waterfall out of site or in a back corner of the yard if you plan on peering out your kitchen or living room windows to enjoy its design. In fact, if most of your time is spent inside, spend some time and design its most exciting features to face your viewing vistas.

On the other hand, if you’re spending much of your time outdoors entertaining or relaxing on the patio, or enjoying the outdoors in the garden, build your water garden in a place where the family will receive the most benefits from it.

Don’t forget the future…

When surveying your water gardens future “home” take into account any future plans or issues which may come into the picture.

Do you have plans to expand the house by adding on another room?
Does the terrain have a slope which can cause debris to accumulate or make the pond difficult to construct or maintain? Utilities or easements are also a consideration. How can the terrain impact your budget? Will additional equipment need to be called in?

Many things to consider for your water garden design. Take the time to find the best spot for your enjoyment and budget!

Thinking Of A Water Garden

No matter what kind of a water garden or water feature you’re thinking of adding to your home try to make it as natural looking as possible - like it’s been there for years. If the end result looks man-made or key elements are not in place then you won’t be as satisfied with the final product. Don’t you want to sit back and admire natural stone waterfalls and a pond full of fish and experience tranquility, if you do it yourself you’ll get the added benefit of a huge sense of accomplishment. If you want nothing short of a spectacular water garden - spend some time planning. The first step in the process is: Design and Material Selection As in any building project the toughest decision is making the deciding what you want the end result to look like. Many times the project outcome relates directly to what materials you purchase. Before you run off to the local plumbing supply to purchase pumps, filters and liners, do some front end planning. Start with a legal pad, a camera, tape measure and a sharp pencil and ask yourself this question: What is my goal? What exactly do you want this water feature - pond, waterfall, water garden or combination to accomplish? Do you want a pond full of Koi swimming around, enjoy the sound of a waterfall quietly rolling down the rocks splashing into the pond, or an addition to the pool area or a combination of each. What is the Budget? Be realistic here. Your budget needs to be considered right up front. If you don’t keep an eye on it it can get out of hand very fast! You don’t want to get to the halfway point and know you can’t complete the project because of the lack of funds. Many times in landscape projects, people wish they had a a bigger budget. If you start with a good basic foundation you can always improve as time goes by. If you want a great looking waterfall, pond or water garden - be realistic on your budget and do some planning before you purchase anything!

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