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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