Welcome Wildlife to Your Water Wonderland

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Waterfalls can be built from scratch or fashioned from plastic, fiberglass or pre-cast stone forms. A modest slope or natural hillside offers the ideal setting for installing a waterfall or stream. However, even fairly level ground can support a waterfall by using the soil from excavating your pond to build up a sloped terrain or knoll. The movement each creates — whether gentle or powerful — adds oxygen to the water and helps keep it fresh. And the lush plantings of ornamental grasses, alpine plants and herbs for damp soil such as astilbe (Astilbe spp.), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), bee balm (Monarda didyma) and New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) that border the edge offer an inviting buffet of seeds and nectar for birds and butterflies.

can spew forth a watery show and dazzle the senses. They are arguably the most versatile of water features, ranging from devices that emit water within a pool to decorative wall fountains and large self-contained statuaries that are works of art in themselves. Fountains in large basins also can double as a place to grow aquatic plants such as water parsley or water celery (Oenanthe spp.), water lettuce and miniature papyrus (Cyperus profiler). With so many different types to choose from, fountains can be used in nearly any garden design, come in just about every style and are sized to fit any space—whether that be a deck or patio, a simple garden bed or a grand landscape.

The sound of a fountain will attract birds, butterflies, rabbits and deer. You might even catch sight of a hummingbird or two buzzing back and forth as they bathe on the wing through the fountain’s spray.

Container water features are portable water gardens ideally suited to small spaces or for use as an accent in a border or bed. Small container water gardens also offer limited water use, which can be much more amenable to the environment and your water bill. Options are almost endless because just about anything watertight or that can be waterproofed can be turned into a self-contained water feature. Ceramic pots, old laundry tubs, half-barrels, or even a recycled commode can bring water into small spaces. Use larger containers to house aquatic plants as well as small goldfish. You also can create a waterfall effect by incorporating a series of waterproof containers at varying heights — such as a collection of watering cans. Water spills from one container to another into a bowl- or basin below, then rises through a tube to the uppermost watering can.

Conservative Water Use

When considering a water garden, please make responsible choices in the best interest of one of our greatest resources. Water use, especially in dry climates, can be limited by creating small, self-contained water features.  A birdbath or a tub garden offers wildlife-attracting beauty without water-guzzling side effects. If you choose to create a fountain, make sure the setup allows for recirculating the water rather than a constant flow of fresh water and continuous outlet or drain.

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