Water Features - Types of Water Features
About Water Features
Introduction
| A water feature is any of a full range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams in landscape architecture and garden design. Before the eighteenth century, water features were powered by gravity although the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon are believed to have been supplied by an Archimedean screw; others were supplied by hydraulic rams. |
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From then, water features have been powered by pumps. Steam engine was the first power source but then in modern gardens, electricity is mostly used. As the market becomes more establish, the range of innovative designs increased and people become more aware of the advantages of using solar power. The advantage of these includes environmental benefits like no mains electricity in the garden and free energy.
Water features may be indoor or outdoor and come in different sizes, from a desk to water fountain to a large indoor waterfall that can cover an entire wall of a large commercial building.
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Water features can transform a landscape to a beautiful sight. A dramatic waterfall or a quiet pond, water features works its magic on any garden by providing a focal point and soothing the soul. Water feature provides delightful background music and covers traffic noise. It relaxes people, it is a good alternative for relaxation and helps remove stress from outdoor noise. |
Adding Water Features to Your Garden
There is nothing more relaxing than settling down and listening to the sound of a splashing waterfall in your home. But there are a lot of things to consider when putting up a water feature at home. The cost of installation and maintenance are the two basic things you should consider if you want to have a water feature at home.
An economical way to enhance water feature is by using artificial rocks made of concrete. Rocks and stone are known as distinctive landscaping elements, but hauling large boulders into garden and then stacking them around in pond water feature requires a lot of money, effort and even equipment.
| That’s the reason why an increasing number of landscape and swimming pool designers and contractors are turning to faux rock for water feature construction. Artificial rocks can be molded, textured and colored to look and feel exactly like a real rock formations, it can also be built onsite, which eliminates the inconvenience and expense of hauling in material to build a water feature. |
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Types of Water Features
Water Walls
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Water walls vary in style and size, it depends on the effect you’re after. It can be sleek stainless to rustic stone. There’s a water wall style that will suit your style and your budget whether it’s a gentle trickle to soothe your nerves or a raging torrent to drown the noise of a nearby traffic. |
Container Water Garden/Tub Garden
| This is the best water feature for small spaces. It is also the easiest water feature to create and even this small container water garden will support fish. A tub garden planted with different kinds of plants and with fish will keep a fresh-water condition free of mosquitoes and unwanted algae. Pump is not necessary but often used for its ornamental value. Fish that prevents mosquitoes is not necessary if the flow of water into the tub sufficiently disturbs the water. |
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Waterfalls
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Waterfalls are an important component of pools, fountains, and streams. When building a waterfalls, bare in mind that in nature they occur where rocks are a rich element within the entire landscape. Not only in the fall you can find stones, but also above, below and both sides of the fall and ensuing stream or pond. A waterfall with stones and water running down them and with no stones on either side looks completely unnatural. |
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