Landscape Design Tips: Adding a Small Water Feature!
Who doesn’t love the soothing sound of water, perhaps while out enjoying your new outdoor space. We feel water features add a special element into the space, making it feel like your own little oasis. But there are some things you need to consider…
Let’s break down some of the pros and cons of adding a water feature:
Being near water, in most people’s opinion, is soothing all on its own. Water features can evoke a certain tranquility, and can help to break up a desert-feel in some drier, less mature neighborhoods.
One of the most impressive things about a simple water feature is that it can help to drown out the noise of traffic. This can make you feel like you are outside of the bustle of the city. One must also decide if the constant white noise of a water feature is a pro or a con for you.
Complete with a good design plan, you can create a focal point that is calm and tranquil or more on the extravagant side, with lots to gaze upon.
However, not all that glitters is gold!! With the beauty of these, comes some less desirable features…
Maintenance… you may not be aware but they do require regular maintenance to stay beautiful and functioning. They can be like a mini-pool, requiring chemicals and regular cleaning. The parts need to be winterized and do occasionally break.
Pests may also find your water feature enticing…Bugs, frogs and other wildlife. The moving water tends to deter mosquitoes from breeding in your water feature, but other bugs might enjoy this. Regular cleaning and scrubbing will remove the algae that tends to build up, but if you put any kind of chemical into a water feature that birds like to drink from, it could be harmful to their health.
In addition to the other cons, the costs of water features can really add up. A simple water feature can start at roughly a couple thousand, up to several thousand.
Hearing both sides may help you to make your decision…
We feel even with the cons, they are worth it, if you’re willing to put forth the effort.
