Backyard Streams and Fountains

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Backyard streams and fountains can add an element of interest to your landscape unlike any other features. The sound of running water adds a sense of peace and serenity while the flowing water encourages wildlife to flock to your landscape.

A backyard pond may be just the place to add a fountain. The recirculation of the water adds oxygen to the pond and encourages a natural balance of bacteria and flora, preventing your pond from becoming a haven for mosquitoes and other undesirable insects. The build up of algae that occurs in a still pond does not become a problem with the constant movement of the water.

Building Your Backyard Stream

Building a stream in your backyard can make the pond and fountain appear much more natural. If you are lucky enough to have an existing brook which passes through your property, you may simply choose to divert the flow of that stream and incorporate it into your overall landscape scheme. To do this, you must create a stream bed, lining the bed with gravel and stones, and then open the stream where it joins the natural stream, allowing it to flow back into the natural stream at a later point. You’ll then want to fill in the natural stream bed with stone, dirt, or gravel. This is a simple way to create a stream, but most people are not lucky enough to own property that contains an existing natural stream of flowing water.

You can create your stream by building two ponds. One or both of the ponds can have water fountains or waterfalls included in the design. Then, you must create a pathway for the water to recirculate between the two ponds. This can be accomplished through embedding piping into your landscape soil to bring the water by way of a pump from the lower lying pond to the upper pond for the water to flow down the course again.

The streams and fountains you create in your landscape can be quite simple or very detailed and complex. Carefully place of the stones and gravel which create your plastic-lined stream bed so that the stream bed does not contain obstructions to the natural gravity-driven flow of water from the upper pond to the lower body of water. If large stones are used, they must be placed so they tilt downward toward the lower stream to prevent impeding the water’s flow.

Fountains add Personality to your Landscape

When considering a fountain for a pond, you may want to choose a dancing fountain that shoots water into the air in patterns. Pumps to create this type of fountain are not prohibitively expensive and the results can be extremely dramatic. You may want a simpler fountain which allows the water to flow through a traditional multi-tiered fountain structure which you purchase. You may want a very natural [fountain] created by stones that creates a fountain effect reminiscent of a waterfall. The style you choose should reflect your personality and your overall landscape.

No matter how you choose to design your backyard streams and fountains, you’ll find your backyard becomes a place to provide a bath to birds, drinking water to wildlife indigenous to your area, and a place of peace and serenity. You’ll love sitting and watching the water flow and hearing the babble of the stream.

Tags: Back yard Landscaping