Water is a wonderful part of garden design and is thought of by many to be the gardens soul and life blood. This is because water offers wonderful sounds, beautiful reflective lighting and a certain feelgood factor through movement.
Not only does a water feature in the garden provide joy that human users of the garden, but it also allows a greater biodiversity in planting which in turn can bring more wildlife into the garden due to a wider a variety of habitats.
When designing anything in your garden it is important to make sure it fits in with the rest of the surroundings. The main thing to consider is whether your garden will be, or is, formal or informal in style. This factor can influence many things such as the construction of your water feature, the style and type of planting you will have around it, and whether or not your finished water feature will be a home for any wildlife.
Generally formal gardens have very crisp, clear lines set out with clear geometrical symmetry and use lots of stone and brick that can cause difficulties for wildlife to enter and exit the water meaning that it does not create the best habitat for them. Informal garden styles have irregularity that is similar to nature and are full of curves and softer outlines than what would be found in their formal equivalent. Informal pools are very easy to mould into their environment and planting can be undertaken a lot easier as there are no lines to break up. With the additional planting that would be found around an informal pool comes an increase in wildlife as cover and food is provided and gives a place to feel safe as well as feed of your garden.
When choosing water features for gardens always think first of what it is that you are trying to achieve as they can be an expensive project to undertake. Good planning is vital to lowering costs and getting it right first time.
Landscape Design Ideas | Landscaping Design
