Nothing beats adding a water feature design to spruce up your landscaping and add a professional look! Not only do they add value to your home and increase curb appeal, but they create a sense of calm. There are a variety of different types of water features ideas to choose from to complete your landscaping, each with the perfect water feature design to match!
Remember that choosing a water feature doesn’t need to be overwhelming. We’ve got you covered right here with our guide to which water feature design is right for your yard. Read on and be inspired!
So What Kind of Water Feature Design Should I Get?
Whether you’re thinking of how to landscape the front of your house or considering building the backyard oasis of your dreams, it’s no secret water features add value to your home. Choosing the right water feature design for your landscaping will leave you in love with the end result! But which water feature design should you pick?
If you’ve checked out a landscape planner online to begin planning and budgeting your water feature installation but still aren’t totally sure which to choose, you’ve come to the right place! We’re talking about different types of water feature designs ideas to help you decide which is best for your landscaping:
- Garden water feature ideas
- Small water feature ideas
- Large outdoor water feature ideas
Garden Water Feature Ideas
First up in our guide to help you choose the right water feature design for your yard are garden water fountains! Landscape water fountains are perfect small water feature ideas to bring natural sounds to your yard without taking up much space. If you’re looking for a larger garden water feature idea, however, there are plenty of large outdoor water feature fountains available, too! In fact, landscape water fountains may provide the most variety in options available for water feature installations.
If you’re worried about water usage (and conservation), it’s a common misunderstanding that water fountains are water guzzlers. In fact, they can be designed with water conservation in mind to recycle the water in their basin to use as little as possible. That said, evaporation will happen naturally, especially during hot summer months, so it’s important to keep an eye on the water levels to ensure they don’t drop below recommended amounts.
Small Water Feature Ideas
Want to have a waterfall in your landscaping but not the entire pond water feature installation? No problem! For small water feature ideas you’ll want to turn your attention to pondless waterfall features. Pondless waterfalls require less maintenance than those with ponds and take up less space. Even though they take up less space, they still provide the amazing zen sounds in your landscaping!
Even if they may not typically be as large, these small water feature ideas aren’t boring! Pondless waterfalls still offer loads of water feature design options. Your water feature installation professional can help you choose one that will fit your aesthetic and give you the result you’re looking for. If you’re looking for how landscape design can transform your backyard but want to start smaller, pondless waterfalls may also be more budget-friendly water feature designs.
Large Outdoor Water Feature Ideas
When it comes to large outdoor water feature ideas, who hasn’t thought of a zen pond water feature? Think these are too big for your space? No way! Yes, many ponds are large outdoor water features but they make for great small water feature ideas, as well. A professional landscape designer (we happen to know some who are great at installing a water feature in your garden!) will be able to recommend different options for pond water features that will fit your space perfectly. We recommend going a little larger than you initially expect as some people wish they had once they see their water feature design finished!
Often added to pond water feature designs, waterfalls bring another important element to your large outdoor water feature installation: sound. It’s not a coincidence that the sounds of nature (like running water and waterfalls) create a calming feeling: it’s science!
With waterfall features for ponds, you typically have two small bodies of water. This provides the source of the waterfall and something for it to fall into. Even though these tend to create large outdoor water feature ideas, a landscape design professional will help assess your backyard landscaping area to achieve this. As with every water feature design, you’ll need to consider the setup before starting installation. The higher the waterfall, the more sound you’ll be able to hear. Shorter waterfalls, alternatively, still provide soft sound and may have a smaller splash factor to think about.
Taking Water Feature Design Maintenance Into Consideration
With any water feature design you also have to think about how to maintain a water feature after installation. Some water feature design maintenance tasks include:
- Checking the water feature skimmer
- Monitoring algae growth in your backyard water feature design
- Testing the water for chemical balance
- Maintaining proper water levels
While maintenance may not be too much for some, pond garden water feature ideas may require more than some of the other options in our list. This can be especially true if you opt for a backyard koi pond as part of your vision If you live in a place where it gets really cold during the winters (like here in Albany and the Capital Region!) you need to make sure you winterize your water feature properly, as well. If you’re unsure where to begin, talk to a landscape professional and they’ll know for sure!
As you can see, there are benefits to each of these different types of water feature designs. The good news is you can’t go wrong with any of them! Whether you’re wanting a full service landscape installation complete with a garden pond or a smaller, subtle garden water fountain to add some serenity to your space, you won’t regret choosing a water feature installation for your yard. Get started with our Project Planner and you can submit your water feature installation design directly to the best landscape designers in Albany, NY and the Capital Region! Let’s make your dream a reality.
Want some more examples of garden water feature designs that can transform your landscaping? Check out these water feature ideas and be inspired!
