Monday, 23 December 2013
Water can being life, noise and coolness to any garden, and it doesn't need to take up much space at all.
A wall fountain can make a great feature at the end of a narrow space; and the splashing of a bubbling fountain, no matter how small can make a tiny courtyard transform from a lifeless space to an inviting outdoor area that appears full of life.
Barrels, large tubs, troughs, birdbaths and even shallow dishes can be used to introduce water in the garden. This can be one of the cheapest and easiest ways to add a water feature. Consider how the container can be positioned to best effect – a birdbath, for example, will be particularly attractive to small birds if it is placed in a leafy corner of the garden (providing cats aren’t a problem), while a trough or barrel will make an interesting courtyard feature. A shallow dish, which is probably the least expensive water feature, can look charming placed at the edge of a garden bed or path. An urn with water at the entrance to a garden or house can signify that you are about to enter a Chinese style garden.
If your aim is to attract birds with a birdbath of water dish, then you ought to keep it topped up during the warmer months when the local bird population may come to rely on it.
There are lots of ideas for Water Gardens and how to create them in our Water Gardening book.