Level landscape settings
When working with flat terrains, a rushing rocky stream may not be appropriate. In this case, a more pastoral approach should be used instead.
Again, when looking to nature for inspiration, one will notice how streams tend to widen into the plains to form marshes and lakes as they meander slowly through the flatter countryside. This becomes the perfect location for creating a gentle meadow brook with an ornamental pond. The pond may be designed for any number of uses all of which can be achieved without losing its naturalistic qualities.
Sometimes, however, a garden or backyard may be surrounded by walls and/or fences, making the idea of creating a natural-looking water feature seem highly unlikely. One way a water shape designer can work around these situations is to build a low archway against one wall, along with a second similar structure on the opposite side of the garden. This will allow the mechanics (e.g. water tank and piping) of the brook and pond feature to be hidden within the structures and operate via gravity.
In doing this, it becomes possible to make the brook seem as though it flows throughout the property. Further, with a little cunning, water shape designers can create a natural-looking brook and/or ornamental pond by incorporating materials used in any structures on the property (e.g. tricking up the mortar to match). A little dirt and moss can also work wonders.
Wildlife ponds
If the client wants to attract butterflies and water-loving creatures to their property, a wildlife pond may be in store. This type of water feature requires a varied water depth, including large shallow areas devoted to aquatic and moisture-loving plants. There is also need for some loose rocks nearby to create a hibernacula (hibernation site) where amphibians (i.e. frogs, toads, salamanders, etc.) can be cozy for the winter. Creating a link from the pond to nearby woodland will also help create a safe corridor for creatures to travel to and from without becoming prey to birds flying overhead. This route can easily be created with judicious shrub planting.
There should also be an area where the lawn meets the water’s edge, as the client should also be able to reach the pond. An obvious manmade structure (e.g. a crisp lawn edge, timber deck, dock, or stone patio) will contrast with the pond and further its natural appearance, making it seem as though the water had always been present and the client needed to make it more approachable.
Rock groupings
The naturalistic features of a manmade pond and/or waterfall can be further enhanced with the addition of rock groupings. To do this, it is important to find rock appropriate to the local area, while also paying close attention to the way it is bedded.
For instance, the rock’s grain lines and the manner in which water and weather erosion produces gradual disintegration should be noted. The process of erosion and disintegration creates beautiful effects with moss and ferns intruding into the gradually widening crevasses of the rock.
This time lapse feeling can be reproduced by deliberately adding small tumbled stones beneath larger rocks and filling the gaps with native plant material. The composition will not be all that convincing by simply using a few small pieces of stone; therefore a number of large rocks should be incorporated to make the water feature appear more realistic.
Some areas may not have any exposed solid rock strata and are rather strewn with glacial erratic boulders. In some ways, these are easier to place as good connections with strata and grain lines are not relevant. However, even with boulders, it is better to vary the size and avoid even spacing. In terms of placement, rocks should not simply border the pond or stream, but rather feather out into the surrounding landscape. This leads one to believe they were already in the ground, but exposed by occasional floods.
