For inexperienced landscapers, there are a few rules of thumb to help with adding landscaping around rock features in the backyard. First, layer the plants; have at least three layers of plants that are tall, medium, and short to provide visual interest around the water feature. Second, include a variety of leaf colours and textures. Plants such as ornamental grasses, ferns, and palms are all good choices, but one can consult a plant nursery to find out what grows best in that vegetation zone. Short plants such as herbs, can also be good choices for planned plant “pockets” within the water feature.
Adding lighting around the pool, especially to the water features, is key to creating a resort-style pool by day and by night. Builders need to help the pool owner have a beautiful backyard to enjoy at night, and not just a dark hole. Cast concrete rock allows builders to incorporate lighting more easily than natural stone. Many builders cut channels into the surface of the cast concrete stone, so they can embed long lighting strips to create a glow that illuminates a water feature.
Lighting sets the mood in and near a water feature, and defines surfaces and textures of the rocks, pool, and landscaping at night. The objective is to hide the source of the light within the grotto or waterfall, creating a glow, which is another source of light that will beckon the homeowners outside once the sun goes down.
Conclusion
Using rock, water, landscaping, and lighting adds texture and dimension to outdoor living spaces and is a growing trend among homeowners seeking to convert their backyards into decorative extensions of their living space. Using artificial stone and rock to create spaces for unique water features and around the swimming pool helps integrate the surrounding nature to create a stunning backyard oasis.
Author
Zayvian Camacho is part of the design and fabrication team at Rico Rock, developing new climbing walls and water features, and working on commercial aquatic and non-aquatic construction projects. Camacho studied landscape design and has overseen construction for dozens of unique cast concrete artificial rock projects in backyards, hotel resorts, bowling alleys, zoos, and more. Camacho finds his rock construction work meshes perfectly with his passion for rock climbing. He can be reached at zayvian@ricorock.com.
