How to integrate living water and natural rock features

by Sally Bouorm | April 1, 2010 10:03 am

By David Duensing

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When designing a water feature, it is critical to consider not only the client’s goals, but all of the elements in the surrounding environment to ensure the water feature will help unify the overall landscape plan.

One of the most dramatic benefits of integrating water into a design is it’s ability to bring sound and motion to the environment. Other landscape elements, such as plants and hardscape, cannot. Water features add another enjoyable dimension to a property—when a homeowner or visitor hears the melody of moving water or visually senses movement in a garden or landscape, they tend to look in that direction to seek out and identify the source. Having said that, there must be balance within the environment, whereby the scale and orientation of the water feature works in harmony with the entire property.

In designing a water feature, the client’s goals and concerns are the driving force of any particular project. Contractors often promote what they are familiar with; however, sometimes this does not always coincide with the client’s expected outcome. It is important to recognize when a client requests assistance from a professional to design and build a water feature, the request carries considerable emotion, both good and bad.

On the upside, as the client is envisioning and desiring a bit of paradise in their living space, it is often easier to close the deal. The downside, however, is the term ‘water feature’ can be an intangible description of what the end result can be. This can make it difficult for the client and contractor to come to an agreement on a design without visiting a comparable project or viewing several accurate images of what the client desires and what the contractor is expecting to build.

Guidelines for use and enjoyment

The following guidelines can help a landscaper envision the potential project from the client’s perspective and minimize conflicts.

First, it is important to recognize each client and property are unique; options and opportunities for a particular water feature design must be personalized. Make sure it is understood how the client intends to use and/or enjoy the water feature.

One of the most common goals a client has when doing any type of landscaping is to enhance the property’s appearance, regardless of how large or small the space might be. For example:

• Water features for esthetic purposes can provide long-range views of ponds and stream surfaces and opportunities to enjoy the water’s reflections;
• For larger estates, water is often used to draw the eye to key property elements or focal points; and
• More intimate settings, such as a Japanese garden, provide personal space, a destination and multiple viewing angles.

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A popular characteristic of a Japanese-style water feature is it doesn’t typically reveal itself entirely from any one location, which can lead one to assume the feature is larger than it actually is. There also tends to be a touch of mystery with this type of garden design, promoting the desire to explore and see what may be around the corner—especially when there is sound or vision of moving water coming from a hidden area.

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Some clients are looking to develop opportunities for personal interaction or to expand on a hobby such as tending to Koi, gold fish and/or aquatic gardens. One of the most important rules to keep in mind when designing a water feature is to bring the water as close to the client as reasonably possible. This makes interaction easy and allows the water feature to become a part of the client’s daily life. Usually, water features built further out into the property are not visited as often as expected and not enjoyed to their full potential.

Another reason location is important is because unvisited water features are usually not maintained properly. If the client is not able to enjoy the water feature in some manner on a daily basis, there is a good chance the design did not reach its full potential. This can also translate into a lack of future business referrals.

Some techniques for making water features easier to access and interact with involve creating ‘destinations,’ e.g. an overhanging rock, deck or stone terrace at the pond’s edge, bridges over streams, boardwalks across portions of a pond or even through an aquatic plant bed.

Other options include creating a private sitting area in the garden or providing specific windows of the house with framed views of the water feature. Keep in mind water not only attracts adults, but also small children, so any structures next to or within the water environment must be stable and safety must be taken into consideration.

Sounds of water and wildlife

Being able to relax within a garden environment may mean sitting beside a stream, water garden or waterfall with or without conversation. Some clients may specifically request an area or two where they can sit in the shade near a stream or waterfall to relax, read a book or enjoy an evening cocktail. In this case, the quality of sound coming from the feature is key to its level of enjoyment. Water ‘sounds’ can be evaluated using several criteria such as volume, pitch and direction. These elements can then be tuned specifically for the client.

When determining the best volume, the surrounding environment should be taken into consideration. Is the feature surrounded by a landscape that will absorb and diffuse sound or is it surrounded by hard structures? For example, if the feature is in a closed environment such as a courtyard, there are likely a number of sound-reflecting surfaces including concrete or stone floors, glass surfaces and stone or brick walls that can add to the intensity of the sound and potentially create undesirable conditions.

In these cases, the volume of sound the waterfall makes must be toned down at the source to ensure the overall effect (including the original sound generated and the reflected sound) meets the client’s personal space and goals.

Another common interest is attracting small wildlife, such as birds and butterflies. This is directly related to the fact many people think of their personal space as a respite or oasis where they have a bit of nature right outside their window.

In this situation, the design should address the specific needs of the wildlife, such as shallow, gently moving water to allow small birds to drink and bathe. As a side note, the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF’s) Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program, (formally known as the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program), provides details on what should be considered when creating an aquatic habitat. This resource is free and can used by contractors to enhance their knowledge and expand sales.

Location, size and shape

The size, shape and orientation of a water feature, such as a pond and stream, need to be designed based on how the client intends to interact with the feature. To size a pond properly, the space in which it will sit needs to be considered to achieve a visual balance in scale.

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An important rule to keep in mind: the pond at the lowest end of the stream should be able to store the water in transit within the stream in the event the pump(s) is slowed down or turned off. The more water the stream can retain, the less retention capacity needs to be built into the lower pond (which is essentially a reservoir). In the event the pond cannot be sized properly to contain all water in transit, which is not uncommon, collector tanks may need to be considered.

These tanks, usually hidden underground, store excess water that cannot be contained by the lower pond. Instead of allowing the water to overflow and be lost, the water is directed to the collector tank(s) is pumped back into the pond once the stream pump(s) is reactivated.

When considering pond shapes, keep in mind nature is often random. The pond edge should meander to some degree around natural obstacles, such as trees or rocks. If possible, the pond should not be entirely visible from any one vantage point. This adds mystery to the feature and gives the impression the pond continues on, perhaps behind a cluster of trees.

When deciding on orientation it is important to make sure the long axis of the pond or a portion of the stream aligns with key viewing areas. This gives the client a better chance of seeing more of the water’s surface and provides increased opportunities for enjoying surface reflections.

Grading and infrastructure

The next priority is dealing with groundwater, drainage, elevation and stable soil issues. Ponds are often designed and built in lowlands. This would seem to be the logical location, as surface water can be used to maintain pond water levels. However, with surface runoff comes organic debris including, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, which can wreak havoc within a water feature.

In nature, ponds in low areas tend to fill in over a period of time. They may start off deep, but slowly become shallower until thick aquatic vegetation eventually spreads over the entire pond surface, ultimately turning it into a wetland or marsh.

When designing a water feature, a landscaper has the opportunity to place the feature and shape the surrounding land in order to avoid this natural filling-in process.

Once the water feature’s location, size and orientation have been determined, an under liner drainage system should be installed in situations where the surrounding land is higher than the pond’s water level. The primary reason for this type of drain system is to relieve any groundwater pressure from lifting the liner. This problem occurs most often when there is underground water in the surrounding hillsides and gravity is trying to push it downhill creating hydraulic pressure.

Systems that do not employ under liner drainage have a greater risk of developing what are called ‘hippos,’ which occurs when the liner is lifted off the bottom of the pond. In these situations, a combination of events typically occur. Not only is water pressure pushing the liner upward, but a small air pocket is typically formed in the uplifted liner, which then allows for an increase in water degassing. This process continues until the liner is actually sticking out of the pond surface by several inches.

Commercial water features

Rather than creating ‘destinations,’ commercial clients are more interested in creating a ‘wow’ factor. The goal for these projects—for example, an entrance to a business or a new subdivision—is to draw the public in by creating a dramatic visual and audible presence that is easily noticed.

For many commercial projects, the feature’s realism or authenticity may take a backseat to visual stimulation or awareness. An abundance of flowing water can therefore be a necessity for the feature to fulfil its purpose—especially for people passing via car who only have seconds to see and recognize what they are looking at.

Common commercial water feature mistakes

1. The waterfall structure is mounded in an unrealistic manner, similar to a volcano, without any apparent reason other than a hill being present at the location. To make a feature convey realism, sufficient effort should be made to taper the waterfall structure and use proper proportions of rock and plant material.
2. The water is not easily visible from the primary viewing areas. This can be due to insufficient flow, poor selection of weirs and rocks within the watercourse or simply because the flowing water is contained in steep-sided waterways. In this case, strong shadows are cast and cause the sun to reflect off the moving water.
3. The water is ejected out the top of a hill or mountain, something rarely seen in natural waterfalls.

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In nature, water is rarely the highest object, nor is it often seen pouring from the top of a rock ledge. When trying to create a realistic or authentic-looking water feature, it is important the apparent source of the water is not disclosed. A client or visitor to a water feature should not be able to easily see where the water is coming from. Keep in mind a water source looks much more natural when it is seeping through cracks or fissures in rocks, welling up from underground or around the base of trees, rather than coming out the top of a mound of rocks or shooting out of a pipe.

Hiding the actual water source can be accomplished by discharging it around a corner in the stream or having it emerge from under a larger rock, collection of rocks or grouping of plants. When building a longer stream, it is more convincing to inject water at various locations to give the impression the stream is building in volume as it descends a hillside.

Finding inspiration

Landscapers and landowners are encouraged to explore and seek out examples of possibilities in nature and at public and private gardens to become further educated and excited about the potential of water within a landscape or garden. The esthetic and emotional benefits a water feature can bring to a client are monumental. If it is designed and built in a high quality, multi-dimensional manner, a pond, stream or waterfall will retain the client’s interest for years to come, translating into possible referrals.

 

David Duensing is president of David B. Duensing & Associates Inc., and managing partner of Aquatic Construction Services LLC in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He designs, builds and consults on commercial and residential water features of all sizes throughout North and Central America, the Caribbean and abroad. As first president of the National Association of Pond Professionals (NAPP), Duensing played a key role in developing the organization’s first training and certification materials and pond building standards. He also provides accredited courses to the pool and spa industry in watershape design and construction as an instructor through the Genesis 3 Design Group School. He can be reached via e-mail at dave@dbduensing.com[6].

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