Streamline the yard with water

Water features, such as a classical fountain or a tumbling waterfall, add a dynamic yet restful dimension to a garden.

The soothing gurgle of moving water drowns the cacophony of urban noises and adds to the tranquillity and peace of the garden. The refreshing sight of flowing water, with its dancing patterns of reflections, creates a delightful focal point in a desert garden. It also creates cool retreats on hot summer evenings.

Keep it simple

Apart from being ornamental, these water features help increase oxygen levels in the water, which in turn is beneficial for fish.

A water garden does not have to be a complex, labour-intensive venture involving a huge investment of time and money — it can be as simple as keeping a small bird bath filled with 2-3 inches of water or as extravagant as building a lily pond that supports its own fauna and flora.

Nowadays, water features come in all sizes and shapes and can be designed to fit just about any landscape.

Even a small patio garden can be brought to life by the babble of a bubble fountain.

Making a mark

Fountains are an eye-catching addition to all gardens, patios, decks and outdoor areas. They can be either freestanding or attached to a wall. Freestanding fountains can be large enough to have an imposing presence in the garden or small enough to sit on a tabletop.

At the high end is the large, ornate pedestal fountain, made of marble, granite, sandstone or metal.

Nowadays, fibreglass or decorative concrete fountains are also popular because they are designed to look like real stones.

The classic multitier fountain, with water gently cascading over ornately carved levels, is usually used in a formal landscape as a focal point. It adds height to a landscape and can look dramatic when illuminated at night.

Small tabletop fountains, on the other hand, are self-contained units that can be displayed in patios, porches and balcony gardens. These bring forth all the gurgling, flowing and cascading sounds of fountains and don't need too much space or money.

Wide variety

They come in many designs — for instance, urn fountains have water bubbling from the mouth of huge terracotta or glazed urns with built-in pumps and basins to re-circulate water. The smooth lines and neat designs of urn fountains give a contemporary feel to the landscape.

Water may even be included in the form of a bubble fountain in a garden, in areas where children play.

Bubble features allow you to enjoy the sounds of moving water without needing to maintain an elaborate water feature with fish and water lilies.

These fountains allow water to bubble over cobblestones or pebbles without forming an area of any great depth, as the flowing water is immediately collected and re-circulated by an underground reservoir and pump.

However, ground-level fountains should ideally have proper fencing or edging to keep children and household pets at a distance. Remember to take all safety precautions when you have small children at home.

For limited space

Wall fountains or waterspouts are excellent for small gardens, balconies and patios where space is rather limited. Typically, a wall fountain includes a spout to eject the water and a reservoir to collect it again.

The spout is often intricately designed in the shape of a lion's head, gargoyle or other such mythical or real creature.

The reservoir houses a small submersible pump that re-circulates the water to the rear of the spout to be expelled through its mouth.

The wall supporting the spout must be strong enough to bear the weight of the fountain and must be located near an electrical outlet to power the pump.

Waterfalls make visually stunning focal points for gardens large enough to accommodate them.

Nowadays, it is possible to create an artificial waterfall with the help of faux rocks, which look as real as natural stones.

The most common materials used for creating garden waterfalls are cast stone or fibreglass with a natural rock finish.

Creating a waterfall is an attractive way of linking different levels in the garden. You can soften the rigid lines of the rocks and make the waterfall look more natural by edging it with moisture-loving plants, such as umbrella palm (Cyperus alternifolium), taro (Colocasia esculenta), Nile grass (Cyperus papyrus), screw pine (Pandanus veitchii) and Mentha aquatica.

— Chandana Roy is a UAE-based gardening enthusiast

Location: Impress them

Where to place the water features in a garden?
II While choosing the site for a fountain, place it in such a way that it can be viewed from the windows or balconies of the house as well as from other parts of the garden.

II Fountains and waterfalls should complement the outdoor settings — they should look as though they belong to the landscape where they have been placed. Do not keep fountains and waterfalls anywhere near a garden pond as water lilies do not grow too well near moving water.

Another important consideration is the accessibility to electricity, particularly if your system includes a pump or a filter. A nearby water source is also necessary. Water must be added on a regular basis because even though it may be recycled, a lot of it is lost through surface evaporation in our intensely hot climate.

If you are planning to have plants around your water feature, select an open, sunny location away from walls and trees. If the water feature is directly under trees, leaves falling into the water will decay, harming aquatic life and clogging pumps and filters. This in turn will lead to algal bloom.

Do not place a water feature near a car garage or any place where you do not want birds to visit.

Tips: Keep it clean

Maintenance
Failure to clean a garden fountain may lead to unpleasant consequences. It is important to maintain the quality of the water because fountain sprays have been linked to disease outbreaks, including Legionnaires' disease.

Follow the cleaning instructions listed in the manual provided by the manufacturer. Most recommend changing water every three to six months.

Every time you clean the fountain, you should also clean the pump and remove any debris that may have been sucked into the rotors.

Avoid any leaching of organic matter or synthetic fertiliser into the reservoir. This might lead to algal bloom.

In case of severe algal bloom, the water may need chlorination or anti-algal treatment. However, these chemicals should be used with caution as they can harm the aquatic plants and fish.

Add water whenever the level dips below the pump's intake region. Low water level causes the pump to burn due to overheating.

Most manufacturers suggest that the fountain be turned off when it is being filled.

Avoid stirring up the bottom of the water feature unnecessarily.