What Water Feature Works for You?

Water is a dynamic element, both in nature and in your yard. A water feature can be the focal point of your landscape or simply add atmosphere in the background. From natural streams to shooting fountains and bubbling rocks to metal rills, the endless variety of sizes and styles makes a water feature a feasible part of any landscape design. Not sure if a water feature is right for you? Take a look at the projects below to see some of the many ways a water feature can work in your landscape.

Transform Your Entrance

This moat-like water feature creates an experience for visitors.

The landscaping around your home defines visitors’ experience as they enter. A water feature by the front door beckons guests towards it while setting the tone with its visual and auditory displays. This project takes things a step further, with its bubbling basalt fountain emptying into an artificial stream that flows along the front of the house. A wooden bridge traverses the stream, marking the transition into the home and creating an immersive entry journey. By choosing not to treat the water with chlorine, the homeowners have made their water feature into a resource for wildlife from the nearby conservation area as well.

Keep It Natural

A woodland stream offers a contemplative spot to rest.

A stream-like water feature doesn’t have to be a show-stopper. It can be an understated natural feature in landscapes with native, unmanicured areas. Here, a small stream with modest waterfalls creates an opportunity for a calm, contemplative sitting area. The sound of running water anchors the space in nature, despite it being a short walk from the residence. The stream also provides water to passing wildlife, giving the water feature an ecological purpose in addition to its aesthetic function.

Repeat a Pattern

This core-drilled boulder fountain ties into matching boulders throughout the landscape.

Water features don’t need to be expansive to make a statement. This self-contained fountain is crafted from a boulder that echoes others in the landscape, including a large dive rock across the pool. A simple bubbling flow tumbles down the boulder into a basin hidden below a gravel-covered grate. The subtle action of this water feature allows the stone itself to hold equal prominence. Repeating that material throughout the landscape creates a site-wide pattern that integrates various areas into a cohesive design.

Tie It Together

The mix of natural and man-made materials makes this water feature a unifying landscape feature.

When a water feature is a focal point in the landscape, its design can be a keystone in the overall style. On this project, the contemporary architecture is complemented with more natural, organic landscaping. The courtyard water feature combines the two, comprising geometric poured concrete and natural basalt boulders. The basin and equipment is hidden beneath metal grating and gravel, which also conceals the mechanism for a fire pit burner. This anchors the water feature visually, further integrating it into the landscape.

Create a Theme

A statement-making fountain defines the style of this entry space.

Not every water feature has to be custom-built on site. A traditional fountain design offers a self-contained option, and the wide variety of sizes and styles available means that there is truly an option for any landscape. Fountains are often a piece of art in themselves and can define the style of a space. This classical home features a statement-making European-inspired fountain across from the entrance, establishing a geometric, symmetrical theme that is carried through the landscaping surrounding the house.

How to Incorporate Art in Your Landscape

Incorporating art into your landscape can elevate it to another level, but it can be hard to figure out how to bring art in without it feeling like an afterthought. If you’re in need of inspiration, here are six ways to include art in a thoughtful manner.

Lead the Eye

Art is a great focal point in the garden. A piece of art draws the viewer toward itself, which creates a flow through the landscape. Whether it’s a major statement that defines a space or a smaller piece that teases the viewer from afar, art can be used to lead the eye and direct people through a landscape.

This partially hidden pagoda sculpture invites visitors in to discover the landscape.

Create a Theme

Art can also be used to establish and strengthen a theme throughout the landscape. It can unite disparate elements or echo similar ones. A bold piece of art can dictate the style of a whole space. Meanwhile, on constrained properties where different parts of the landscape are separated from each other, repeated artworks can create a rhythm among themselves and connect those spaces.

This standing rock sculpture echoes the use of natural materials throughout the landscape.

Add Whimsy

At its most basic, garden art brings personality into the garden. It can be an opportunity to showcase a durable collection, or just to make wishful thinking into reality. You might never get a blue heron drinking from your water feature, but with a piece of art you can have one year-round. You won’t see a cactus or agave surviving the Inland Northwest winter, but a sculpture has no problem. Garden art can simply be a fun expression of your whims.

Steel barrel cactus sculptures bring a touch of the Southwest into this Spokane backyard.

Include the Old

Landscapes can grow stale or simply not meet your needs. In the event of a landscape makeover, elements from the old landscape can be incorporated as art in the new landscape. If you’re decommissioning a fountain, consider adding some drainage holes and turning it into a planter. Salvaged bricks can be turned into a decorative patio inlay, or an old gate could become a trellis. Get creative to preserve the history of your site while adapting it to fit your lifestyle.

This metal jungle gym was original to the house; the homeowners preserved it as a sculptural centerpiece.

Inject Color

Art can provide forms and colors that no plant can match. It offers predictable, year-round interest with little to no care. Glass sculptures and gazing balls, glazed ceramic urns and bird baths, and powder-coated metal trellises and screens are just a few options for bright, cheerful color that can keep your winter garden from feeling boring while being just as dynamic in the growing season.

These colorful glass sculptures anchor the planting bed year-round.

Give it a Job

Art doesn’t have to be an aside in the garden; it can be a functional part of the landscape. If you’re putting in a fence, it could feature a decorative pattern. Your bird feeder could hang from a metal sculpture instead of a simple hook. Upgrade your flower pots to statement-making planters, or switch out your coir door mat for something more fun. If it’s something you look at or use regularly, make sure it brings you joy at the same time.

This metal garden gate was commissioned from a local artist and matches a larger gate at the driveway entrance.

If you’re looking to design your landscape and don’t know where to start, get in touch with us at Pacific Garden Design to talk about your project!