There are so many different types of water features available for both residential and commercial landscapes. Water feature add dramatic flair to any landscape. The water can be used as flowing in, trickling or just in the form of a still pond. Creates a beautiful focal point with a relaxing and soothing element. Water that is in motion is not only visually appealing, it will add value to the property. But it also has a way of making its own music.
Water features can be added to an existing landscape or a new blank site. For ease of installation and cost- effectiveness homeowners have the option of purchasing many types of water features in kit form as well.
Ponds and Streams
Ponds and Streams are also quite popular for residential water features. They both have the ability to transform completely by enhancing the overall look of the ground. Ponds and streams can help create a surreal, relaxing and soothing landscape setting perfect for entertaining friends and family. Ponds and streams installed into home landscapes have so many benefits, such as; aesthetics, increasing value and also therapeutic qualities. Two types of ponds can be identified as Indoor and Outdoor ponds.
Outdoor Tiled Pond
This brief discussion will include a description of a beautiful outdoor tiled pond created by “Lakmal Gardens” in one of their home gardens. Construction steps from the beginning will be discussed in following paragraphs.
As the very first step, required shaped pit should be created in the planned location according to the initial landscape site map. Then the bottom of the pit is leveled properly. After that, a concrete layer is applied to a thickness of 2 inches for waterproofing.
Brick boundaries having a thickness of one brick, are built to demarcate the pond. After that according to the initial design, a brick wall with three steps, having the overall height matching to the dimensions of the pond (around 8 feet) was built with two brick columns at edges along one bank of the pond.
As this brick wall was constructed attaching to an existing garden boundary (a wall), to ensure the stability of this newly constructing brick wall, the existing wall was damaged and a new cement plaster was applied prior to building the new parallel wall.
Two small square-shaped tanks were built enclosing bottoms of two columns with a height of two feet for planting suitable foliage plants in order to add extra beauty to the pond design. After finishing that, started creating two troughs on top of the columns according to the design. When creating a trough, as the first step, the required shaped frame was built using steel. Then the bottom of the frame of troughs were covered using “chicken net” and side walls covered using “rice net”.
Continuing steps to make a Tiled Pond
Then a cement grout is applied to the walls of the troughs and finished with applying a cement plaster.
After that, all the walls and boundaries built using bricks were covered with cement plaster and leveled properly.
After the application of cement plaster, water-seal application was done as the waterproofing material.
At the first day water-seal application should be done in the right direction, the second day it should be done to the down direction and the third day water-seal plaster should be applied.
Then tiling was started from the wall. For tiling the wall, special small rectangular shaped tiles (12×4) were used. The cost of one of this tile is Rs. 165.00.
The surface of this tile was rough and had a layered shape.
These surface properties help to increase the cascade effect of the water flow along the wall.
Tiling of the wall consumed comparatively a long time to complete as it had to be done with careful attention.
Colors of the tiles used had a slight variation from each other and a mixture of such colored tiles were used for tiling the middle step of the wall.
Single-colored (Bluish) such tiles were used for the lower and upper part of the wall.
After finishing the tiling of the wall, pond boundaries and two columns were tiled (Plate 9) using a type of rough-surfaced tile having a bluish color (12×6).
After that, lower and upper planting boxes were tiled using a rough-surfaced tile having a brownish color (12×6).
Fixing a submersible pump
Pond was filled and the water pump was installed in a tiled box specially created to place the pump hidden, besides the pond.
This pump type is submersible pump. Advantages of this pump are low sound, low cost and low power consumption.
Pipes were fixed to bring water towards the top of the wall and then allowing a water flow alone the tiled wall back to the pond.
By having three steps shaped and rough-surfaced tiles, water flows along the wall were rich in the cascade effect.
After completing these constructing steps, lower and upper planting boxes were filled with planting medium and “Nephrolepis” and “Dicicothea” plants were planted.
Outdoor Cement Rock Pond
It is a natural type pond. Beauty of the pond has increased by planting Nephrolopis plants in trough structures.
Waterfalls
Waterfalls are a very common form of water feature that can be added to one’s landscape. They are widely used for non-residential and commercial applications for they really do make a stunning statement and will enhance any site they are installed.
One of the most recommended materials for waterfalls is natural rocks and stones. The reason for this is that they are so visually pleasing and allow to imitate a natural
waterfall, and also that they are durable materials for they are natural. This means that homeowner will be able to enjoy his/her waterfall for many years to come, with very minimal maintenance required.
During the period of our research program, we had a chance in building a waterfall at one of the home garden projects of “Lakmal Gardens”. This waterfall was created at the right corner of the pond to increase the beauty of the garden pond. Round shaped river stones are used to construct it. A water circulation system has built to obtain the water flow.
Fountains
Fountains are decorative and often time’s very artistic pieces are used, such as; statues and sculptures, which capture the splendid and intriguing elements of flowing water so well.
These water features are so widely available or can be custom made to suit homeowners needs. Fountains make ideal focal points and centerpieces for the entrances to the grounds of the home.
They can be positioned in any outdoor area where may feel the need to impose the magical sights and sounds of trickling water.
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