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Water Gardening By Richard Liberto
I can vividly recall watching the water in the fountains at various theme parks during our family vacations. The pleasing sound of the rushing water, the shining reflections and the display of colored lights illuminating the fountains after nightfall particularly enchanted me. One of my first inspirations for designing with water occurred while I was visiting Fallingwater, the former summer home for the Kaufmann family located in Bear Run, Pennsylvania. This is when I first heard of Frank Lloyd Wright. Shortly after this visit, I began to understand Wright’s unique intentions of connecting architecture with the natural landscape—a design approach he deemed “organic design.” It was Wright who first inspired me to look at setting as well as structure when designing. In the case of Fallingwater, water was, of course, the dominating element in his design. While studying horticulture in college, I learned about various British designers, notably Gertrude Jekyll and Christopher Lloyd. Both of these prominent designers have created many beautiful gardens and have shared their secrets in their numerous published books. These two designers have also influenced me a great deal about water garden design and plantings as they relate to the water and the immediate landscape. If you are looking for inspiration for either implementing a new water garden or revising an existing one, you may want to consider exploring British sources and Japanese water garden designs. The Japanese appreciate scale, and will, for example, create a lily pool or pond as large as possible in proportion to its garden space. Japanese water gardens are as large as the space allows. Water gardens should not look skimpy; they should appear more than an incidental detail without relevance to the total landscape design. Water must be used as a dramatic element reflecting the sky’s changeable light. It must also serve as a foil to plantings and create the illusion of an enlarged garden space. A well-designed landscape should capture the essential movement and beauty of the water. So just how does one accomplish such a task? The following are some tried and true techniques you’ll find to be very helpful as you design and build your water garden.
Design Approach
Whether you do the installation yourself or hire a professional, what will ultimately determine how elaborate or easy the water garden will be is—pure and simple—your budget. Simple and less expensive materials are usually the most beautiful and enduring. The designing process should begin by first taking into account your needs. Is the water garden to be stimulating or relaxing? Is it to be a main focal point or a “hidden” element, luring one to visit another area of the landscape or garden? Do you want to be able to touch as well as listen to the water? These are all important questions to consider. A water garden or water feature should be large enough to inhabit the garden space in proper portion. Such proportion is a personal preference. My preference is to err on the larger side. The shape of your water garden depends on your taste and the requirements of your landscape, and it should remain in character with its surroundings. There are many shapes to consider, from a formal rectangle to an informal shape mimicking a natural pond. Formal shapes tend to be most appropriate for small urban sites, while informal configurations are most appropriate on larger properties.
Many factors can affect the location of a water garden, including topography, sunlight, view lines and availability of a water source and electricity. One note of importance: legal restrictions are crucial and need to be considered before you begin construction of your water garden. Investigate the local building code within your municipality, borough or township. The code may or may not limit the placement, size and depth of your water garden. Do your homework now as it can save a lot of time, money and energy later. Of all the above factors, sunlight is the most critical, especially if you will be growing aquatic plants, which I hope you will. I cannot imagine a water garden in July without water lilies or irises in full bloom! I have found that using the site’s topography to its best advantage can add immensely to the beauty of the design. A property with a gentle slope into which a pond can be nestled, or one with a steep slope that lends itself to a waterfall cascading toward the house will add year-round drama and sound to your garden. Water sounds are soothing and can screen unwanted noise. Regarding location and topography, it is important to determine how accessible the site is for construction, especially if the project will be contracted out. Trucks and equipment must have access to the site during construction. Of course, water is needed to fill and maintain the water level. Electricity is needed to run pumps, filters and lighting.
Construction
When digging for a pond that will include waterfalls, always excavate into the existing grade. Water is always level and the slightest error will make the pool appear tilted. It is important that the water feature be perfectly level. This can be checked by setting a two-by-four from side to side and placing a level on top. For larger features, stretching a string level across will give you an accurate reading.
Pool Types
When using a liner, be certain to disguise the rim, or liner edge, which will inevitably show post-installation. However, don’t let this detail discourage you. This is easily rectified by “cantilevering” rocks along the edge or planting right up to the water’s edge.
Some homeowners and contractors prefer using concrete or gunite. Both materials are durable and can be formed into any shape or size but are more expensive and difficult to construct than rubber liners. And with concrete there is no room for error. Once installed, they are difficult, and expensive, to change. Pouring concrete requires that the truck have good access to the site to get as close as possible to the respective water feature. Otherwise, it will have to be moved by hand in a wheelbarrow. Gunite is typically ”shot” through a hose at a high PSI, which allows some flexibility for a difficult access. The final option regarding shapes is to use a pre-formed fiberglass liner purchased from any home or garden center. These fiberglass ”liners” are rigid, and I find the sizes and shapes of these manufactured types to be too limiting for most gardens. They are definitely useful; however, if you want a quick, simple pond that is easy to install, requires no maintenance and one that will last a lifetime.
Equipment
You can get a relatively inexpensive submersible pump at any home or garden center or from the contractor doing the job. These pumps are simply dropped into the water and plugged into a nearby outlet, usually near the filter box. The volume of water being circulated depends on the design and effect you want to accomplish. I like to recommend a pump that is more powerful than you anticipate needing, since a valve can be installed to restrict the flow. There are two types of filters: mechanical and biological. The mechanical filter is the most common. It is essentially a large sponge set in a plastic box in front of the pump’s intake valve. A mechanical filter can be placed inside or outside the water feature. A biological filter is set outside the feature. This filtering system is designed to grow beneficial bacteria in layers of gravel or red lava rock, which consume nitrogen and, in turn, purify the water.
Lighting
Maintenance
Algaecides are a quick fix but are only a temporary cure. The right solution is to add floating-leaf plants and oxygenating plants, or by correcting problems of run-off or poor water circulation. Bear in mind, successful water gardens are the result of proper planning and are maintained best by achieving a biological balance. This is the way in which Nature succeeds. At best, all we can do is to follow Her lead.
Our Design Professionals
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For most kids, having fun with water is an essential, natural part of growing up. For me it was no different. I’d play with the water as it streamed into the bathtub and I’d run through the sprinkler with my sister on hot summer days. Often you’d find me exploring the edges of ponds and streams and to this day, I still do. This not only provided my first lessons in designing with water, but it also helped me understand the unique, special needs of aquatic life and plants.
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