If you have a little more budget and want something custom, there are many different options to make water a focal point in your landscape. This might be a small reflecting basin, a bubbling stone, a wall fountain, a pondless waterfall, or a narrow rill that moves water gently through the garden. The goal does not have to be grandeur. Often, the most beautiful water features are the simplest: a quiet vessel, a soft trickle, or the sound of water near a seating area.
Water can change the atmosphere of a garden. It can mask traffic noise, make a space feel cooler, attract birds and pollinators, and invite people to slow down. Even a modest fountain can make a garden feel more layered and alive.
Water brings refreshment, sound, movement, and a sense of retreat. It reminds us that a garden does not have to be large or elaborate to feel restorative. Sometimes, all it takes is a little shade, a comfortable place to sit, and the gentle gurgle of water nearby.
Q&A with a Water Feature Builder
We talked with Andrew Johnson of River Bed Builders of Kentuckiana about the practical side of installing a home water feature.
What do most people not know about home water features?
What many don’t know would be how small of a space you actually need. We do a lot of bubbling boulders, which you can put right next to a patio or existing area that is already landscaped. It’s a good place to watch birds and interact with them and have that sound of bubbling water.
What should homeowners consider?
If an area is too shaded for grass or plantings, we can come in with a water feature and transform that space into something functional. I don’t think there’s a better landscape design than one that has water in it.
There are many options to consider, like a koi pond, a pondless waterfall, a bubbling feature, or even a recreational pond, which are like the size of a swimming pool and can have a waterfall. With these, you can actually put your feet in the water or use it to swim in or for fish.
People can have a hard time picking which direction they want to go. We like to point people to our YouTube channel where we showcase options.
What is your specialty?
I really like working with big boulders. The bigger the boulder, the more natural the features will look. For example, we can build a koi pond, bring in large boulders, and that looks more intentional than a lot of small rocks.
Water features are more artwork than y our traditional building projects. Each one is unique. If we can make someone cry tears of joy when seeing the finished product, that’s a win. We get a lot of tears because people usually have been saving and waiting a long time to put their water feature in.
By Kayla Oldham Hammett ~ landscape architect and owner of Firefly Exteriors, Inc.
P.S. If you missed it, here is the first part of this water in the garden series: Water In The Garden
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