Water In the Garden

Water, who could do without it? All living beings need it, our gardens need it too. A water feature in the garden supplies many animals with drinking water, a place to bathe or living accommodation in or near the water. Even the smallest water feature can make a huge difference to the wildlife we want to attract in our gardens.

Frogs, newts and toads are very welcome in the garden as they eat many harmful insects such as slugs in huge quantities. But to entice them to come, you need a water feature.

To add a water feature to your garden is to enhance its beauty tenfold. You can grow so many beautiful plants near or in a pond that will not grow anywhere else. A pond will also act as a mirror and make your garden look bigger and more interesting in every season.

A pond (big or small) creates it's own habitat in which many animals, insects and plants live.
Beautiful waterlilies that are such joy to behold.




The sound of running water on a hot summer's day soothes the nerves and makes us feel refreshed.


The reflection of the sky in the water brings such calm and serenity.

A Japanese garden with lovely water feature.
A water feature can be very formal


or very informal, like this wildlife pond.




It can be used as a mirror to reflect a temple ruin
or, as this brook, form an integral part of the landscape such as here in the gardens of Voorstonden.



Even a birdbath will attract wildlife to the garden and give birds plenty of opportunities to drink and bathe. Water brings life!


At Blackwater Pond

At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have
settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me, whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened?

Mary Oliver