Four Water Garden Ideas for Patios and Small Spaces
The visual peacefulness of a water feature is a timeless part of landscape design. Its restorative quality is not just exclusive to large estates though, and instead can be a part of luxury for patios, and even balconies, as they fit into compact outdoor areas.
The key will be in the water management. While carefully controlled water adds atmosphere, uncontrolled water presents some concerns. Having the right equipment for any scenario is critical, like nearby flooding, be it using a submersible pump for a flooded cellar or selecting the correct circulator for a patio pond. This article provides five technical concepts for integrating a sophisticated water garden into a small space.
The Simple & Serene Container Pond
A surprisingly sophisticated and self-contained aquatic ecosystem can be achieved within a single vessel. Large, non-porous containers like galvanized steel troughs or glazed ceramic pots can serve as ideal miniature ponds. For flora, try to achieve a balanced composition of floating plants like Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce), marginals like dwarf papyrus, and submerged oxygenators. To keep the water clear and healthy, use a small, low-wattage submersible pump to power a bubbler. This gentle circulation prevents water stagnation, deters mosquito larvae, and will of course provide that sense of serenity without complex plumbing.
The Elegant Tiered Fountain
The classic tiered fountain creates both auditory and visual appeal as the water cascades. This design involves a series of stacked basins of decreasing diameter, each with a central aperture. A pump, housed in the lowest and largest basin, drives water vertically through concealed tubing to the apex tier.
From there, gravity does the rest, cascading back down to the reservoir basin. Its continuity is the whole point, so ensure there’s enough water there in the closed-loop system. This project offers a high aesthetic return.
The Modern Wall-Mounted Water Feature
For narrow spaces like balconies, a wall-mounted water feature can pack in a lot of sophistication in a small space. The design centers on a spout or “scupper,” made from the likes of copper, bamboo or stainless steel, and it channels water into a nice basin below. A pump here, in the basin again, recirculates the water back to the spout via tubing concealed within the wall structure.
The Disappearing Fountain for A Sleek Look
The “disappearing” or “pebble” fountain offers the sound and movement of water without an open basin, which is both for safety and design. Water comes out of a central point, like a decorative urn or group of stones, and flows down, vanishing into an underground reservoir.
This system requires a subterranean basin that is covered by a sturdy grate, meaning it’s then concealed with pebbles or decorative rock. It’s ideal for gardens frequented by children.
Bring Your Small Space to Life
These four concepts show that it’s possible to create elegant and relatively extravagant water elements in a small space, even if it’s not a garden but a balcony. Each design should be adaptable and scalable to some extent, and with room for some DIY approaches. The symbiosis between gravity and a pump is all that’s required to create a perpetual flow of sensory input.
