Once just the prerogative of those with large gardens and even larger bank accounts, today water features are quickly becoming an affordable pleasure that can be appreciated by everyone. As you choose your luxury home plan, consider adding a water garden to your landscaping for relaxing beauty.

A place of tranquility and peace with relaxing sounds and reflecting light. This calm elegance comes with the hottest trend in landscaping – water gardens. One of the most fascinating elements in a garden is water. Whether it is a pond that reflects its surroundings or a gently whispering fountain, it holds an attraction for everyone who views it.

With today’s hurried pace, stepping into a water garden releases stress and brings comfort to any space. Landscapers are realizing this and offering water fixtures as part of their regular services. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, there are new products to make it easier to create and maintain water features.

Spend quality time designing the entire project in order to build a successful water feature. From selecting your site to cleaning up, paying attention to detail will lead to impressive results. Much like developing your luxury house plan and floor plan, it is essential to explore all elements of building your unique landscaping and water feature.

To bring a breath of fresh life to any site, add a pond. There are two types of basic ponds. A formal pond has a hard edge of stone, brick or tile while an informal pond blends with nature. A pond offers a relaxing atmosphere, movement and sound. Ponds bring the joy of wildlife because you can add fish and frogs, and dragonflies and birds will be attracted to your pond.

To create a dynamic, magical effect, create a fountain. By choosing the right pump and accessories, you can ensure your fountain will be delightful to view. There are four main fountain patterns. A geyser is good for an open, breezy site; a bell jet is ideal for a small, formal pond; a single spray nozzle creates a dynamic, bold effect; and a fountain jet is a simple, no-fuss spray that looks great in any pond. Filters and pumps are used to create gentle rolling motion as well.

Quickly gaining respect are bog gardens, a practical way to create something beautiful from a flaw. An area on your site where rainwater drains and erodes the land is the ideal place to create a bog garden. Add water-loving plants and rocks and your garden will bring wildlife and beauty.

If you don’t have time or space for a large water garden, container gardens are perfect. They can be created in tubs and barrels with all the same elements as a large feature. From fish to plants, a small container garden brightens any area.

A key pleasure of a water feature is it provides a fantastic environment for planting. The most popular are water lilies but many others are also gaining recognition. Countless varieties thrive in a pond, ranging from annual to perennial, large to small. An easy choice are floating plants because no planting is required. Underwater plants keep your pond clean and deter algae. Plants also provide shade to prevent evaporation.

Fish bring excitement, joy and animation to your pond. With enough space and nutrients, large or small fish will thrive. Tried and true beauties are goldfish, but the rise in Oriental ponds and gardens have made koi increasingly popular.

Routine cleaning, fish and plant care are required to keep the water feature in attractive condition. A good maintenance schedule makes the process go smoothly as the seasons change.

A water garden brings calm to your landscape design with soothing sights and the rhythm of moving water that take you away on a mini-vacation. The dream home you bring to life from your customized luxury home plan will be the ultimate oasis fit for a king or queen with a calming water garden.