Using Water

Article by: Chris Beardshaw
Publish date: 4th September 2008

For thousands of years, gardens have been a way of life, a green space filled with plants and energy, with water representing the very essence of all vitality within. Not least for irrigation, water has served to calm the senses, inspire the thinker and create a sense of peace and harmony in a beautiful, charming setting. From ancestral gardens to those which will be planted in the future, tranquillity is key in shaping a space of natural beauty and reflection, with water providing a source of balance and equanimity. Ancient Egyptians relied on natural water channels to soak their desiccated spice crops, but tomb paintings from 3000BC reveal they also enjoyed lush walled enclosures of fruit trees and ornamental plants around a reflective pool.

Many believe the idea of the pool came from a desire to watch the star-filled heavens at night, somewhere to invite dreaming and transitory desires. For many years subsequently, residential garden design pivoted on a central, rectangular water feature from which a formal layout emanated and provided a source for nourishment.

Over the centuries, water features have developed much in complexity. The Romans introduced fountains, which were intricately tied to the bathing ritual, a place to socialise as people gathered to drink and wash. Later these became majestic structures, changeable works of art, designed to impress as well as invigorate. In the Renaissance period, so-called for the 're-birth' of ancient classical architecture, gardens followed a formal layout imposing order to unruly rills and streams by detouring run-offs into straight lines that would flow through the gardens and feed into fountains. Later, the drama and prestige of the Baroque era brought with it the most elaborate of all garden creations: in Versailles you can still see classical golden statues emerging from the water to create a pastiche of angelic proportions.

Following this period of truly affluent gardening came the rediscovery of natural beauty that led to the development of English landscaped gardens. Eastern gardens, particularly the serene pleasure spaces of the Japanese, were the inspiration behind many of the 18th Century romantic English gardens. With their elaborate pavilions, bridges and waterfalls set among rocks, sand and lush evergreens, they mimicked those designed by Zen monks to enhance meditation, restraint and peace. Blenheim Palace is a wonderful example of the English romantic style, a concept later incorporated into Central Park, New York, in 1857.

Water has an innate ability to enliven still areas with bubbling promise and adds a dimension that nothing else can bring to life quite so effectively. These days, we require water to bring balance to our busy lifestyles so we may come home to peace and relaxation. Using a combination of all the old styles we are able to create our watery havens of today to calm our restless souls. Not only should you have a feature which is aesthetically pleasing, but one that adds practicality to your unique location. While it must be mood enhancing, it should gurgle out enough 'white noise' to mask any sound pollution from busy roads or unrelenting jets overhead. Whether tumbling down a rockery, a gushing pipe or spouting fountain, water can be effectively used to mimic the wonderful sounds of a rain forest waterfall or extravagant Baroque centrepiece.

Use a multi-bowl pourer positioned down an existing slope in your garden and you have a gentle cascade of water to calm the mood; or an old stone trough can double as a peaceful reservoir to cool you down. These needn't be expensive additions to your garden - many reclamation yards have fabulous gems just waiting for a creative overhaul. Similarly, the clever incorporation of a reflective pond can increase the size of your garden, mirroring it in all its softness and beauty, with gentle ripples adding movement and refracted light dancing off neighbouring structures, giving an ethereal and mysterious feel. To inject life and energy into your garden, water will attract a whole manner of wildlife, provided ponds incorporate shallow beaches for easy access with a base of soil to attract insects and amphibians. In deeper water, aquatic plants don't come any more beautiful than water lilies, which have the additional benefit of filtering water from sunlight to prevent the build-up of algae, keeping wildlife beneath protected and those on top supported. Nymphaea pygmea is a vibrant but small variety, while the pale pink Nymphaea 'Marliacea Carnea' is a large and prolific grower. For the pond's edge, use marginals such as Caltha palustris (marsh marigolds) and Mentha aquatica (water mint) for smell and colour. For boggy areas, try Iris pseudacorus (yellow iris), and the all-important oxygenators such as Eichornia crassipes (water hyacinth) to breathe life into the pond.

Aquatic plants are slow to emerge into life following the winter due to the cold water warming slowly, but come summer there will be a burst of growth. To give you a guide for the coverage of water plants in a pond, work on the basis that approximately no more than one third of a pond should be covered with plants. It is best to leave any pond maintenance until the plants are in growth to avoid any unnecessary disruption, but regular upkeep throughout the summer is important so that the vigorous growers do not out-compete the more constrained plants and suffocate the whole pond.

Simply pull the weeds out, but leave them on the side of the pond to allow any creatures to find their way back to the water. Likewise, fish should be kept under control to prevent silt disruption so don't overfeed, and avoid using fertilisers or tap water to top up the pond as the possible high concentrations of nitrates will only serve to feed algae.

There is no doubt that water adds an unrivalled contribution to a garden and there are many styles of feature to suit a huge range of tastes. Try to capture the spirit of water in your design to captivate the onlooker, enhance the character of your garden and reap the rewards of liquid harmony.