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Add A Water Feature! It's Easy and Fun! The First of Three

© Barbara M. Martin

From bird bath to container water garden to fountain, you can add the magic of water to your garden! So what are you waiting for? Winter is when we are supposed to plan our gardens. Summer is when we wish we had planned better. Here are some fun ideas to get you started thinking ahead!

Is there still a saying about "Water, water every where and not a drop to drink?"

For some reason, that reminds me of a fountain playing blithely through a rainstorm and it always makes me smile. There is never too much water in the garden -- water as in "water feature" that is! Water features are decorative focal spots using water in one form or another. Water always creates drama and excitement in any garden, and you can add a water feature to your garden far more easily than you may think!

Are you still thinking of water features as elegant pools of water lilies or elaborate koi ponds, with intricate filtration systems and lots of maintenance? Relax! What I have in mind here would generally be achievable in an afternoon, once you decide on the effect you are after.

Children will tell you that water in the garden in ANY form is fun and I happen to agree with them. Best of all, you can enjoy a water feature in any garden, no matter how large or small. Your water feature may be as simple as a bird bath or you may step up to a half barrel water garden or a wall fountain or move on to something as exotic as a rivulet. Whatever you decide on will be just fine.

The easiest way to get started is with a simple passive feature such as a bird bath. For a bird bath, all you really need is a catch basin. It's that simple. The traditional bird bath is basically just a container to hold water. It usually sits on a pedestal to protect the birds from cats, and maybe to make it more visible. Bird baths are usually shallow so the birds won't worry about falling in. The visiting birds add the movement, song and sparkle for you.

You can purchase a formal or informal birdbath made of plastic, concrete or stone. Or you can improvise and configure your own style of basin on some sort of a pedestal. I don't think there is a rule saying that a bird bath has to

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