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Waterfalls

© Vicki Paull

Waterfalls

What water garden would be complete without the sound of water? The relaxing, almost mesmerizing sound of water flowing over rocks and into pools is the crowning touch for most ponds. A fall also serves several practical purposes. Aeration, adding oxygen to the pond water. Cooling the water on a hot summer's day, and providing some hiding and shade for the fish.

A waterfall can be a monument to your building skills and vision, a complex of turrets and streams tumbling with planned abandon through the course you've outlined. Or it can be a sedate and simple affair, bubbling gently from a "spring" and trickling into a quiet pool. Build what you want-- this is your retreat, your world.

My first waterfall was one I built for a container garden I had. The container was a large terra- cotta dish. I had nestled it against a stone wall and an Oak tree. Then I had arranged stones around it in a pleasing manner. Next I placed a broken pot, on it's side, on a stone above it. Now I simply ran the hose from the pond to the hole in the bottom of the pot, arranged small stones inside the pot, to hide the hose, turned on the pump and ta-da! A waterfall. You can't get much simpler, and it really made a pleasant place to sit.

I became emboldened by that modest success and decided to build a real pond and waterfall. After experimenting with several piles of rock, I decided to try a fake rock fall, it had to be easier! Yes and no. The material is easier to handle, but the principles are the same, water follows the course of least resistance, and if there is a crack it will leak. I still have three rejected fake rock falls living in my garage. I spent too much time on them to toss them out! Finally my perseverence paid off and my new tiny pond sported a frisky little falls complete with pools and a water course. I used a chunk of Styrofoam, the kind used in construction, latex paint, aquarium sealer, sand, pea gravel, and other ornamental items. My only tools were a fillet knife and some paint brushes. Just carve out your falls with the knife, remembering how water flows, cut out falls, pools, little streams etc. You will need to "under-cut" the ledges you want it to drop from. You don't want Styrofoam balls or dust in your pond, so to check it, balance it on something and run water from the hose over it. Now you can check the flow and make sure it is the way you want it. Next step is to decorate it. Start with the latex paint. Use browns, black, greys and even some dark green. You can spray it on or sponge it or apply it any way you want. Just don't make it all one color, you want it to look as natural as possible. Now, using the aquarium sealer as glue add pea gravel, sand, and rocks to create a natural look. Be careful you don't mess up the water flow. At this point you can get artistic and glue on moss, sticks, fungus, whatever, on the areas that won't be under water. Let the project dry completely. Locate it and anchor it somehow. I left places on mine to add larger rocks to hold it down in high winds. Finally run the hose from the pump to the falls, turn it on and you are in business!