GARDEN FOUNTAINS, WATER IN THE GARDEN, OUTDOOR GARDEN FEATURES

A spacious garden is a real asset to the home. So when you do your garden design be sure to put in water features (with safety features). Children can have real fun playing in the garden. It is also a safe environment for them to play in and get to know nature. In fact, the garden can be a place for fun for the whole family. Kids and adults alike can spend 'quality' time with each other playing together in the garden.

Adding a few extra water features outdoors can add to the fun activities possible in the garden. This is a good opportunity to try your hand at a DIY self build project. You can begin by attempting to remodel your water garden with a few new extra features. Or you can self build additional features like garden water fountains to breathe life into your garden. Whatever you do, you should remember that the construction project is just for fun.

In fact, fun time in the garden around the house is something that kids would remember for a long time to come. These would become treasured memories that could last a whole lifetime. So spending time together deciding on the kinds of extra features that you can add to the garden and having each person in the family come up with ideas could be an extremely interesting exercise.

Water is perhaps the most important ingredient in keeping the garden alive. Apart from keeping the plants fresh and in a healthy condition, water can also be a source of fun for all of us. A couple of tubs in the backyard can help children have hours of fun playing in the water. On the other hand, you can also add a small pool as a permanent fixture in the garden.

Biodiversity is helped by a good pond or flowing water feature. Different plants will grow and attract a wide range of insects and creepy crawlies. Amphibians are under extinction threat and need any help they can get. Your children if any will love to see tadpoles developing into frogs and newts.

Apart from tubs and a pool, other garden water features could include fountains and waterfalls. Every single component required for building each garden water feature is easily available in stores. These water garden supplies come in a variety of designs that are suited for a whole range of applications. It is good to know in advance the kind of features you are interested in before shopping for supplies. But sometimes things might work out the other way too. You might spot some new feature in the store and decide to add it to your water garden. Either way, it should blend well with the theme of your garden.

Above: Water feature - Chinese bridge

Above: Water features will attract amphibians - like this toad

Having a lot of play items in the garden would keep the children occupied for hours on end. Especially during the holidays, they would love to be outdoors playing in the garden all day long. A happy childhood would also ensure that they grow up to be responsible and mature adults.

You can also teach your children about nature conservation by cultivating various kinds of plants in the garden. You can save power by using solar powered fountains instead of running the pumps on power from the grid. Revamping the garden with interesting features would be a truly educational experience for the kids. You would learn a lot of new things in the process as well.

Solar pumps are available for water flow in small ponds and water features. Water features also add to biodiversity as creatures like amphibians (frogs etc) will arrive. We even had a heron in our London garden after frogs and fish from akoi pond.

WATER SAFETY

As a measure of safety, especially when small children are in the home, keep the pool covered when not in use. It is also essential to only let children get into the pool when adults are around - not other children.

See our other article on Waterfalls & landscaping >