Adding a Beautiful Waterfall for a Peaceful Backyard

Posted on 24/06/2020

How to Build a Waterfall in Your Backyard?

Water features have long been a popular part of landscaping projects. There is something undeniably peaceful about the flow of water, and when added to the tranquil setting of your own garden, it can help create an oasis away from the busyness of life. But if you’re thinking of incorporating a waterfall of some description into your own garden design, how do you even go about starting to plan? Below we share some top tips on things to think about:


1. Design - there are a lot of different designs you can use when looking to install a waterfall, so it’s well worth having a browse around your local garden centre, or ask a gardening company for some ideas. You could, for example, have a traditional rock waterfall, where you stack a number of rocks up, and allow the water to cascade through them. Or you might want something more contemporary, using modern materials such as steel.


2. Size - first off, how big is your garden, and how big do you want your waterfall to be? If you have an ample size garden then you obviously have a lot more space to play with, but even in a moderate size, or even a small sized garden, there are plenty of options. Again it’s worth speaking to a professional gardening service to get some advice, as dimensions on a website might not give you the full story about how much space will really be needed.


3. Location - will you want your waterfall to be the central feature of your backyard and located in the very centre of your lawn, or will you want it a little more discreet and positioned by a wall? This is an important consideration because once you’ve had landscape gardeners install your waterfall, you’re probably not going to be able to move it very easily, so plan well in advance. This will be affected by your overall design and garden care routine, as you want to make sure you can enjoy the rest of the features of your backyard with ease too.


4. Maintenance - some waterfalls are very low maintenance, so you just have to get them installed, plumbed in, and you can leave them be. Others need a lot more care and attention to keep them running smoothly. Think about how much time you have to clean out the water, clean filters or remove dead leaves from your waterfall. If you don’t have time yourself you could consider hiring professional gardeners, but this is obviously extra expense you may not wish to pay.


5. Overall garden design - what is the rest of your garden like, and will installing a waterfall affect it? Will it prevent you from doing other gardening tasks or prevent you from growing certain plants? If your current garden maintenance routine is very simple, will this still be true with a waterfall? For example, if you install a waterfall in the centre of your garden, it might mean you can’t do your lawn mowing as easily as before, which could make the rest of your garden look shabby. In addition to general garden and lawn maintenance, think about whether a waterfall makes sense for the look of your garden. Installing one in a classic Japanese style garden makes sense, but might look out of place in a traditional British layout.

Adding a waterfall to your backyard can be a fabulous way to make a dull garden a little more exciting, but it’s always worth bearing in mind the above to make sure it’s the right option for you.