What Is Organic Water Gardening? A Brief Guide To This Age-Old Technique

If you’re looking for a relaxing and creative way to breathe life into your landscape, consider adding a water garden. Though rarely talked about, water gardening is a technique that has been around for millennia, evident in the Roman Empire’s fountains, the church’s’ biblical fonts and the ancient Egyptians’ ponds. Though the techniques for creating a garden of water have certainly evolved over the past thousand years or so, the concept remains the same: To harness one of nature’s most precious resources and bring beauty and Zen to one’s own backyard.

What Is Water Gardening?

Water gardening is precisely what it sounds like — it’s a gardening technique that utilizes water elements to create a visually stunning landscape. Thanks to advancements in technology, water gardening no longer requires a natural water source (though the existence of a natural water source is always a bonus). Rather, you can use pumps, tubes, tubs and prefabricated fixtures to build a feature that resembles something you would find in nature. From ponds to waterfalls to fountains – and by incorporating plants, fish and lighting – the ideas are limitless in what you can create.  

What Are Important Water Garden Considerations?

Before building a water garden, there are two important considerations you should make. The first has to do with finances.

Though you can build a garden for relatively cheap by using materials you already have on hand, water gardens can quickly become expensive if you’re not careful. This is especially true if you decide to incorporate lighting, fish, plants and other accessories. Set a budget before you start digging, and be reasonable with your plans. You can always scale up, but you may find it difficult to scale back once you get started.

You should also consider the space you have to work with. Determine the size of your anticipated garden and its location in your yard. These are important considerations for two reasons: 1) The size will dictate the amount of maintenance required and 2) the location will dictate what you can do with the garden (sunlight vs. shade, etc.).

Water gardens offer environmentally friendly, healthy and relaxing ways to enjoy your yard. Start building to enjoy the benefits sooner rather than later.