Garden waterfalls

Large natural waterfalls can look stunning on an estate property. Designed & built by Marquis Gardens

BY ANDREW HIND

WATER FEATURES add undeniable appeal to any yard. But why settle for a mere pond when with one extra step you can make a truly memorable statement. Simply adding a waterfall to your pond changes it from a garden feature into a garden oasis—the centrepiece of your property and the envy of the neighbourhood.

Water in motion has an indisputable allure. The splashing, gurgling sound provides a tranquility that is spiritually calming, and watching the falling water can happily occupy people for hours.

“Installing a waterfall is much easier than people think, and there are options for every price range,” says Peter Gill, the President of the Greater Toronto Water Garden and Horticultural Society. “Waterfalls come in countless variations, from the completely natural to highly stylized, from the inexpensive preformed rigid plastic kits to rubber liners that can be shaped to your desires.”
Your choice of material will, to a great degree, determine the cost and complexity of the waterfall.

“The cheapest option is the rigid plastic waterfall. You can walk out of the store with the entire kit for just over $100, but these waterfalls are small and preformed so they can’t be molded to your design,” explains Chris Marchese of Marquis Gardens, a company that does a lot of water feature installation throughout Caledon. “On the other extreme we’ve done water features in the $60,000 range. A middle of the road option is best for most people. $1,500 can get you a waterfall with a 10-15 foot drop—more than enough to make a statement in most yards—with beautiful natural stone.”

It’s not just the choice of material that you need to consider, but also the effect you want the waterfall to achieve. The most common waterfall is a chute, wherein water cascades down a slope before emptying into the pond below. It’s pleasing and natural looking, like the rapids of a river. But there are other options.

For example, water that spills over a smooth, vertical surface makes an uninterrupted, glistening ribbon that catches light in the most beautiful of ways. A waterfall that froths at the base can be achieved with a large volume of water falling over a high ledge so it spreads out like a curtain. Want a rainbow effect? Create a feature where water drops from a great height onto a hard surface, which will cause the water to splash into tiny droplets of mist that catch the sunlight.

Whatever approach you take, make sure the design of the waterfall is in harmony with the overall style of your home, garden and, most importantly, the theme of the water feature. It’s also very important that the waterfall is in scale with the pond itself. A small trickle will be lost emptying into a large pond while, on the other hand, a large volume waterfall will overwhelm a small basin, stirring up the sediment and disrupting the surface, making a poor habitat for fish and aquatic plants.

Gill encourages people to use aquatic plants as part of their waterfall design. “The best waterfalls are the ones that replicate nature and look spontaneous, and using aquatic plants is a great way to achieve that. You can use a whole range of native plants in the pond—floating plants like water hyacinth, water lettuce and, of course, water lilies—but also bog plants, such as ferns, alongside the waterfall itself to make it appear less artificial.”

While the more ambitious projects may involve an element of technical expertise, most waterfalls don’t require a lot of do-it-yourself experience to install. “People are intimidated by waterfalls for some reason, but the majority can install one over a weekend,” Marchese asserts. “Just familiarize yourself with the process, plan ahead so you know what you want to achieve, and be certain to check bylaw regulations in your area before you begin.”

With the addition of a waterfall, you can turn any location in your yard into a spot of extraordinary beauty.

A typical sub-division garden can accommodate a good sized pond with a small waterfall. It is important not to build the waterfall too large in a smaller pond, as it will stir up sediment and disrupt the surface, making it difficult for fish and aquatic plants to thrive. Designed & built by Earthworks Landscaping

If you don’t want to maintain a pond, you can still achieve a desirable gurgling and splashing sound of running water with a bubbling rock. Designed & built by Earthworks Landscaping