Which Water Feature is Right for Me?
Let’s first start this off with some definitions. For our purposes a POND is defined as a natural balance of fish, plants, aeration, filtration, and rocks/gravel. All components work naturally together to help create and maintain a sustainable low-maintenance ecosystem.
A PONDLESS waterfall on the other hand is defined as a recirculating waterfall or stream without the presence of a visible body of water.
There are pros and cons to each style of feature but it basically boils down to this: Do you want fish? Are water lilies and other aquatic plants the focal point for you? If the answer to either of these is YES then a pond is what you’re after. Even a modest sized pond, say 8’x11’ and approximately 2’ deep will allow you to include modest quantities of fish such as koi, sarassas, and shubunkins as well as water plants like lilies, marigolds, and rushes. A true water GARDEN you will have with all the elements of an ecosystem and this can of course also include a waterfall/stream if your space and budget allow.
A pondless waterfall is ideal for someone who is most interested in the sight and sound of a waterfall and stream but maybe doesn’t want to worry about feeding fish or pruning plants. An even lower maintenance option, the pondless is great for families with small children and safety concerns. The other advantage is that it can tuck neatly into smaller spaces and can add curb appeal to the front of a home. You can still utilize some water plants, particularly maginals that don’t need to be fully submersed and floaters like water hyacinth.
Both water features, pond and pondless, can be lit at night with LED lighting and will bring the added dynamics of movement and sound to your garden! No matter which feature you choose it’s sure to be the centerpiece of your yard and it is only a matter of time before fire pits, lounge chairs, patios, BBQ’s, terrestrial plantings and local wildlife all migrate over to surround your new water feature!
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