DESIGN / 07
The Greatest
Leveller
Frazer McDonagh, one of Ireland’s leading water feature experts, explains why we all need to include water in our designs and provides some insight into getting it right
W
ater is an essential element for all great gardens. Big, small, traditional, avant garde, historical, contemporary… no matter what style, context or intention water creates a powerful effect.
Water and meaning Water adds life to the garden and can greatly enhance a setting through movement, light, sound and reflection. It has a compelling, mesmerising quality that draws the eye and it adds a mood of tranquillity and relaxation. We are drawn to water as is all life. Insects, birds, frogs and everything else in between seek out water. To include it in a landscape affords an opportunity for us to connect with nature in a very natural way. Water is life. Water can be used in many forms depending on the guiding
18
style. It can resonate and mimic nature with cascading waterfalls and softened edges. It can be formal and accent architecture and structure with hard, linear edges. It can be a focal element which helps to define style like a traditional fountain or modern water blade. Water can also set a tempo for a space from a still reflective plane, which evokes a sense of peace, to a heart rate raising flow over hard surfaces. The scale, speed and context of water will greatly influence human response so care must be taken when designing it into a garden or landscape.
Factors to consider The first things to factor in when considering the inclusion of water are the size of the space, the surrounding context and overall style. Formal gardens are best suited to water features with a
HORTICULTURECONNECTED / www.horticulture.ie / Spring 2017
