Home Works
Water and Fire Features The Final Touches in the Yard
By Anne Yankus
If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past year, it’s that there’s no time like the present to make our homes and gardens beautiful and comfortable places to be. With the weather finally warming, now is the perfect time to add some finishing touches to your yard’s landscaping. Have you considered a water or fire feature to take your yard from pleasant to delightful? Installing one or more water features is a great way to stimulate visual interest and add a sense of peace and calm to your yard. Aside from just looking pretty, water features can increase the natural beauty of your landscape by attracting local wildlife like birds and butterflies. Features like fountains, waterfalls, and winding creeks are seeing a rise in popularity. Fountains may sound large and expensive, but they come in shapes and sizes that will accommodate any budget and complement whatever yard space you choose. If you like the sound of running water that a fountain brings but are looking for something that looks more natural, consider installing a small waterfall. Home and garden retailers have many prebuilt waterfall models to choose from. If none of them strike your fancy, you can hire a pro to design one that contours with the natural slope of your yard. For a less splashy alternative, consider a winding garden creek. Given their shape and size, creeks cannot typically be
purchased pre-built. With the guidance of a landscape designer or architect, you can design your own to add a completely unique water feature to your garden. What goes into having a water feature built and installed? Once you’ve created or contracted your design, you’ll want to look into whether you need a permit to build it. In some municipalities, water features that are deeper than 18 inches or that require any electrical or plumbing work will require a building permit. If you plan to have anything with running water, it will probably require a pump and filter, which will definitely require an electrical permit. Depending on what you’re having built, you’ll need to contact electricians, plumbers, and landscapers. If you’re planning something large and complicated, consider hiring a contractor to oversee the other specialists. Once everything is built, it’s time to turn an eye to yearly maintenance. As this last winter proved, it can freeze just
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