10 Things You Should Know About Water Features
Spring will be arriving before we know it – yippee!
It’s the time of year when we can finally start to bring our outdoor spaces back to life! Whether that be by adding something new and special to help decorate your space, or enjoy the new blooms that the season brings.
Water features can be a wonderful addition to your garden, as they create a soothing, calm atmosphere from the trickling of the water as well as adding an interesting focal point to your outdoor space. Spring will be the perfect time to install your very own, for it to provide these wonderful benefits for the rest of the garden season!
The features we sell here at UK Water Features are all very easy to set up in your garden, but before you buy any feature, check out some of the main things you should know beforehand.
- One of the great things about our Outdoor Water Features is that you won’t need a constant water supply. Our water features are self-contained, so the water just circulates. You will just need to top up the water occasionally, particularly on warmer days. This is a real benefit to our water features as it means you can place in your garden wherever you desire!
- A factor that is just as important as what the water feature looks like is what it sounds like. Before you buy make sure you listen to your water feature to make sure you like the sound of it. You will have to listen to it a lot at home so if you don’t like the sound, it may get annoying very quickly! If it sounds too heavy like a bath filling up it won't be relaxing to listen to in your garden, or if it's a trickle that is too faint, it might just be an irritating noise. Make sure you pick a feature that suits your tastes perfectly! The majority of our water features on your website have videos included in the web listing, meaning you have the luxury of looking and listening to it in action before you buy!
- Unless the feature is solar powered, you will need an electricity supply to drive the pump to move the water. Practically all water features will work the same way. There will be a reservoir of water which has a pump that moves water up a pipe. Gravity then brings the water back down to fall into the reservoir and the process is repeated.
- Water features are going to need cleaning every now and then. Water will get slimy eventually and start to smell, especially during the winter, so make sure you empty the water and clean the feature regularly. Check out our Water Feature Care products to help keep your feature in tip top condition all year through.
- Think about the placement of your new water feature in your garden. When you are finding a place to display it think about what's nearby. If it's under a tree or near a bush, for example, it's likely to get lots of leaves falling into it particularly in the autumn months, so will need constant cleaning.
- The finish of the feature makes a big difference in the way it looks and the care it needs. Different types of features will obviously suit certain types of gardens better than others, so this is something you should think about before you buy.
Granite and Stone fountains usually don’t need as much care as others, and they tend to look a little more natural and rustic, and may blend into the surroundings better. Bronze and stainless steel fountains provide a nice contrast to natural outdoor settings, creating a more modern, contemporary feel in your garden. They can require a little more care than other types though to keep their shine. Overall, the finish of the fountain is totally down to personal preference and the style of garden you wish to create.
- Think about lighting the water in the feature, this creates a lovely effect, meaning you can enjoy the feature during the night too! Sometimes the features come with lights built in which is handy, or if not you could look into doing this yourself. If you're going to have it in sight of the house this will look really good all through the year, being able to enjoy the feature from the warmth of your house on cooler days. Check out our fantastic range of Water Feature Lights to help create an even more special effect for your new feature.
- If you have children make sure you consider their safety first. Small children can drown in tiny amounts of water, so it may be best to buy a feature with no exposed water. Always make sure with any gardens where there are children and pets that you also buy a natural water cleaner like our Natural Fountain Fresh!
- It is important to care for your water feature all year round. Here in the UK we experience freezing temperatures during the winter months, therefore you need to care for the fountain to prevent it from cracking when the water freezes inside. Fountains should be drained before the first deep freeze of winter. If the fountain is connected to the home’s water supply, a shutoff valve needs to be installed so you can turn the water off to prevent frozen pipes. Some people choose to cover the fountain during the winter months which helps to protect the exterior materials. Our fantastic fountain covers can be found on our Water Feature Care products section of our website.
- It’s much easier to get a water feature to look good if it's placed in amongst plants and other existing garden greenery rather than at the centre of a space on its own. Nestled among the plants it doesn't matter if it's a bit too big or small and will blend in much better.
Although consider what you’d like from your display, do you want your feature to become a focal point in your garden? In which case you should place it in an isolated area in full sight. Perhaps you want it to become more of a natural display? For this idea, nestle it amongst your other plants and flowers to create a lovely blended display. Check out ideas for both of these below…
We hope that these pointers have provided you with enough information to decide if an outdoor water feature is right for you.
Head over to our UK Water Features website and continue shopping for your new outdoor water feature, and start the exciting journey of putting all this into practice!
