10 tips for adding a water feature to your garden!
Make a splash with these pro pointers from landscape architect Ron Rule.
After several years designing public and corporate landscapes, Vancouver-based Ron Rule began working with newly arrived Asians who wanted estate gardens. As their connections to the land were very strong, integrating the garden with its surroundings was pivotal to these clients, who valued their gardens every bit as much as their homes; they wanted them to look natural and simply could not relate to linear, symmetrical, man-made landscapes. Those experiences, along with his trips to Europe and his inspiration from gardening books, had a powerful influence on Rule’s design aesthetic. His goal is to design gardens that perfectly reflect the home, the land and the people who live there.
Furthermore, Rule believes water features—be they pools, ponds or fountains—are the strongest single element in a garden because the look, sound and movement of water has a profound effect on our senses. “Of all the great gardens I’ve toured,” he says, “I’ve only loved one that didn’t have a water feature—and it needed one.” They become the centrepiece of the landscape and, as such, Rule believes they must blend in with the rest of the features, looking as if they’ve always been there.
Pro pointers:
1. Work with, rather than against, the natural landscape.
2. Safety is more important than sun exposure in locating a new swimming pool. If you have children, try to install it so it is visible from the house (especially the kitchen area).
3. Rectangular pools have good proportions (approximately five by 10 metres) and fit with most garden styles. However, if you have a very small area, a fountain will provide the sound and movement of water without taking up much space.
4. If you have a larger garden, experiment with something more organically shaped. When possible, Rule tries to make his pools look like fountains with infinity edges, or adds cascading effects.
5. Think about the appearance of your water feature over 12 months of the year; lights reflecting off the water in winter can be magical if you’re lucky enough to live in the balmier parts of Canada.
6. Change elevations to add interest to a flat site.
7. Be aware of the effects the materials you’ll be using will have on your water feature. Grey slate, for example, has a reflective quality, while stone particles mixed in with plaster will make the water look more sparkly. To make the colour of the water appear darker and more natural-looking, use dark plaster and/or glass tiles to line a pool or pond.
8. Consider ozone pools. The technology with pools filtered with ozone has advanced during the last 10 years; they are not as problematic to maintain. Ozone pools that have some chlorine and salt are better for the skin.
9. To discourage mosquitoes from ponds, ensure some water circulates by installing a pump, fountain or waterfall.
10. Try to site trees away from swimming pools. Most evergreens can be very messy, as the wind can carry leaves and needles into the pool. Smaller trees such as Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica) or Japanese maples (Acer palmatum cvs.) can provide some shade. If the style is more tropical (and your climate can accommodate it), use larger-leafed trees or palms.
Designer facts:
After graduating as a landscape architect from the University of Oregon, Ron Rule moved to British Columbia, where he initially found work designing public and corporate spaces. He then moved into residential design, opening his own firm, Ron Rule Consultants Ltd., and creating, coordinating and teaching a course in garden design that he still oversees at the University of British Columbia. He has led 10 garden tours to England and France, and has previously taken a two-month sabbatical to volunteer in two of England’s most famous gardens: Great Dixter and Barnsley House.
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