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Water adds magic to the garden. The use of water features in gardens is an ancient tradition, dating back to Islamic and Moorish gardens. A pond, pool or fountain uses about the same amount of water as a comparable area of lawn. But of course, most ponds are much smaller than most lawns, so the water use ends up being negligible. The small pumps used to operate most water features use 50-100 watts of power. Care of water features is much less demanding than most people realize, as long as the system is set up to be undemanding.

Water is habitat for many kinds of animals, and a bit of water - even a birdbath or shallow bowl refilled from the hose - will attract new creatures to your garden. The music of water - trickling, bubbling, spilling or splashing - masks unpleasant urban sounds. Water cools on a hot day. And water, the universal solvent, soothes our weary spirits and dissolves our cares.

Enjoy this selection of some water features we have created.