Master Gardener: Add a pond, fountain or birdbath
Those of us who love gardening find the work to be exhilarating, a good form or exercise, a way to express our artistic side through design, color and texture of our plantings, helping to support a clean environment, giving pollinators and birds lodging and nourishment.
Digging in the dirt can be relaxing and meditative. We spend hours planning what to plant, where. Hours can be spent researching light, water and fertilizer needs of our botanical friends, and we are always searching for the next addition that will make our garden special or give us a chance to experiment with something new. That new special something to experiment with this year might be a water feature.
Water features come in all sizes and shapes. They can be made of rocks, concrete, metal and other materials and be flowing or still. A water feature will complement the plants you have chosen to attract pollinators, birds, frogs and other beneficial critters. Choices run the gamut from traditional designs to creative modern designs and can be purchased or DIY.
If you have a lot of space you can go with a pond. Ponds can be lovely places to feature water plants such as water lilies, can be home for frogs and other creatures like salamanders and dragon flies, and can sport waterfalls and other larger moving water. Ponds don’t have to be large.
If no room for a pond, add a fountain or bird bath
If yard space is limited, smaller features like a bird bath or a fountain work nicely. Birds need to bathe frequently to keep their feathers clean and functioning properly. Small electric heaters can be added in the winter to help the birds find water to drink and to keep clean. Heaters take very little electricity and can be operated with a standard cord to an outside outlet, or by solar power. There are internet sites that have instructions for making your own birdbath heater.
Some smaller water features like mini ponds and small fountains can be built into or placed on patios or balconies. Besides being places for birds, butterflies and other small animals to get a drink, stay cool on hot summer days and bathe, water features are quite attractive, add an artistic addition to a garden, and can be a relaxing area to sit and watch the water and activity, to meditate and slow down after a busy day. And don’t even try to keep the squirrels out of the bird bath. The birds and squirrels in my back yard seem to cohabitate and share the bird bath with few quarrels.
Keep water features in the shade
Water features should be in the shade to help keep the water cool and fresh, and close enough to trees, shrubs and other places for perching, yet far enough that predators can’t hide too close. It’s best to have a feature where the water moves, either through a waterfall, a bubbler or some kind of fountain or spray. Birds will find moving water attractive and moving water is less of an attraction for breeding mosquitoes. Keep all water features clean to prevent breeding mosquitoes and to help keep visitors to the water clean and healthy.
You might want to consider having several water features in your garden. Larger birds need more space and deeper water to bathe, and can handle drinking from deep pools of water. All water features need perches or should be made of some material that birds can hold on to. Smaller birds need shallower water and can use smaller basins. Butterflies and hummingbirds like shallow water, often preferring sprays rather than immersing themselves to bathe and cool off. Butterflies will appreciate rocks or sticks just above the water level to get close to the water, but not in it to drink and rest. Hummingbirds often love to fly through misters like kids running through the spray of a hose in the yard on a hot day.
The water features in your garden are limited only by your imagination and resources. Plants, benches and chairs, statuary and other art all add up to a garden that is uniquely you. Have fun.
Elaine Bast is a Master Gardener with the Sandusky and Ottawa Counties Ohio State University Extension Offices.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Master Gardener: Experiment by adding a new water feature
