Natural Waterfalls
Natural waterfalls do many great things for a property.
They add a unique, authentic form of beatify to your landscape design, and they increase the curb appeal of your property value. On an emotional level, they represent something everyone can enjoy because they bring tranquility to the mind. They can be built in a wide range of sizes, and they can be built in almost any location in the yard.
The most common location for a natural waterfall is by the side of a natural pond or natural swimming pools.
The shape and size of the pool provides the basic design for the waterfall. If is particularly large and deep, the falls can be more dramatic and rapid. If it is shallow, and made to be looked at only, then the falls will be more gentle and peaceful.
Another great location for a waterfall is the side of a natural hill in the back yard.
Many Houstonians own properties along one of the bayous that run through are city. Landscaping a hill with a waterfall is an excellent way to transform something plain and asymmetrical into a premier attraction in the yard.
Natural waterfalls can also be built into the sides of small retaining walls that are used to create boundary and definition for custom gardens. This creates the illusion of a natural stream that runs under a garden bridge, patio area, or series of flower beds.
In order to make a waterfall look truly natural, we have to use different types and sizes of rocks.
Nature does not use a single type of rock, nor does it pile them all together. When we place rocks around a natural waterfall, we follow the same patterns we see in the natural world. Large, medium, and small rocks are intermingled and laid carefully by hand so they will set and not become dislodged during rains. Larger stones are used as anchors, but they are positioned in a way that their functional purpose is skillfully disguised.
Water resistant plants must be used in natural waterfall design.
If you try to build a waterfall yourself, you run the risk of killing the plants around it if they are not acclimated to heavy water flow. However, if you work with experts who know their botany, you can get the right blend of water, stone, and plants that will last throughout the year without withering or decay. There are many tropical species, and some indigenous ones as well, that can be planted around waterfalls. Again, however, you have to work with someone who knows their plants.
A natural waterfall can also be used to accent and magnify the beauty of a natural stone patio.
The catch basin under the falls can be made to look like a natural pool or stream. Underwater lights can be placed in the water to illuminate the stream as it cascades downward.
The running water at one end, and a garden at the other, provides a unique type of enclosure that is less formal than a courtyard, and much more aesthetically diverse as well.
A natural waterfall can also be the central focal point of your landscape if your property is large enough to support it.
In fact, this may be one way to break up a very large estate into zones of interest by creating a series of falls that vary in elevation and cascade at different rates of speed.