The beauty of a backyard waterfall!

A backyard waterfall will have a major role in the overall look of your pond and surrounding landscape!

The soothing sounds that the water garden waterfalls produce will drown out any background noise!

By creating a berm at one end with the dirt and rock that was excavated from the pond site, you can easily build a waterfall. The waterfall itself should be created by adding flat stones in such a way that they shed the water.

This can be accomplashed by overlaying each level so that it "tiers" into the next level. The rocks surrounding the waterfall do not need to be boulders. Boulders are very difficult to move without machinery, just use smaller substantial stones to get the look without sacrificing your back or having to rent equipment.

When planning a waterfall construction project the first thing you should consider is the focal point of your water feature.

Ask yourself these questions?

• Can I see the waterfall from my house?
• If you have a deck off of your home that you enjoy, can you see the waterfall from there?
• How well will it tie into the landscape that I already have?
• Placing a waterfall too close to your bedroom windows may keep you awake at night.
  By incorporating two pumps, one for circulation, the other for the waterfall
  that can be switched off at night, may be an energy conservation measure as well.

Envision a Backyard Waterfall

This picture is great example of a garden waterfall easily built, by using the excavated dirt taken from the pond site and creating a gently sloping berm.

Please note that the berm was not totally covered with rocks, just enough to line the falls.

The plants that you choose to plant around the waterfall will soften the impact of the berm.

What you don’t see in this picture is the deck that wraps around the home.

This water garden is very close to that deck allowing a spectacular view of not only the pond but the garden waterfall as well.

Adding a waterfall will oxygenate your pond naturally. The steady turbulence created by the falling water will draw oxygen from the air and infuse it into the pond water.

To prevent water loss between the rocks, use a waterfall foam to seal the spaces between the rocks, allowing the water to flow over the rocks only. A liner placed underneath the rocks will also help to keep the water in your pond. The liner should be placed in such a way as to create a trough, so that if water does seep in between the rocks, it will be re-cycled back into the pond. This liner should also overlap the pond liner so that it will shed water back into the pond.

For more information on building a waterfall, see our page on waterfall construction. This page shows how to build a waterfall using a "filter fall".

You can find more helpful information at Water Garden Waterfall, along with some design tips.

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Visual effect and audio effect are a big part of a successful waterfall!

The picture below is a great example of how the surroundings can create an ampitheater to enhance the sound of a waterfall.

Sound is determined by a number of factors:

• Volume or flow of water
• Distance or height of the fall
• Surroundings of the waterfall

Keep everything in proportion.

Don't overwhelm your pond.

• Know what you want from your creation.
• How intricate do you want to make your backyard waterfall?
• Example: 1 or 2 or 3 tiers.
• Use of excess dirt taken from the excavation of your pond can be used to create a natural berm or hillside. This works better than a pile of rock-spewing water.
• Don't try to create Niagara Falls in a puddle or pre-formed pond.

Landscaping elements to enhance your backyard waterfall

Lighting

You can back light or up light rocks or plants in the pond to create a stunning affect. To read more about pond lighting, visit our garden pond lighting page. For a less expensive alternative to underwater lighting, incorporate "regular" landscaping lighting outside of the pond to enhance the area surrounding your waterfall.

Plants

By adding shrubs and tall grasses to the berm you can create the illusion of height.  Add ground cover and mulch to the slopes to finish your landscape design.

Rocks

Have you ever picked up a rock and said "this is a great looking stone"? Picture this rock in or around your backyard waterfall or in your garden pond. Once a colorful rock is wet, its characteristics are brought out even more and will "pop" under water.

Stacked Stone

You can also create the illusion of height by incorporating stacked stone into your landscaping design. Using retainer wall stone will give a more contemporary look to your backyard waterfall.