Create a Backyard Sanctuary with Japanese Water Features

Beginning a landscaping project is the first step towards creating the outdoor sanctuary you have always dreamed of having. Japanese-inspired gardens offer a distinctive tranquility in all seasons. A lovely Japanese theme can be created through the strategic inclusion of Japanese water features. These water feature ideas can be applied to any outdoor space and add a soothing air of tranquility to your backyard garden.

Japanese Water Feature Essentials

Since Japanese garden design typically aspires to mimic natural growing conditions, Japanese water features are generally rustic or rough-hewn. However, like anything else in a planned garden, the rustic appearance is carefully cultivated. The following are the four primary features typically found in a Japanese garden:

• Ponds – Japanese ponds are irregularly shaped; you will not find a round French fountain or a square Mediterranean pool in a Japanese garden.
• Waterfalls – Water trickling down moss-covered stones is meant to evoke the natural springs and rivers of the Japanese countryside. These waterfalls can be personally designed with the use of fountain hardware, or purchased ready-made.
• Streams – Small rocky streams connecting other water features are frequently seen in Japanese-inspired gardens.
• Islands – Though many gardens do not allow space for a traditional island formation inside a pond or stream, they are a part of classical

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Japanese Ponds & Waterfalls

Of the four primary water features included in traditional Japanese gardens, ponds and waterfalls are most likely to be found in backyard gardens. These features are very flexible in terms of size and design and are generally simple to create and install. Like any garden water feature, these require some basic maintenance. This is especially true of ponds with goldfish. Japanese goldfish, or koi, are kept healthy through regular pond upkeep. Koi pond maintenance needs depend in part on how large the koi fish are, how many are in the pond, and what additional plants and animals are present in the water feature.

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