No water features here YET -- I don't count the bird bath in the front yard as a water feature.

I have an idea for a water feature or two, but my reality check bounced twice. First, when my local pond guy told me how much money it would take to create my first idea, and then when my local code compliance guy told me the depth limits before I would need a 6' fence around my entire yard.

So I revised my first idea, but my water features are on hold. Until that magic someday.....

Someday, the drainspout on the front garage corner will flow through my rainbarrel and then under the as-yet non-existent retaining wall and into a bog pond. From there, the excess will flow into a manufactured stream/brook/creek that winds along the edge of one of my tree/shrub beds, with small waterfall effects along the way. When it hits the bottom, it will be recycled back up to the top.

The stream/brook/creek would be at least 25' long (it's a big front yard), and I'm thinking at least 3' wide. It will be shallow, because I refuse to fence in my front yard -- as to how shallow? I don't remember the number the code guy gave me, so will research that again when I'm ready to build.

I've had to push it to a back burner because I have some things that *have* to be dealt with first (some trees to take out, etc). But someday...

What a marvelous idea! Maybe you could hold a plant sale to help finance your dream water features

Birds & Blooms gave me the idea last summer, with this picture...





Then last Jan, I finally got to the Wildflower Center while on a business trip to Austin, and saw this.




That crystallized the concept for me. The picture I took in Austin is pretty much exactly what I'd like in my front yard. I haven't talked to my local pond guy since getting my final concept, but I know it will be cheaper than my original huge pond concept. And he's a neighbor, so he'll give me a good deal. AND he'll let me do as much of the digging as I can, to keep labor costs down that way, as well.

But first I need the retaining wall built. Pond guy says I need to do it all at one time, because each piece flows to the next, and we would be using the same rubber liner for both the bog and the other part. I, however, am very much my mother's daughter. We tend to be a little more unconventional in our approaches to things.

My idea is to do it in 3 phases, as I can afford it. 1) build the retaining wall with the drain pipe running underneath it to the yard. 2)use one of my dog's old wading pools for the bog pond, cutting a hole in one side of it for the drain pipe to enter, and cutting the hole for the drain pipe in the other side of it, but somehow blocking the flow there. 3) dig the streambed, etc.



As for financing it... no plants to sell here - I don't propagate, I just enjoy. And if I did propagate, I'd have a hard time letting them go to new homes. And if I did propagate and sell, I'd have probably 10 other uses for the proceeds that are higher priority, and that's just in the yard. (I have house ideas too, but they're on a 10-15yr plan)

Mary - I'd love to have a water feature too. Used to have a gazebo (before I moved to Calgary) and within it, as you came in the door, was a small pond to the left. Water trickled into it through a hose. When the pond filled, it trickled on the other end to a tiny stream bed, and at the end of the stream bed it flowed into a 2ft deep x 1 1/2 ft wide, by 4ft long pond. Apparently it was used by the previous owner to put fish in, but the raccoons and other animals were eating them so he stopped. When the pond got full, it flowed into an underground bin, and then to the pump which flowed through a hose underground and came up to feed into the first little pond . As this was on the outer edges of the gazebo we had room to put a cast iron table and 2 chairs and we would often sit there to have dinner, on a warm summer's evening.
The gazebo was made of split logs and had a trellis roof. It also had a window area (no covering or glass of any kind - just an opening, really). It was overgrown by grape ivy and was nice and cool on a hot day. The overall size was 7ft by 14ft. There were flagstones as the floor, and it was so peaceful to sit in there.

I'm like Mary: no water feature yet but someday! Several birdbaths don't count and even a small solar fountain that DH bought (and not yet installed) doesn't qualify for my dream feature: a small waterfall dumping into a trickling stream along the edge of the property, much like yours.

Sigh!

Yep I'm a wannabe - waiting for funds.....

Ever since Evey's post, I've been eying a slope area that is just begging to be turned into a little stream/pond.

Oh Daaaaavvvvveeeee............

I have a small fountain set up which is still in the box.
I also have the perfect spot for an above ground pond.

Trish said:Ever since Evey's post, I've been eying a slope area that is just begging to be turned into a little stream/pond.

Oh Daaaaavvvvveeeee............

@Trish -- it's been 2 1/2 years since you posted this... has the slope been converted yet?

Nope.

Instead, 2 babies, a herb spiral, a 1/4 ac butterfly garden, a greenhouse, a chicken coop along with rotational grazing pens, new raised veggie beds, and a huge tropical bed were done.

Priorities change and shift around here pretty fast!

I would love a pond, but Bill would have none of it...due to snakes of the poisonious variety. Now that he's gone I might just have to add it to my son's "Momma do" list when he gets out