One of the most relaxing sounds to human ears is that of moving water, especially the sound of a small amount of water trickling down a small waterfall or over rocks. Many products are available to duplicate this sound, clock radios, audio CDs, and even specialty devices that just produce varying nature sounds. The sound of flowing water is a natural way to lower stress and bring relaxation.
This is one of the best reasons to include a waterfall in your pond or water garden plans. A waterfall feature adds aesthetic beauty, and is often an important functional piece, as you might need to pump the water anyways for other purposes.
When making plans to install a waterfall addition to your water garden or pond, you might consider positioning it in a way that you can hear it from inside your house. Specifically, it may help you and your family sleep better if you have small waterfalls near the bedroom windows of your home. Or it can provide a relaxing place to eat, if it’s placed near the breakfast area or the kitchen.
If you haven’t yet installed a pond, then you can consider the sounds of the flowing water when deciding where to place it. If you intend to have a large pond or a series of several ponds, then it might be easy to build several waterfalls, to fill your outdoor space with the peaceful sounds.
There’s also a visual aspect to the relaxing properties of flowing water. Watching a gentle waterfall also has a very peaceful effect on our minds. If you have a waterfall flowing into your pond, you might sometimes find it very soothing to stare into the moving water, while listening only to it’s soft melody.
For these reasons, you may also want to consider a relaxation area in your yard when designing or planning your water garden. A few pieces of well-padded patio furniture in a semi-secluded part of the yard, perhaps flanked on two sides by water features, can create a sanctuary of peace in your own back yard. It can even provide a refuge from heat on hot days, as the flowing water will add a cooling effect. This is even more true if you can take advantage of any natural breeze on your property to blow over the water and then onto the sitting area.
For an even more calming atmosphere, you can add fish to your pond. Large koi fish of varying colors are especially graceful and appealing to the eyes. Watching the fish move gracefully about in the pond, while listening to the gently flowing water, and seeing the water flow over rocks, while sitting back in a soft chaise lounge may just be the ultimate stress reduction therapy.
A possible alternative or additive to a waterfall is a fountain. In practice, they function similarly, with the fountain being an obviously man-made shape, where the waterfall is meant to look like a natural occurrence. Both will have a similar relaxing effect, and they can be combined to create an even more interesting water garden.
