Beautiful Backyard Water Features

Arabic Fountains

• Arabic fountains are found in homes, gardens and palaces across the Arab world as well as southern Spain and Portugal. Such fountains can be excellent places to display colorful tiles with symmetrical Moorish designs. Typical Arabic tiles feature abstract geometric designs in bright colors. Look at pictures of classical Arabic palaces and mosques for ideas on how to decorate your own Arabic fountain. You can buy tiles to add to a basic stone fountain. Research methods of tiling and mosaic-making, and the best materials for this purpose.

Classical Fountains

• Decorate a fountain with reproductions of classical Greek or Roman statues, or statuary in that style. Buy a fountain decorated with classical statues or be creative and integrate a statue or two into an inexpensive, bare-bones fountain. Add statues of different sizes around a square, round or oval-shaped fountain to create different views from every angle. Use broken statues for a classical "Greek ruins" look and transform your backyard space to another place and time. Buy stone statues and pedestals with an aged, worn-down look; alternatively, you can chip, sand and break new statues to evoke a classical "museum" aesthetic.

Waterfalls

• Add a waterfall to your backyard, but model it after the real thing. You can buy a kit with a pump and other materials for making a small waterfall or assemble the materials yourself. Look through some travel books for ideas for your model. Your choice of rock type and plant life will help make your waterfall look more authentic. For example, to create a Polynesian lagoon-style waterfall, choose black lava rocks and hibiscus flowers. For a Japanese garden style, use a small cascade of light gray stones as a base and plant a cherry or plum tree near the waterfall.

Ponds

• If you don't want the sound of moving water in your back yard, add a pond for a quiet, tranquil water feature. Keep the pond small and simple to evoke the idea of a "meditative garden." Surround your pond with rocks and add a small Japanese-style wooden footbridge for a touch of east Asia. A small pond can complement the clean, simple look of a Zen garden-style landscape. Complete the meditative pond area with sand or gravel instead of grass, large odd-shaped rocks and manicured shrubs. The bonus to this design is its low maintenance.