Dry Waterfalls for Yards

Benefits

• A dry waterfall smooths out the appearance of irregular ground. Adding a rock or stone waterfall turns bare, rugged ground into a unified landscape. Sometimes a large tree or plant on a hill overshadows other vegetation and cuts off light and nutrition. Rather than replanting undergrowth, replace the ailing vegetation with a gentle rockfall that leads around the tree down into the garden. A dry waterfall with xeriscape plants saves water and adds beauty to a hot, sun-baked yard and offers the busy homeowner a low-maintenance, scenic corner. Camouflage homely drainage ditches or abrupt elevation changes with a waterless rock waterfall.

Materials

• Use an existing artificial waterfall or build a rock waterfall. For a pre-made waterfall, remove the pump, touch up any damaged areas with stain or paint, then tuck the waterfall into your landscape. To build your own waterfall, take advantage of the natural terrain, such as a stream or riverbed with a drop-off or incline. Form the stream bed with gravel or pebbles and shape the steeper waterfall zone with rocks partly buried in the soil. Larger rocks or boulders form the stream border while smaller rocks lead down from the falls. For a stepped waterfall, stack slabs of flagstone, slate or other flattened rocks.

Foliage

• Landscape the waterfall by adding trees and evergreen shrubs around the rock feature. Use drought-tolerant ground cover or flowers along the stream. Trailing rosemary sprawls over rocks while nandina shrubs look like small trees along the stream. In shade zones, add ferns or hostas tucked among the border rocks and near the falls. Use wildflower seed mixes in spring for bordering flower patches. Ornamental grasses or native plants soften the rock profile.

Considerations

• Incorporate garden statuary, decorative bridges or stepping stones into your dry waterfall scheme. Weathered wood or driftwood adds natural accents. Use landscape cloth as a base over sandy or soft ground before adding rocks or gravel. Shape the hillside or terrain into a channel, line it with landscape cloth then add gravel for a gentle waterfall or small to medium rocks for a steeper descent. Most waterfalls are in a meandering river or stream, so rocks below the falls should be in a well-defined but curving channel.