Out of all the things you can do to ornament and add life and vigor to your garden, water features stand apart in their own special category. If done right, they can add mystique, romance, fun, and function to any garden at all.

Here’s a look at some of the best water features you can include in your garden and their unique benefits.

Pools

Swimming pools are the ideal addition to your garden if you, your family, or friends are interested in having some fun in the sun, and hiring a pool builder to install one might just change your life. Not only does a swimming pool by its very nature suggest a degree of wealth and luxury, but they’re also just incredibly versatile in terms of all the different ways you can enjoy them!

With a larger pool, you can get some serious exercise in by swimming laps back and forth. Kids can learn to swim in a pool. Family and friends can have their own water polo tournaments. Or, if you’d prefer, you can just lounge about on a deckchair getting a tan, and jump in when you want to cool off.

Image by Nowis via Wikimedia Commons

Ponds

A pond is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and relaxing garden features out there, and there are many different styles to choose from. Do you want a pond straight out of a European fairy-tale, with lily pads on the surface, flowers on the bank, and maybe some ornamental features at the bottom? No problem!

Or how about you turn it into a traditional Japanese koi pond and sit next to it for some Zen meditation and quiet contemplation on those hectic days?

Fountains

Fountains are a brilliant way to delight and intrigue guests and to create a sense of magic and wonder in your garden. The sky is the limit with how fancy or elaborate you can go with these, but there are a wide variety of options available suited to different budgets.

With a fountain, you can turn your garden into a scene from Renaissance Italy, or a modern, hip environment from the most fashionable city you can think of.

Bird baths

Not only are birdbaths available in a wide array of affordable and classy designs, able to act as a stunning ornament in and of themselves, but they also serve a feel-good purpose.

After all, our little feathered friends need a cooling drink from time to time, don’t they?

With a bird bath, you not only decorate your garden, but you also invite the local wildlife in and make them comfortable during their stay. A fantastic way of engaging with your local habitat.

Wells

Wells are an immensely practical item – that is, of course, why they were invented. In the modern day, most of us have the luxury of getting our water from a tap. For anyone who feels like enhancing their own sense of self-reliance, however, it could be worthwhile having your property surveyed, and potentially building a well if conditions allow.

Not only will this be one of the most interesting garden features most of your friends have seen, but a well can also be designed in a variety of classic styles harking back to romantic Bavarian villages.