Brian's been keen on adding a waterfall feature to the rockery behind the pond for years. Earlier this year once he'd ascertained that the solar panel and pump which came with a garden fountain would power a waterfall, the fountain was put away and he began work on constructing a waterfall.
First job (after weeding the rockery)in the middle of July was to dismantle some of the rocks and try out different waterfall designs.
The hardcore was laid and then it was time to start constructing the actual waterfall.
This stone frog/toad will have a part to play in the final design!
Here it is nearly finished. The constant rain over the summer caused a lot of problems and it took ages for the cement to dry out.
Once the cement had finally dried it had to be coated with a non-toxic sealant to make sure no chemicals leaked into the pond and affected the pH of the water as we didn't want to damage the aquatic life already in the pond especially the common newts!
There was another long wait until the sealant had dried but finally at the end of August we were able to "switch on" the waterfall.
The final task was to start replanting the rockery. We bought some succulents and heathers and moved some primulas that were planted elsewhere in the garden.
The waterfall is proving a huge success with birds even more so than the pond! The little pools that form, whether the waterfall is working or not, are like a series of mini birdbaths. There were eleven goldfinches bathing and drinking in there this morning and last weekend we saw a young willow warbler.
Hopefully, it will blend in more with the existing rockery as the stones weather and we add more plants.
9 comments:
That looks lovely already and I imagine that it will improve over time too. How thrilling that the birds like it too!
Congratulations on the waterfall. That's bound to create some new habitats - it'll be interesting to see what turns up.
The solar-powered pump sounds like a good idea, too.
Toffeeapple - Many thanks. We are thrilled at how much the birds enjoy using it :)
Rob - Many thanks! I am looking forward to seeing if it attracts any new species!
We are very pleased with the solar powered pump - although the waterfall isn't constant. We've got the timer set at the moment to come on for 10 minutes every hour.
It's going to look great Robin. No stress. Once the plants are mature etc, it won't look artificial......it'll blend in again to your yard. Great idea. And newts! I remember those from my childhood. Very cool. Solar is my favorite...and while it goes on and off, I don't mind. We have several solar lights here that go on for awhile during the early night. Have fun with your new addition! I'd love shopping for the plants:)
Rohrerbot - Many thanks Chris :) It will blend in more as it all "matures" :) Pleased with the solar - nice to harness a natural form of energy! Its really attracting the birds - 9 blue tits, 2 blackbirds, a great tit and a goldfinch have just been bathing and drinking. I need to look into some sort of portable small "hide" as its too far from the house to get photos.
I`m sure the birds will love a source of running water. It will be interesting to see what arrives in your new habitat next spring, when everything has settled down a bit.
Dartford Warbler - Many thanks. The birds are already preferring it to the pond :) Am hoping it will bring something different into the garden!
Barry Fields - Many thanks. Took a long time to construct though! TBH I will be glad when ours has weathered a bit!
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