People are all innately connected to water. On a scientific level, humans are mostly comprised of that essential H2O, yes, but the connection runs so much deeper. The sound of the waves and the rain soothes many. A hot bath after a long day relaxes others. A dip in freshwater rejuvenates most. We love water, so adding ways to connect to water in your own home is a great idea that everyone should consider for their outdoor spaces.
Water features, ponds, lakes, and more can all be used to connect us to water and can look great in your yard, but for most, it will be a question between a water feature and a pond. With this guide, you’ll know the difference and be able to decide which is better for your home.
What is a Water Feature?
A water feature is any water element that you add to your garden. It can include fountains, spherical water features, water walls, rock gardens, rivers, ponds, and even lakes. Water features, in this case, refer to a water element that you personally add. While a natural pond or lake may be a feature of your garden, they are a natural ecosystem onto themselves. Water features are created and added to your garden rather than naturally occurring.
They can look natural, however. They can also be modern, classic, Greek, Roman, or any other design-inspired. They can fit in small gardens and large gardens.
What is a Pond?
The reason why there is some confusion is that, technically, a pond is a water feature. It is a feature of your garden that contains and is dominating by water. A good way to think about it is that all ponds are water features, but not all water features are ponds. You can differentiate water features and ponds further in your head by categorising one as a natural body of water, the other man-made, but at the end of the day, this would be a personal choice.
A pond can look natural, or it could be surrounded by man-made designs. Regardless of which option you choose, there are so many ways to customise the look and keep your pond healthy. Lights can keep your pond beautiful and alive throughout the day, whereas water features like pumps can keep it clean. There is a lot of work to be done in maintaining an artificial pond, but thankfully everything you need can be found on sites like Water-garden.co.uk.
What Does the Difference Mean to You?
At the end of the day, the difference between a water feature and a pond is just semantics. Ponds are bodies of water, and so are water features.
Water features, however, can be fountains or other sculptural features that include water in the design. So long as there is moving water involved, you can enjoy stunning sounds and help the local wildlife, but what you end up choosing will depend on the size of your garden and how much commitment you are willing to invest.
Sculptural water features don’t require a lot of care. Ponds, however, do. Choose the one that suits your lifestyle, interests, and garden for the best results.
Great article! I get the difference between the pond and the water feature now. Thanks for elaborating on the idea. Very helpful.