Landscaping Ideas: How to Soothe Your Soul with a Water Garden

Ponds, Fountains, Streams Add Sense of Peace to the Backyard

If you've ever watched a fountain bubbling over, the graceful flow of a pebble-filled stream, or a garden pond's still reflection, then you know just how hypnotically soothing it is to be near the sight and sound of water.

Those who tend to the metaphysical side of things say our souls are drawn to the wet stuff. Water is life, the ancients say, and its presence in our homes and gardens can quench a spiritual thirst.

Then again, maybe homeowners just like the fact that water features are beautiful and easy to care for. And perhaps the murmur of that koi pond or waterfall in the back yard is all they need to drown out the stress of daily living.

Whatever the reason, water features have become a growth industry. No one knows this better than designer Chris Schriner, whose Mountain View, Calif., company builds around 130 ponds and waterfalls each year in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Schriner's business includes a retail store, the Pond Shack, and an installation/design arm, Brookside Garden. That way, he covers both types of homeowners: the do-it-yourselfers can find advice, supplies and classes at the Pond Shack, while those who want to leave the digging to someone else can call on Brookside Garden.

"I had one client, a lawyer, and I installed an 11x16 pond with a waterfall at his home," said Schriner. "He told me that he'd spent $100,000 on landscaping and never went in the back yard. But after we put in the pond, he was out there all the time."

Heather Donaldson, a Saratoga, Calif., artist who creates one-of-a-kind fountains and water sculptures, said the idea of the garden as sanctuary has become increasingly appealing.

"I think Americans are traveling less, and turning to their gardens as an escape," she said. "Water is a visually powerful and rewarding element in the landscape."

The Asian influence in the Bay Area has also left its mark on home and garden design. Hobbyists who raise koi, the colorful carp that originated in Japan, must have adequate ponds for their fish. And Westerners are discovering feng shui, the Chinese system for life enhancement through design, which calls for moving water as a vital element.