Water basins add the finishing touch to contemporary garden design. Home gardeners with a preference for architectural shapes, clear lines or Asian-influenced garden art ask themselves, with good reason: are water basins an appropriate alternative to the classic pond? This guide would like to contribute to your individual decision-making. Creative ideas demonstrate when the modern water world is appropriate as an alternative to the pond.
Small garden benefits from geometric shapes
The authentic pond design is based on a curved bank as a reflection of a natural pond. In keeping with the causality between space and shapes, irregular lines only come into their own on larger areas. Geometric structures can be embedded more harmoniously into the creative design of the small garden. The spectrum extends from round, oval or elliptical to rectangular, square, cylindrical, conical or triangular, including all possible gradations. We looked around at leading manufacturers of water basins and put together the following representative selection of models to demonstrate the diverse options for small gardens:
- rectangular: 200 x 100 x 35 cm and 550 liter volume up to 800 x 310 x 125 cm and 29000 liter volume
- square: 100 x 100 x 35 cm and 200 liter volume up to 220 x 220 x 35 cm and 1400 liter volume
- round: 120 cm diameter and 200 liter volume up to 320 cm diameter, 52 cm depth and 1,600 liter volume
- triangular: for example 228 x 228 x 321 cm, 70 cm depth and 1800 liter volume
- cylindrical: for example 50 cm high and wide, 225 cm diameter and 1850 liter volume
The water basins are pre-formed, made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP), stainless steel, Corten steel and are embedded in the garden floor. The plain edge of the pool is decoratively enhanced with an aluminum cover. The option of powder coating in the color of your choice adds a special touch. From brightly colored to subtle gray, all colors within the RAL color scale are possible. The wide range of shapes and dimensions makes it possible to transform previously unused niches in the garden into a decorative highlight.
Major appearance in the large garden – water pool with swimming option
The highlight of the extensive repertoire is the pool for swimming. As a pure swimming pool, a water basin in the middle of the garden seems like a foreign body and is not recommended as an alternative to a pond. The wildly romantic swimming pond is perceived as an aesthetic disruptor and a break in style in the modern-minimalist garden.
Ingenious home gardeners choose a water basin as a combination of a bathing zone and a planted regeneration zone in order to build a stable ecosystem. There is no planting in the swimming area, whereas the regeneration area has a lush world of aquatic plants. Both regions are separated by a wall so that plants do not overgrow into the swimming area. For the purpose of a lively exchange of water, the partition ends about 20 centimeters below the water surface. Where space allows, different water depths create swamp, shallow water and deep water zones.
Tip:
Skilled home gardeners install a water basin in the garden themselves. It is important to note that a pool with a depth of 150 centimeters or more and a volume of 100 cubic meters usually requires a building permit.
Natural, environmentally friendly materials are key
Home gardeners on a tight budget will appreciate the low purchase cost of a glass fiber reinforced plastic water basin. If the gardener's heart beats for nature and the environment, the monetary benefit takes a back seat. Products from chemical-industrial production, such as plastics of all kinds, are frowned upon in ecologically managed gardens. Anyone who consistently fertilizes organically and swears by biological plant protection will also choose a natural or at least environmentally friendly material for their new water basin.
Water basins made of natural stone are very popular. Small models are carved from a single block of stone. Large pools with a diameter of more than 200 centimeters are constructed on site from a foundation with a base plate and have a border made of natural stone, such as bas alt, sandstone or granite. In the trendy Japanese garden, the stone water basin is the perfect alternative to the pond to stylishly integrate the design component of water into the authentic appearance.
In the search for a modern and environmentally friendly material for the water basin, stainless steel comes into focus. Production is based on the recycling of around 80 percent melted scrap instead of using raw materials from limited resources. Last but not least, the material is completely recyclable and flows back into the material cycle without any gaps after disposal. From this point of view, too, the water basin acts as a sensible alternative to the pond with a pond liner made of PVC.
Variable water depths for a lively plant world
Home gardeners often distance themselves from the water basin as an alternative to the pond due to the lack of planting options. Numerous practical examples prove the opposite. Just a few design variations are enough for a water basin to be in no way inferior to a conventional pond in terms of plant diversity. This is how it works:
- different depth zones as a basis for a lively plant diversity
- small water basin: integrate stone platforms of different heights
- Large pool: stack bases of stones at different heights parallel to the bank at a suitable distance
- fill nutrient-poor, loamy-sandy pond soil between the stone base and the edge of the pool as a plant substrate
Stone platforms and bases create the perfect framework for deep and shallow water plants. Aquatic plants in plant baskets are placed on stone platforms to display themselves decoratively. In small basins, this option has the advantage that the plants do not spread uncontrollably. Where the space allows backfilling with pond soil at different heights, the water basin, in addition to the deep water zone, also has a shallow water and swamp sector with an ideal water depth of 10 to 40 centimeters.
Smart water basins for the urban garden
Under the heading “Urban Gardening”, the private mini garden is finding its way into big cities. The balcony and roof terrace are not just reserved for ornamental plants. The cultivation of vegetables and fruit over the rooftops of the big city is booming. The small water world cannot be missed here as the creative icing on the cake. When choosing suitable containers, you can use your imagination. Depending on the style of the garden and house, anything that is waterproof is permitted. Be inspired by the following ideas for water basins as an alternative to the pond:
- Basin made of chrome steel for a minimalist, cool ambience
- Brown copper vessels for a modern design with a warm look
- Wooden tub, old wine barrel or zinc tub as a rustic water basin for the balcony
- Ceramic bowl or terracotta bucket for the tasteful mini water world
When choosing a water basin for the balcony, the degree of load must be taken into account. If more than 250 kg/m² comes together, you should ask the owner of the property or look at the structural engineering. If you choose a water basin made of wood, it must be sealed on the inside so that no structural damage occurs due to moisture. Line the container with thin pond liner. Please choose the new, more environmentally friendly pond liner without phthalates here.
Water features – sparkling finishing touches for the water basin
The classic water fountain has got competition. In keeping with the modern, straight-lined water basin, the high priests of contemporary garden design let the ideas bubble up. Modern interpretations of the air stone are popular. Spheres, pyramids and cuboids made of natural stone, concrete or stainless steel make the water basin a creative masterpiece in both small and large gardens. Your new water world becomes a magical attraction when it is fed by stone structures with integrated mirror or glass surfaces. A waterfall as a gabion with an integrated stainless steel lip impresses with a breathtaking look.
