Garden Designer’s Roundtable – Must Be The Water

The topic of water inspires a million different variants of thoughts and ideas if we think about it long enough. We are mostly water, the planet is mostly water, without it we are…well, dry. Pun intended.

For those of us in the Horticultural realm, water is even more the stuff of life. Growing, irrigating, draining, and manipulating water in all of its various forms is not only big business, its where at least as much of our time and thought is spent other than directly handling a plant.

Too much water, too little water, frozen water, thawing water, directing water, capturing water, restricting water. These conversations are not just about the weather, but huge logistical and sometimes ethical issues that we deal with every day. Who’s water is this? Can I have some? Can I afford to share more? How can I conserve what I have? I need to get rid of mine.

How to water, when to water, what tools to use for watering – all of these questions and answers could take a lifetime to address adequately. I certainly won’t try here in this short post. Take a peek here for some easy answers. But, I would like to give you some perspective on the breadth of the topic and maybe a little visual candy for inspiration as well.

The beauty, necessity, tranquility, complexity and raw power of water have led us to the height of creation of some of the worlds greatest achievements in engineering as well as to the depths of devastation. Take a look here for some AMAZING new things happening with water right now.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the original Seven Wonders of the World

Hurricane Katrina

We crave water in our lives, for the obvious reasons of course. But, what about for the more esoteric reasons? It’s in our lives everywhere that isn’t damp! Take a quick look in your I-Tunes Library, and search for “water”, “rain” or “ocean”. See how much music has to do with water in one form or another. Check out “Must Be The Water” by Marc Broussard for a great New Orleans take on the mighty Mississippi. Even just the number of Holiday songs written about snow is mind bending!  How about your books or magazines? What about your favorite movies? Seen “Waterworld”? How about “Water For Elephants“?

These are the first few lines of the song by “Water” by Lauren Hill

Moving down the streams of my lifetime, pools of fascination in my sleep, cooling off the fire of my longing, warming up my cold within his heat,

Bouncing down the walls of inhibition, evaporating all of my fears, baptizing into complete submission, dissolving my condition with his tears, he’s just like water….

When I think about water features in the landscape, I like to imagine the feelings that they might conjure, not just the design aesthetic or the sound. Though those two things are high on my list of importance as well!

Even the vaguest ripple of water can create a peaceful harmonic resonance.

We are drawn to the water in all of it’s forms by a primeval pull like the tides and the moon. The feelings that range from a child’s sheer bliss at stomping in a puddle to soaking in a blue lagoon can last a lifetime.

The magnetic lure of quiet meditation here is unparalleled.

A water feature that is also a true work of art can also stir a depth of emotion that you may never have expected.

This pond in the garden is about communing with not only the peaceful feeling of the pond, but the surrounding nature of the garden as it interacts with the water.

How about a good laugh in the garden with a water feature? No need to take life too seriously ALL the time!

"Create-A-Scene"

I adore water in the garden in any form. I think I will always endeavor to have it no matter what shape it may take. Bringing emotion, movement and a captivating charm are pretty good side effects too! All I can say is “It Must Be The Water!”

Please take some time to read and invest a comment or two in blog posts (links below) written by other Lords and Ladies of the Garden Designer’s Roundtable and most especially our esteemed Guest Poster for this month Debra Baldwin- Empress of all things Succulent, Photographer, Author and Blogger. 

Debra Lee Baldwin : Gardening Gone Wild : Escondido, CA

Tara Dillard : Vanishing Threshold : Atlanta, GA

Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston, MA

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Jenny Peterson : J Peterson Garden Design : Austin TX

Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN