Integrating a Waterfall or Fountain in Your Fishkill, NY, Retaining Wall
Whether you have a retaining wall in place in your Fishkill, NY, landscape or you are looking into having one built for you, consider incorporating an interesting element to it—water. Adding a waterfall or fountain to the retaining wall would maximize its beauty.
The Purposes of Retaining Walls
Retaining walls can be used for practical purposes or as a prominent design feature, to define particular spaces in your backyard. They are either short in stature, such as if they’re used to define the boundary around a garden, or they could be tall and wide. Larger retaining walls that are strategically placed provide strength and integrity to a complicated or unstable area of the yard. Many retaining walls are created from the stacking of brick or stone and have a gorgeous, natural look.
Related: Choosing Retaining Wall Materials for Your Modern Fishkill, NY, Home
Water Feature Options
Water features can be installed in pre-existing retaining walls or designed for a completely new piece. Water could spill out from within the wall, falling into a basin before getting pumped back up to the spillway to be reused again. Because the water in these features gets recycled, overall water use is minimal.
While most retaining wall waterfalls are designed to flow with one simple, downward sheet of water, consider the vast potential of your showcase water feature by reviewing these ideas for your backyard:
One in-wall waterfall: Many retaining wall water features focus on one stream of water along the front (originating from a spillway within the wall) and often ending in a pool or basin below. These are beautiful design features for your yard, and can be a centerpiece for a patio or garden.
Multiple mini waterfalls: Some designs include multiple mini waterfalls! These walls have separate waterfalls in different locations along the wall, and also fall into a pool or basin at the foot of the wall.
Cascading waterfalls: If your landscape includes a hill of any size, consider having a retaining wall feature build up and into that hill, with the wall’s stones acting as a base for a waterfall to slide down. The cascading design, with the retaining wall following the shape of the water’s path, is sure to wow any visitor.
A pond: Your waterfall can also end in a beautiful pond. You could have plants added along the base of the waterfall and around the pond to bring even more life to the steady stream.
Related: Top Water Features for Adding Movement and Ambience to your Landscaping
Consider what elements of a retaining wall water feature will best suit the design aesthetic of your yard—your landscaping expert can walk you through the options.
Combine Water Features
If you want a truly stunning effect, look into creating a retaining wall water feature that spills into your pool. Some designs even incorporate a cave-like effect, where the water spills from the top of a rock but leaves space between the waterfall and the rock itself for a behind-the-falls ingress.
Add Landscape Lighting
As way to showcase your retaining wall water feature, uplighting could be installed to enhance its beauty in the night hours. With landscape lighting, your retaining wall water feature can amaze visitors no matter the hour.
Image courtesy of Unilock.