Waterscape

Tropical Waterscape for Architectural Landscaping

1. Tropical waterscape

2. What is Water scaping ? A water feature / waterscape is any indoor or outdoor decoration that incorporates water. Waterscape can be defined as spaces where water is a major element The built environment can also be greatly enhanced through use of waterscapes. An aquatic landscape, a view or site prominently involving bodies of water

3. Types of waterscape Water gardens Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, are a type of man-made  water feature. They can be defined as any interior or exterior  landscape  or  architectural element whose primary purpose is to house, display, or propagate a particular species or variety of aquatic plant.   Water gardening is gardening that is concerned with growing plants adapted to pools and ponds. Although water gardens can be almost any size or depth, they are typically small and relatively shallow, generally less than twenty inches in depth. This is because most aquatic plants are depth sensitive and require a specific water depth in order to thrive. The particular species inhabiting each water garden will ultimately determine the actual surface area and depth required.

4. Water gardens

5. ponds A  pond is a body of standing water, either natural or artificial, that is usually smaller than a  lake  They may arise naturally in floodplains as part of a river system, or they may be somewhat isolated depressions (examples include vernal pools and prairie potholes). Usually they contain shallow water with marsh and aquatic plants and animals. A pond is usually larger than a water garden, though most noticeably it is deeper. Generally a pond is twenty to forty-eight inches in depth and designed to accommodate both aquatic plants and fish Globally , the most important service provided by a pond, at many scales, is the production of fish and other wildlife. These are often also a source of food for humans, as well as an important source of recreation. At the same time, these ponds help maintain water quality by recycling nutrients.

6. ponds

7. fountains A  fountain  is a piece of architecture  which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air to supply drinking water and/or for a decorative or dramatic effect . Fountains were originally purely functional, connected to springs or aqueducts and used to provide drinking water and water for bathing and washing to the residents of cities, towns and villages. Until the late 19th century most fountains operated by gravity, and needed a source of water higher than the fountain, such as a reservoir or aqueduct, to make the water flow or jet into the air . By the end of the 19th century, as indoor plumbing became the main source of drinking water, urban fountains became purely decorative. Mechanical pumps replaced gravity and allowed fountains to recycle water and to force it high into the air. Fountains are used today to decorate city parks and squares; to honor individuals or events; for recreation and for entertainment.

8. fountains

9. streams A  stream is a body of water  with a current, confined within a bed and  stream banks. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a  branch ,  brook ,  beck ,  burn ,  creek , crick ,  gill  (occasionally  ghyll ),  kill ,  lick ,  mill race ,  rill ,  river ,  syke ,  bayou ,  rivulet ,  streamage ,  wash ,  run , or runnel . Streams are important as conduits in the water cycle, instruments in groundwater recharge, and corridors for fish and wildlife migration. The biological habitat in the immediate vicinity of a stream is called ariparian zone . Streams play an important  corridor role in connecting fragmented habitats and thus in conserving biodiversity. The study of streams and waterways  in general is known as  surface hydrology  and is a core element of environmental geography .

10. streams

11. waterfalls A  waterfall is a place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a stream or river. Waterfalls also occur where  meltwater  drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. This is overall the most popular element. From simple, sheer drops and smooth curtain falls; to multi- leveled , split-tiered and complex cascades; everyone loves a waterfall. These are utilized for containing vertically moving water with angles of drop greater than thirty degrees and can range from the lightly intermittent drips and drops of a "weeping wall" to the gossamer veil of a multi-faceted cascade.

12. waterfalls

13. Swimming pools A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or paddling pool is a container that is filled with water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be sunk into the ground or built above ground (as a freestanding construction or as part of a building or other larger structure), and are also a standard feature aboard ocean liners and cruise ships. In-ground pools are most commonly constructed from materials such as concrete, natural stone, metal, plastic or  fibre glass , and can be of a custom size and shape or built to a standardised size, the largest of which is the Olympic-size swimming pool.

14. Reflecting pool A reflecting pool or reflection pool is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and at memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a reflective surface. Reflecting pools are often designed with the outer basin floor at the rim slightly deeper than the central area to suppress wave formation. They can be as small as a bird bath to as large as a major civic element.

15. Disappearing water features This water feature has literally taken this industry by storm in recent years. It can be a variety of limitless design possibilities in its initial form such as a waterfall, stream or fountain and then just simply "disappears" into a hidden underground reservoir or vault. The most unique aspects of this feature is that it can be any size or shape and is as maintenance free as a water feature can be.

16. Water walls This particular type of feature can be found both inside or out and generally consists of a point of origin located on a wall; such as a lion's head, a sheet of mirrored glass or a slab of granite; that in turn directs or guides water into a basin either sitting directly on the floor or suspended slightly above it. Designs can range from old world antique, naturalistic, conservative or modern.

17. Bog gardens These water features cover an area found between dry land and open water and are no more than contained mud holes. These mud holes; however; can be one of the most fascinating focal points in your landscape. Bog gardens can stand alone as a water feature or be used as an element in a much larger project. There is a wide variety of unique plants available for use in a bog garden application.

18. elements Aquatic flora Water garden plants are divided into three main categories: submerged, marginal, and floating. Submerged plants are those that live almost completely under the water, sometimes with leaves or flowers that grow to the surface such as with the water lily. These plants are placed in a pond or container usually 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) below the water surface. Some of these plants are called oxygenators because they create oxygen for the fish that live in a pond. Examples of submerged plants are: Water lily (Hardy and Tropical) Hornwort ( Ceratophyllum demersum )

19. Marginal plants are those that live with their roots under the water but the rest of the plant above the surface. These are usually placed so that the top of the pot is at or barely below the water level. Examples of these are: Iris or Flag ( Iris  spp.) Water-crowfoot ( Ranunculus fluitans ) Bulrush ( Scirpus lacustris ) Cattail ( Typha latifolia ) Taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) Arrowhead ( Sagittaria latifolia ) Lotus ( Nelumbo  spp .) Pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata ) Aquatic flora

20. Aquatic flora Floating plants are those that are not anchored to the soil at all, but are free-floating on the surface. In water gardening, these are often used as a provider of shade to reduce algae growth in a pond. These are often extremely fast growing/multiplying. Examples of these are : Mosquito ferns ( Azolla  spp.) Water-spangle ( Salvinia  spp.) Water-clover ( Marsilea   vestita ) Water Lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes ) Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes )

21. fauna FISH Often the reason for having a pond in a garden is to keep fish, often  koi , though many people keep goldfish . Both are hardy, colourful fish which require no special heating, provided the pond is located in an area which does not have extremes of temperature that would affect the fish. If fish are kept, pumps and filtration devices are usually needed in order to keep enough oxygen in the water to support them. In winter, a small heater may need to be used in cold climates to keep the water from freezing solid. Examples of common pond fish include : Rice fish  Mosquito fish Rosy Red minnows White Cloud Mountain minnows Goldfish  Crucian carp Koi   Mirror carp Carp  Weather loach Golden Orfe Golden Tench Eel Catfish Bluegill Black bass Snakehead Goby

22. CRUSTECEAN Crayfish Freshwater Prawn SNAILS River snail Small aquatic snails are usually found in ponds that contain plants. Some people purchase apple snailsto keep in their water garden. " Melantho snails" of the genus  Lymnaea  are also used. HERPETO FAUNA Ponds located in suburban and rural areas often attract amphibians such as common f rogs and Fire Salamanders and reptiles such as turtles, lizards, and snakes. BIRDS Wild duck Domestic duck fauna