The Beauty of Water: Designing with Water Features in Your Garden
In the Garden at 19 Birch Lane
At 19 Birch Lane, water isn’t just an element in our garden—it’s part of the soul of the landscape. From the soft sound of our babbling brook to the stillness of our natural pond, water plays a vital role in how we shape space, guide guests, and bring life to our gardens.
Through careful planning by our designer and head gardener Aric Odone, we’ve integrated water into nearly every area of the garden—fountains tucked near seating areas, a brook meandering through future garden rooms, and a reflective pond that anchors our most iconic views. These features serve as focal points, gathering spaces, and emotional markers within the landscape.
Whether you’re designing a small backyard retreat or a large-scale garden like ours, adding water to your outdoor space will elevate the experience, for both plants and people.
💧 Why Add Water to Your Garden?
Our water trough fountain at the beginning of our babbling brook
Adding water to your garden is one of the most transformative things you can do—both visually and emotionally. Here's how it impacts the garden on every level:
✨ 1. It Creates Focal Points of Interest
Water naturally draws the eye. A pond, fountain, or bubbling urn gives the garden a sense of destination and place. At 19 Birch Lane, our natural pond with an island, viewed from the pergola and lawn, has become one of the most photographed spots on the property. It reflects sky, color, and movement—capturing attention in every season.
🎶 2. It Adds Soothing Sound and Movement
Sound is an often overlooked layer in garden design. The babbling brook at 19 Birch Lane winds through trees and stone, creating a calming auditory backdrop that softens the silence and masks distant noise. Similarly, our fountains near the greenhouse deck and bar area bring a playful sparkle to garden gatherings and add energy to otherwise still spaces.
🪞 3. It Reflects Light and Multiplies Beauty
Water is nature’s mirror. It reflects nearby flowers, swaying grasses, and the ever-changing sky. On calm days, our pond becomes a living painting—capturing the symmetry of hydrangeas, the arch of ornamental grasses, and the architectural lines of our pergola.
🐝 4. It Invites Wildlife In
Water is a lifeline. Birds, bees, butterflies, frogs, and dragonflies are all drawn to the moisture and shelter water provides. Whether they’re drinking from the pond’s edge or basking on a warm rock near the stream, these visitors add a living layer to the garden’s design.
🌡️ 5. It Enhances the Plant Environment
Water creates microclimates. Near ponds and fountains, there’s often more humidity and slightly cooler temperatures—ideal for plants that prefer a bit more moisture or protection from intense sun. At 19 Birch Lane, these pockets allow us to grow a wider diversity of plants, including some that wouldn’t thrive in drier locations.
🌿 Water Features at 19 Birch Lane
Each of our water features was chosen for a purpose—and together, they tell a story through sound, motion, and place:
🪞 The Reflection Pond
At the heart of the property, this natural-style pond is framed by native stone and soft grasses, and often serves as a backdrop for weddings. Its surface mirrors the pergola, lawn, and sky—bringing a sense of peace and timelessness to the garden.
Newly added brook at 19 Birch Lane
Our newly added brook water feature adds so much interest to this part of the garden between the sound the look and all the animals that have taken advantage of well worth addition.
💦 The Babbling Brook
This man-made stream winds gently through the landscape, connecting garden rooms and leading visitors from one space to the next. Lined with ferns, mosses, and shade-tolerant perennials, it introduces sound and rhythm to the woodland edge of the garden.
🎶 Fountains and Bubbling Urns
Near the greenhouse deck and bar, we’ve placed several small water features—including stone basins and bubbling urns—that provide sound, movement, and sparkle to gathering areas. They make entertaining spaces feel alive and refreshing.
🪴 What to Plant Around Water Features
Framing water with the right plant palette makes the feature feel grounded and natural. We choose varieties that can handle a little extra moisture, reflect well in the water, or create softness around the edges.
Here are some of our favorite Proven Winners® plants we use around water at 19 Birch Lane:
A favorite near the pond edge, this compact catmint offers long-lasting lavender-blue blooms, perfect for attracting pollinators and softening stonework.
🌿 ‘Shadowland® Empress Wu’ Hosta
In areas near the brook, where shade and moisture combine, this dramatic hosta makes a bold architectural statement and loves the humidity.
🌸 ‘Rockin’ Deep Purple’ Salvia
Used near fountains and patio features, this salvia thrives in full sun and reflects beautifully in water. Bonus: it's loved by hummingbirds!
We edge the pond with these icy-blue mounds of ornamental grass to contrast dark water and give a modern twist to naturalistic planting.
🌺 ‘Summerific® Holy Grail’ Hibiscus
Thriving with regular moisture, this hibiscus provides bold tropical appeal with its enormous dark red blooms and rich foliage—an eye-catching star near the water’s edge.
With fine, lacy foliage and a bright chartreuse color, this shrub lights up shaded edges near the brook and blends beautifully into natural plantings.
📐 Designing Water Features for Every Size Garden
Whether you have a sprawling property or a compact backyard, there’s a water solution for every space:
💧 For Larger Gardens
Build a pond as a central feature with a bench or pergola nearby
Design a natural stream that flows through or between garden rooms
Add a formal reflecting pool for symmetry and elegance
Our DIY water feature at 19 Birch Lane
Our simple DIY Water feature using a oversized ceramic plant pot at water pump and a few feet of pipe helps create I want a full focal point in one of our gardens.
💧 For Smaller Spaces
Use a container water garden with marginal plants
Place a bubbling urn or tabletop fountain on your patio
Tuck a birdbath into your flower bed and surround it with grasses
🌿 Design Tips:
Plant in soft layers around the water’s edge for a natural feel
Use Proven Winners varieties for color, reliability, and long-season performance
Add lighting for nighttime shimmer
Keep views open to reflect sky, trees, and seasonal color
🌟 Final Thoughts: Designing for Emotion, Memory & Guest Experience
At 19 Birch Lane, water is more than a feature—it’s a feeling. It shapes the way people move, pause, and remember. When a bride walks down the aisle reflected in the pond, or a guest lingers near the sound of the brook with a glass of wine, they’re experiencing what Aric has intentionally designed: a moment of stillness, connection, and awe.
Water invites people to slow down. It helps visitors tune in to nature—and to themselves. In the garden, it doesn’t just support life—it enriches it.
When designing your own garden, think about what you want your guests—or even just yourself—to feel. A simple birdbath or a tucked-away fountain might be all you need to turn an ordinary corner into a place of wonder.
So start small, dream big, and let the water lead you.
Want more inspiration? Visit us in person or follow along online to see how water continues to shape the story of 19 Birch Lane, season after season.
#InTheGardenAt19BirchLane 💧🌿