Really Cool Water Features

• Making a really cool water feature for your backyard depends quite a bit on what you consider to be cool. Before you make plans to test the definition of "cool" through the addition of a water feature, you should make sure that "cool" isn't in violation of any building codes. Don't let affordability distract you from a showcase water feature. A lack of funds just means you have to use your creativity and imagination more than your checkbook.

Runnels

• A runnel is a narrow channel through which water flows. A runnel can carry water from a natural source to a man-made pond, or it can carry water from one man-made water structure to another. A really cool way to showcase a runnel is to build it right through the middle of your patio. Add a waterfall that delineates the changes in elevation to make this an even cooler water feature.

Imaginative Fountainheads

• If you already have a pond that just really isn't doing it for you anymore, consider adding a fountain. All you need to install a fountain is a recirculating pump and the object from which the water spews forth. It's this object that allows you to create a really cool water feature. Keep in mind that anything with a hollow interior can be transformed into a fountainhead. Let your imagination guide you toward cool by choosing objects that are not normally used in fountains. Head to your garage to parse through discarded junk, and come up with something ranging from a fountain made of stacked computers to one composed of old musical instruments that nobody ever plays anymore.

Personalized Statuary

• Statuary is a common choice for a fountain to shoot water through. Just heading to the nearest garden supply store to buy a prefabricated statue isn't going to cut it, though, when it comes to cool. What you should do instead is hire someone to create a fountain statue for which you or your spouse or your kids pose. A skilled artisan can create any form of statuary suitable for fountain purposes that you desire: Roman, Greek, nude, gargoyle or whimsical. The result is truly a one-of-a-kind and very cool water feature all your own.

Bonsai Water Garden

• A very small water feature can be given a big life of its own by planting Bonsai plants around it. Build a Japanese Zen garden complete with waterfall. The Bonsai plants take what might otherwise be a water feature too small to get much attention and give it a sense of style that can then be enhanced for whimsy or beauty. For example, add small figurines so that your water feature becomes a community of Lilliputian size, or add cascading Japanese maple or cherry trees.