Do you dream of a picturesque watercourse in your garden? Then give your vision tangible form. You don't have to dig deep into your pockets to implement it. These instructions explain how you can create a stream yourself with tips for a creative design.
How do I create a stream in the garden?
To create a stream in the garden, first plan the route, determine a gradient and buy a complete set. Excavate the stream bed, install pond liner, pump and pressure hose and landscape the bank with stones, gravel and plants.
Thorough planning is half the battle
Please create a scaled sketch in advance. Determine exactly over which area the watercourse extends and where the collecting basin and source are located. To get a clear idea of the finished appearance, ideally mark out the planned stream with cords and wooden sticks. Take this opportunity to also mark the location for the electricity and water connection.
The planning work also includes considerations of how the necessary gradient is created. This requirement is naturally met on sloped property. On flat terrain, it has proven useful in practice to use the excavation of ponds, swimming pools and other water worlds for this purpose. A gradient of 2 cm by 100 cm is enough for the water to flow.
Complete sets make shopping easy
A variety of complete sets for a watercourse are available for purchase in hardware stores, garden centers and online specialist shops. This has the advantage that you receive all essential materials from a single source, from source stone to pond liner or stream lining to a powerful pump. The rule of thumb for the optimal pump strength is: For each centimeter of watercourse width, 1.5 liters of water per minute must bubble up at the source.
In addition, you will need root protection fleece (€34.00 on Amazon), sand, spade, spirit level, wheelbarrow and plenty of muscle strength if you want to create your watercourse expertly.
Digging a stream – How to do it right
First mark the outline of the watercourse with the spade. Peel off any grass or lawn sod at this point. In practice, a depth of 25 to 35 cm and a width of 30 to 60 cm have proven to be recommended. This is how you proceed professionally:
- Dig the stream bed along the markings, remove stones and roots
- Important: Banks are at exactly the same level on both sides so that no water runs out later
- Tamp the ground firmly so that the earth does not sink
- Create a 5 cm high layer of sand to protect pond liner or stream shells from damage
- Ideally lay a root protection fleece on the sand layer
At the end of the stream, dig a collecting basin if there is not already a pond there. To ensure that the pump works smoothly and does not freeze in winter, a water depth of at least 80 cm is advisable.
Creating a watercourse – this is what you should pay attention to
Lay the pond liner 25 cm beyond the banks. Otherwise it could slip into the watercourse. The film also acts as capillary protection so that the surrounding soil does not withdraw water from the stream. The technical heart of the watercourse is the pump. You place these on a platform in the collecting basin or pond. The distance to the ground ensures that the pump does not clog up.
You can lay the pressure hose either under the pond liner or along the bank in a 30 cm deep channel. The water connection is decoratively hidden with a spring stone, spring pot or gargoyle.
Ideas for design – How to give your stream a natural flair
Once the technology for your watercourse is in place, the visual design comes into focus. Use natural stones and gravel to frame the bank decoratively and at the same time stabilize the pond liner against slipping. Funny pond figures, like a fishing frog, spread a good mood along the watercourse. So that the floral aspect is not neglected, we recommend this planting along the stream:
Dry shore areas:
- Golden basket (Chrysogonum virginianum) with golden yellow flowers from May to August and wintergreen foliage; 8-10 cm high
- Rose cowslip (Primula rosea) with purplish pink spring flowers; 3-10 cm high and 15 to 20 cm wide
- Swamp forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris) with white flowers from May to August; 30-40 cm high
Wet shore areas:
- Swamp marigold (C altha palustris) shines with yellow flowers in April and May; 30-40 cm high
- Colorful lizardtail (Houttuynia cordata) furious foliage ground cover with red-edged leaves; 30-40 cm high
- Bachbunge (Veronica beccabunga), the classic watercourse with blue summer flowers; 30-40 cm high
Pretty ornamental grasses with a preference for moist soil complete the planting plan for the stream. We would particularly like to recommend the delightful vaginal cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum). Following a splendor of silvery-white flowers from March to May, the gem impresses with white pom-pom heads as seed heads. Where the cotton grass likes it, it surprises with a second flowering period in early autumn.
Tip
Put your watercourse in the right light with romantic lighting. You can install low-voltage lighting systems in your garden yourself. Solar lamps can be used independently of cables, although they often remain dark during the winter due to a lack of solar energy.