Not every garden has the space for a garden pond or even wants one. In a household with small children, for example, such a body of water should either not be built at all or should be well protected - after all, ponds represent a source of danger into which children can fall and drown. Nevertheless, no one has to go without water in the garden, because a gently babbling stream is completely harmless - and does not necessarily need a large garden pond to store water.
How do I create a stream without a pond?
A stream without a pond saves space and costs and is less maintenance-intensive. All you need is a buried collection basin such as a rain barrel and a pump. Alternatively, a stream can be designed completely without water by creating a stream bed with natural stones and suitable plants.
Advantages of a stream without a pond
If there is a garden pond, a stream makes maintaining it much easier. The moving water, which is repeatedly swirled along its path, is naturally purified by the banks and water plants and is also constantly enriched with oxygen. This in turn not only pleases any goldfish in the garden pond, but also reduces algae growth. But to build a stream in the garden, you don't necessarily need a pond. Instead, the stream without a pond offers you some tangible advantages:
- Lower space requirement: Where there is no garden pond, the corresponding space can be used differently. For example for a terrace.
- less effort for care and cleaning: garden ponds require a lot of work, which is then eliminated.
- Less costs: No garden pond also means lower costs for materials and maintenance.
collection basin is a must
But even if you can safely do without a real pond with everything that goes with it: for a stream you definitely need a collecting basin, which must be installed at the foot of the stream and in which the pump is housed. To do this, however, it is sufficient to bury a rain barrel (€144.00 on Amazon) or something similar of sufficient size. By the way, burying prevents water from evaporating. You can cover the surface like a well.
Alternative: Stream without any water
It will be particularly easy if you plan the stream without any water. Simply dig a stream bed and line it with natural stones; appropriate planting will ensure the appropriate look. This variant saves you from having to worry about a waterproof seal, water volumes, pumps and hoses. By the way: In Japanese gardens, pebbles are often used as a synonym for water. Stone surfaces therefore symbolize ponds or other bodies of water in many of these gardens.
Tip
When integrating the collecting basin, make sure there is a watertight inflow between the basin and the stream. Otherwise a lot of water will simply seep into the ground at this point.
