A dry waterfall resembles the tumbled rocks found in character. Generally speaking Japanese gardening, dry waterfalls are known as dry cascades, or “kare-taki,” Bowdoin College notes. In home landscaping, a dry waterfall works well in a rock garden or to create a focal point in the yard. This low-maintenance feature provides the landscape texture and saves water.
Dry Waterfall Basics
The space available for your dry waterfall helps determines its dimensions and the amount of materials you need to construct it. The height, width and length measurements of the waterfall’s desirable size function for calculating the cubic feet of rock you are going to need. The best locations include places you will enjoy watching from within your home, such as across out of a bedroom or living room window, or even from a patio area outside. Alternatively, a dry waterfall acts as a decorative feature that doesn’t require upkeep for a problem area of the yard.
Single Cascade
A single cascade suits a slope or hillside around the property, allowing you to utilize the land’s shape to arrange the rocks in a natural cascade. For a horizontal yard, this easy dry waterfall might be just two feet tall in the high end. A place with tree roots bared by erosion produces a dramatic landscape to get a dry waterfall. Using gravel and soil to develop the cascade’s high end reduces the labor of building everything from rocks.
Multiple-Stage Waterfall
A multiple-stage cascade looks like a natural waterfall that falls to various levels, creating a set of descents instead of the stream of the single cascade. This effect requires stacking rocks to create various levels. Embedding boulders and huge rocks in the earth stabilizes them, lowering the risk of them rolling or shifting and causing property damage or harm. A hole one-third the height of every stone will hold it in position. Each rock ought to be assessed to ensure that it’s secure before you include more rocks.
Dry Waterfall Safety and Tips
Working with a qualified landscaper will help prevent potential problems. Heavy-duty leather work gloves help protect your hands. A hand truck and a helper may be needed for transferring large rocks. A strong, wide plank can function as a ramp for rolling heavy rocks into place instead of lifting them. Children should be supervised when they play stone features. If there are dogs around the property, rocks small enough for them to eat must be avoided.