Rock water features add a dramatic touch of beauty to your garden design.

If your garden design is looking a little bland and suburban, rock water features can give it a natural, rugged feel. You can place rock water features in and around your garden pond or swimming pool to create the feeling of a natural pond. The reflections of water playing on rock formations has a wonderfully magical quality, particularly at night. And if you really want to add a touch of beauty to your garden design, imagine the tranquil atmosphere a rock waterfall would create.

You can have natural rock water features made from real granite or basalt, but a great alternative which is becoming increasingly popular is artificial rock. If the term “faux rock” conjures up visions of the ridiculous looking styrofoam boulders you see in old movies, you’ll be amazed to discover how much the technology has advanced in recent years. The best products are molded from casts made from natural rock formations, and can be stained and textured using very sophisticated techniques. It’s virtually impossible to tell them from the real thing.

The advantages of faux rock water features.

Artificial rock water features can be made from a variety of materials, including synthetic rubber, fiberglass and plaster, but probably the best products are made from concrete, reinforced with glass fiber or combined with a plastic polymer. This makes the material easy to shape and sculpt into very natural looking forms. These types of artificial rocks are also much lighter than natural rock, so hauling them into your back yard won’t be a major strategic operation. They’re also more durable than many types of natural rock, which tend to weather away surprisingly quickly, especially under running water.

The other great advantage of using faux rock water features is that you can easily shape the rocks to suit your garden design ideas, and to hide water pipes, cables for lighting and other unsightly utilities. Most suppliers will custom make the rocks in any shape you require.