According to all the garden books I read early on water is an essential element in every garden. Then there were photos of ponds and streams, rivulets and all manner of water. I could not imagine how I would ever get essential water in my garden. I have gotten bird baths, and now I have a garden that floods. However, others have found a myriad of ways to include essential water features.  This little waterfall is part of a handmade pond. The waterfall itself is not only constructed it has been tuned by carefully arranging the fall and the depth of the water to provide a musical note.  Here are a few photos of the ways that gardeners have created essential water features.

Another smaller pond makes use of local stone at  the edge  of a woodland.

Sometimes there is very little room, but even a pot with some papyrus or elephant ears adds that essential quality to a small garden.

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A  corner of this garden in the shade makes use of a Japanese water feature.

Water provides an opportunity for whole new families of plants.

The Clark Art Museum saw the beauty of water and built a large water feature with shallow waterfalls and a way to circulate the water to help with heat and cooling in the new building.

There are smaller public water features, like this one at the Lyman Conservatory at Smith College. Here one can sit in the shade and enjoy the serenity that water often provides.

How many ways have you seen gardeners put water features in their gardens?