Water Garden Fun
While nobody is suggesting that traditional water gardening is not fun, there are many amusing, sometimes vulgar, and often very innovative additions that can be made to the water garden to provide further enjoyment for all the family. In many cases such additions are particularly pleasing to children. However, all adults have some of the child in them, and will doubtless enjoy a number of the more juvenile prospects presented here. Gardening Fun is reviewed from around the world, and not all the products may not be presently available in every locality. However, awareness creates demand. We make no excuse here for introducing a little fun, humour, as well as questionable taste, for the modern water gardener to enjoy and perhaps indulge in a little.
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 A corpulent fellow. What fun for children when standing a the pondside?
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Frogs and Toads
It is inevitable that frogs and toads are associated with the garden pond, and the range of fountains and statuary that is available depicting these interesting little creatures is legion. Everything from small and rather elegant fountains to large and corpulent statue figures in stone, concrete or resin. Their houses are also widely available, both as fun garden decorations, as well as with more serious intent. These latter bring the prospect of retaining real frogs and toads at the pond-side!
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Ducks and Drakes
As with frogs and toads, ducks and drakes have a long association with the water garden. Some are depicted as spouting or spitting ornaments. Others are free-floating and often so beautifully made that they can fool the uninitiated. Artificial ducks certainly create less mess than the real thing, and unless there is a strong breeze to disrupt their graceful progress across the water they can be very convincing. They are also economical as they do not require feeding!
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 These spitting ducks are very attractive when stood in the pond margin amongst reeds and rushes.
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 Surprise your visitors with a partially submerged hippo fountain.
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Humorous Fountains Ornaments
There are many fountain ornaments that display a sense of humour. Some are caricatures of animals, others are larger and faithful reproductions which spout water. A number represent story book characters and by the use of water attempt to bring something of that story to the water garden for everyone’s enjoyment. Every water gardener should consider introducing one of these loveable characters, even if the children or grandchildren are used to justify doing so.
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Other Aquatic Features and Devices
Water in the water garden is usually associated with the pond itself and is transported or displayed via a pump through a fountain or waterfall. However, there are aquatic features which are completely free-standing and independently display water or permit the cultivation of a few aquatic plants. Others provide water to enable plants to flourish, especially in the bog garden that is independent of the garden pond. Although not technically water garden ornaments they are essential to the successful maintenance of the damp areas around the pond.
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 A pink elephant creates a talking point, but is very functional, watering the bog garden.
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