Garden water fixtures can be as attractive in winter as they are in summer

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

By: Dean Fosdick, The Associated Press

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at 8:28 AM | Comments: 0

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This Nov. 10, 2014 photo shows a fountain that will be shutdown and drained before the cold weather arrives to prevent damage from ice build-ups in Langley, Wash. People living in warm climates generally dont have to drain the pipes or pull the plug on their water fixtures in winter. (AP Photo/Dean Fosdick)

For many people with backyard ponds, fountains and other water-garden fixtures, the arrival of cold weather means draining the pipes and pulling the plug.

But water gardens can be attractive winter gardens, too, with the right preparation and landscaping.

Turning off a garden's water fixtures may not be necessary, depending on where you live, said Keith Folsom, president of Springdale Water Gardens in Greenville, Virginia. "Their wintertime effect is always different and attractive with the use of landscape lighting and the right plants."

"We had an extremely cold winter here last year but it wasn't a problem," he said. "Pay attention and know how much water you're using below the ice. You have to keep that flow topped off."

Ensure that water lines and fixtures are drained if you do decide to turn them off so they won't expand with freezing and break, Folsom said. "Running water, on the other hand, prevents icing. That's one of the reasons I tell people to keep them running."

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Garden water fixtures can be as attractive in winter as they are in summer