Leslie Ann Builds A Happy Place

Where do you decompress?  Do you have a "happy place" where you can go when you need some down time to get away from life's stresses?  I think it's important to create a wonderful place to do just that.  It's amazing what an effect our environment has on us! It can totally change your mood for the better and your outlook to a positive one.

Creating a wonderful spot to sit and do nothing or reflect is just the thing to de-stress.   I know because I have my very own happy place which is outdoors in my yard.  It consists of a bench which overlooks a water garden.  I've had this for a few years but I really wanted to take it to the next level by adding a waterfall that would spill into my small pool.  I find the sound of a running stream to be very soothing and I just love the sound of it.

So this past Saturday, with all my supplies ready to go, I set out to create, without ever having done this before and having little knowledge, a three foot high waterfall.  I created the basic form of the falls from an old tree stump and cinders blocks that had been piled up uselessly in our backyard for years.  Then I added the liner to contain the water, and built up rock wall sides to it. The last thing was to artfully place rocks to line the water pathway and fill in the cracks underneath those rocks with a black, expanding, glue foam.  The point of the black foam was to keep the water flowing on top of the rocks and not underneath them.

I must have done something right because when all was said and done, at the very end of the day, I had a beautiful waterfall feature.  Sitting down on my viewing bench to see all the fruits of my labor, was never sweeter!  In total, I estimate that this project took me a day and a few hours of time.

I found that the best resource for making this came from DIYnetwork.com, so if you're thinking of creating your own water feature, then that's a great resource.

Check out the finished waterfall below.  This is just the beginning of this garden area though.  I plan on adding more plants and decorative rocks to make it even more inviting.