Small spaces like a small backyard can become a wonderful place with the addition of a water feature!  There are three good options for small water features that you will love to have.  They are easy to maintain, fun to enjoy, and not costly.  These small backyard water features are fountains and spillway bowls, pondless water falls, and small koi ponds.

Fountains come in all shapes and sizes but for ease of maintenance, fountains with an underground water storage vault and recirculating pump are a good choice. The part you see can be made from a variety of products like rock basalt columns or native Minnesota boulders; stacked slate urns made of composit materials; or concrete pottery like the beautiful spillway bowls.

Because they are fairly simple to install, they cost less and are a good choice for someone wanting to DIY their own backyard water feature.

Pondless waterfalls are the type of water feature that is hard not to fall in love with!  They always have the sound of moving water and are easy maintenace, too.  You might ask yourself if you like big, dramatic, loud water sounds or more subtle, quiet and deep water movement.  Either style can be built using the pondless waterfall system.

I have a confession to make.  My husband wanted a pond in our small backyard.  I put it off for years thinking the backyard was just too small.  But we finally did put a pond in and it made all the difference between a “nice Minnesota backyard with lawn and some shrubs” and a place I wanted to be.  Of all the pond pictures we have taken, the pond picture below is the most loved.  (That is a picture of our actual pond we had in our small backyard.)  Everyone loved that koi pond!  It was about 8′ x 11′ with one small waterfall made of a flat piece of stone. We kept fish in it all year long, too.

These three small backyard water feature styles are worth considering if you have a small space, budget, or time.  Of course, they also work well in larger settings or as add-ons to larger ponds and waterfalls.   For more information, check out 7 questions to ask when choosing a water feature.  You may be pleasantly surprised to find you now love your backyard too!