A waterfall or stream in the garden is usually driven by a water pump which draws water from the pond or from a pool. You can adjust the water flow in places by introducing bends and different water levels. This is great for plants and animals. You can also create a multi-source waterfall using cup-shaped elements. Water settles here when the waterfall is not flowing and this increases the survival chances of plants and animals. If a stream is only used periodically for drainage, for example for the overflow from a rain barrel or drainpipe, it will regularly dry up. Life can be sustained in the water, however, thanks to the cup-shaped elements.

A stream of varied width and depth (between 10 and 50 cm) which has stones in the watercourse and sandy or rocky banks is a joy to behold. The sound of the babbling water has a soothing effect. A height difference of 1 – 2 metres is enough to allow the water to flow. A waterfall situated at the edge of a pond draws its water supply from the pond. In this case, make sure that the water motion in the pond is not too strong. That could disturb the naturally occurring temperature zones in the pond. Few aquatic plants can survive in rapidly flowing water, so planting is usually limited to growing dry marginals beside the stream.