Here are some cool water feature options, from simple water bowls to bubbling urns, and where to get them.

According to Chinese feng shui, water in the garden attracts and refreshes energy and water features are more popular than ever.

The simple water bowl
A simple, water-filled bowl catches the sunlight and adds watery serenity without the fuss of a pump or a pond. And if the pot is big enough, you can plant a mini water garden.

You can use any waterproof container - from a terracotta pot to a hand-carved stone bowl - but one with at least a 50cm diameter looks more effective.

Remember that each litre of water weighs 1kg, so if you're putting a water-filled pot on a terrace or balcony, make sure it can take the weight. Place the container in its final position before you add the water!

Sydney-based garden designer Peter Nixon, of Paradisus, says the trend is for carved granite water blocks that are perfectly plain on the outside. "You don't want anything that looks too Eastern - culturally it doesn't fit. The plain granite pieces are so neutral, they go with all types of architecture."

With smaller water bowls, plants are used as a background rather than being in the pot. Peter uses broad-leaved plants including cordyline, clerodendrum and phormium (flax) to create a suitable setting.

The only maintenance these plant-free bowls need is a quick blast with the hose in summer to keep the mozzies at bay.

For a balcony, Peter recommends a big Balinese bowl grouped with other containers planted with yucca, dracaena (ponytail plant) and dwarf flax. "You need to have appropriate plants. Don't put standard Iceberg roses and dwarf lavender with an Asian pot. It'll look silly," he advises.

What about plants?
If you want plants in your water pot, include one plant for height, one floating plant and one submerged, oxygenating plant to help keep the water clear - and forget about swathes of waterlilies.

"People come in expecting to put waterlilies in everything, but they need deeper water to grow - about 40cm of water above the pot they're planted in," says Peter Skelly of Menduni Garden Artistry in Summer Hill, NSW. And they're expensive - around $30 per plant.

Try these instead:
Water fringe (Nymphoides spp.): it has waterlily-shaped leaves and little star-shaped yellow flowers.

Water iris (Iris laevigata): it has sword-shaped leaves and a dark blue flower, with cultivars in other colours. It likes to grow in about 15cm of water.

Common flag (Iris pseudacorus): sword-shaped leaves with large yellow flowers. Grows in water up to 10cm deep.

Pickerel rush (Pointederia cordata): spear-shaped leaves with little stems of mauve flowers. Grows in water up to 20cm.

Parrot's feathers or ejeria: submerged, oxygenating plants with feathery fronds.


Ask for help when you're choosing plants, as you want ones that will work for your particular water feature - some plants can't handle splash, some do better in shade. And if you're still hankering for waterlilies? You can buy fab-looking fake ones for $3 each.

Fish
Once you have water plants, you might need some fish to keep mosquito wrigglers under control. Goldfish and comets are favourites, but their flashy colours mean they're easy targets for birds. Native fish, such as Murray river rainbows, do the same job and last longer. Other good fish are golden malacas (rice fish), rosy barbs and tadpole-friendly Whitecloud mountain minnows. Leave the water to stand for a couple of days before popping any fish in the pot.