Larissa Mulkern Joseph St. Pierre

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The hypnotic rush of a waterfall or stream is among the most soul-soothing sounds on the planet. Perhaps that’s why water features—man-made ponds, fountains, streams, and waterfalls—are in high demand. Landscaper and water feature designer Jeff Crary, of Crary Waterfalls and Aquatic Nursery in Center Barnstead, N.H., says water features add serenity and tranquility to any setting, from the urban Brownstone to a lakefront vacation home.

“People find them extremely relaxing,” Jeff says. In fact, the water features he has installed have induced deep slumber for some of his clients, and provided for 20-minutes respites for others in big-city terraces. Large or small, city-side or countryside, water works wonders.

All water gardens are good—whether it’s a small one or a big one,“he says. An example of one of Jeff’s larger works of landscape art is located at a Lake Winnipesaukee waterfront home in Wolfeboro, where Jeff installed a water feature that stretches for about 60 feet.

This lakeside oasis on Rocky Shore Road boasts lake views on one side, and a backyard where the water garden is more than just a focal point.

“The garden does not compete with the lake, but adds to the property because obviously when you come down to this side of the house, it’s not dead space,” he said. “How many times do you come to a lake–front property and there's nothing going on at the backside?”

Jeff utilizes native plants and some exotic aquatic species. The Koi live in the pond year-round and seem to thrive.

“The Koi have been breeding here, which is unusual for fish to do in a garden pond, but this is such as natural system,” he says. Jeff designed this Alternative Undergravel Filter System that makes these ponds so healthy, natural, and low-maintenance. The pool has an ecological filtration system that requires no harsh chemicals.