Fountain. Ponds look like high maintenance to me.

We tried a small pond about 4' long. Too hard to keep clean, became a mosquito pit. I prefer the above ground fountain.

I love ponds. Raccoons got all my Koi, so now it is a habitat/breeding ground for tree frogs. The keep the mosquitoes away. I plan on digging a deeper pond so I can keep Koi again. I like fountains too!

Nothing like falling water to sooth you while lazing around. Also helps in taking most surrounding noises away. And, easy to take care of

They're both beautiful, but a pond is more tranquil.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

I used to live in Florida. One street in our neighborhood was reserved for houses over 3500 sq ft. These houses all put in pretentious large fountains in the front yard. What they didn't realize was that the area replaced a vulture habitat and all those huge fountains became buzzard bird baths each winter. Gave all of us poor folk a good laugh.

Definitely the pond because u can always experiment with different plants. A few hours of labor is worth it

You said tranquil...of the two pics, that would be the pond. Enjoy. I've had two...loved all the wildlife that came with it.

I kind of have both—a waterfall going into a pond. The waterfall helps keep the pond from going stagnant. Love it! The sound of the waterfall is awesome, and I really enjoy keeping koi in the pond. I buy feeder fish for the heron to eat in order to save my koi; besides, the koi are a bit too large at this point for the heron. The large waterlily gives all of the fish a place to hide. This isn't a great photo of it, but this really is a place of peace and serenity and where I spend a lot of time just sitting and reading.

A fountain. I've had both. Fountains are very low maintenance. The sound of the water is very tranquil without the work of maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Ponds are also expensive.

Yes....a pond is higher maintenance than a fountain....but there is no question that it is more tranquil.

I have had both for many years...I voted for the fountain for the following reasons- if you want the soothing sound of water falling you will get more bang for your bucks with a fountain. They are low maintainence, a pinch of DiChlor or chlorine 1 x week will keep them crystal clear and bug free. I have an outdoor timer so it runs when we are home until 11pm daily and we can hear it throughout the entire house- it is wonderful! You can light them up for nighttime beauty...ponds are A LOT of work all the time and keeping fish can be difficult espeically if you have wildlife that like to eat them.

A Pond for Golden Years a memory that has not faded with time,,carries on to next generation

I voted for a pond...would love to have...but make use with 2 fountains due to the cost/maintenance of a pond.

Fountain - love the sound of moving water.

ellebecker - your pond is absolutely beautiful! Did you build it yourselves? Love to know more, as it looks so tranquil and inviting.

How about both?

We decided to do a waterfall with a disappearing pond for the front yard. We absolutely love how turned out. Next year, we will do a larger waterfall with a stream and pond in the backyard.

If you add a stagnant pond you will need to treat it for mosquitoes breeding or add some kind of water feature to move the water to prevent breeding. Good luck.

We inherited the last owner's koi pond with small waterfall. She had it designed so the koi can hide under an overhanging deck so they are protected from the raccoons. It is pretty easy to keep clean, and is wonderful to look at all day - we remodeled so you can see the waterfall through the window while doing dishes. It's the nicest feature of our house.

I like both.

Fountains are for people that want life to be easy, ponds are for people that know you have to work to be tranquil.

Love our pond! Not really that much work. We put a UV light on it and it keeps the water clear. We have had it for 4 years.

Fountain is easier to clean. Also, at your local gardening store, get a non toxic solution which keeps the fountain water from foaming and algae free. One small cap full lasts a long time in my fountain.

I live in the South and a pond is a mosquito breeding pond! I have always had a water feature, mostly Fountains that sometimes are surrounded by a small pond, but I never allow plants or fish. I will have my garden finished by next Summer/Autumn and I will post pics. The main feature is a large granite rock that has a hole drilled through the middle, that will serve as the water flow, then the water will go into a small pond and return.
I think fountains add a peaceful outdoor experience, it can mask neighborhood sounds, and at night can be lit now with under water LED lights. At least that is what I am doing, and have done for several clients. I am from Charleston, SC and putting a pond or fountain in the front yard is not proper, you really want it in your side or rear garden for your enjoyment, not to show off. Just FYI on this topic. Of course, do what fits your space and setting, the main thing is your enjoyment.

Pond = habitat
Habitat = species diversity
Species diversity = balance
Balance = no need for chemicals
No chemicals = better habitat, more diversity, more balance, better health, and a more tranquil garden.
Definitely pond. But you can add a floating solar fountain in your pond and have both.

lyndirdh, may I ask about your UV light? What brand do you have and are you happy with it? We were considering getting one. Currently we use Tetrapond Pete and Barley solution, which is all natural and works, but it is supposed to irritate the fish a little. Would rather not have to buy a solution.

Love the picture of your fish eating watermelon!!! How did you discover they liked it?! Gorgeous pond and patio, BTW!

For tranquility and zen, definitely go with a pond!

Marsia, I can't remember the name brand of the UV light. It basically was a no-name off of eBay that I got for around $90. It came with 2 extra bulbs (I got it about 2 years ago). It works beautifully. I had watched a video of koi eating watermelon, so I tried it, but it's not their favorite.

Oh, UV lights only keep clear the water in the pond. It does not kill string algae in the stream.

Thanks so much, lyndirdh! Mine like gluten free bread and goldfish flakes best, but don't really like koi food. Funny that fish can be fussy!

Lyndirdh , thanks for those great pics! I didn't know koi like watermelon....they're going to be happy you shared this!

Hey Cleveland Designs,
The only reason your pond is "a mosquito breeding pond" is because you "never allow plants or fish." Fish eat mosquito larvae, and their waste feeds the plants. Plants clean the water, produce oxygen for fish, and provide cover for fish, tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, etc.. Emergent plants also permit dragonflies to lay eggs, and their larvae to emerge as adults. Adult dragonflies predominantly feed on mosquitos, as do many of the frogs and toads that result from the tadpoles. A pond with no plants will result in excessive algae, as there is no plants to consume the nitrogen from the fish waste. Also, the fish will soon be consumed by predators, as they will have no plants to give them cover. Of course, this is only if they don't die from lack of oxygen due to the lack of plants. A pond with plants, but no fish, will result in breeding mosquitos, at least until the frog, spider, and dragonfly populations are able to get established. However, with no fish, the mosquitos will likely have the upperhand. Also in the absence of fish, the plants will require supplemental feeding. So, a pond with no plants is water in which fish will soon die and pond with no fish is an unsustainable aquatic garden that requires artificial maintenance. A "pond" with no fish or plants, is just stagnant water, the definition of a mosquito farm. I can't imagine how unattractive a "pond" with no fish or plants would be. I guess it would look like a garden fountain with a broken pump, or perhaps a mud puddle?

A fountain running into a pond would look and sound great.you could also keep koi fish in it,

I've had both and prefer the fountain. Less of a mosquito and algae problem, no issues with other wildlife eating your fish, you still supply water to the backyard visitors, and you have the added bonus of the sound of the splashing fountain.

Learnt something new about the UV light. Thanks

I actually really like both but for me the fountain edges out because I love the sound of running water

In our previous garden we had a very large pond with koi (no racoons or herons) and plants. It required a lot of work, mainly in the spring and fall, but it was absolutely worth it.

In our current garden we installed a small fountain. It's almost zero maintenance and we'll just have to unplug and empty it at the start of the winter.

I'd say it depends on size. A fountain can fit into a much smaller space than a pond. Yes, you can squeeze small ponds into just about any space, but they look artificial and they tend to require more maintenance. My choice would depend on the style or effect that I was going for and my lifestyle. Fountains tend to be a bit more formal, even the informal ones and require less upkeep. With regards to the original question, I'd say hands down a pond is more tranquil, assuming you are okay with the upkeep.

I'm reading here some like the fountain because they like the sound of running water. I couldn't imagine having a pond without a waterfall. That's mainly why I got it. The fish were an afterthought, but now I couldn't live without them, too. We have a 20-ft. stream with 3 waterfalls flowing into an appx. 11 x 16 pond.

We have BOTH! The fountain is IN the pond which prevents mosquitoes from hatching. The pond water recirculates to a small outflow pond, then cascades over rocks with 2 "waterfall drops" and then into a large deeper pond that contains the fountain. Constructing and keeping this an attractive feature has been a real learning curve over 10 years.. It was LOTS of work when we included water plants and fish. Theories of how plants and fish work with each other is just that - theory. Now we have rid ourselves of that high-maintenance weekly (even daily in Hot weather) chore of cleaning out gobs of stringy Algae - yuck! Instead we chemically treat the water to keep it clean, but not so much that birds and frogs are repelled. This combination is very pleasing and it is the feature in our back yard. We LOVE it!! When the snow flies, pumps and fountains are pulled out, and the water freezes over until we start it all again in Spring.

I agree with Christopher Sullivan: "Pond = habitat".

Also, fountains involve more water evaporation I thought, and are therefore less good for water conservation purposes, but I'm not sure.

They both have there positives and negatives. Here is a solution for both. A pond less water feature is low maintenance, looks beautiful and still has that tranquil sound!

How about having your cake and eating it too? Here are a Pond fountains for you all. Thank you for this lovely poll.

Why not a bit of both. Stagnant water breeds mosquitos, Fountains provide a great way to aerate the water. Large fountains use to much energy. Possibly solar powered pumps that propel water over rocks to make cascading waterfalls.

A woman from a forum I used to visit has this fountain. I have her garden blog saved at home. Her flower garden is seriously, the most amazing transformation from "nothing to amazing" I have ever seen!

This photo doesn't even come close to how beautiful it is! I'll find her blog link & add a couple more...

Hmm, I love ponds but don't want anything that high maintenance in my yard.

So i'd vote fountain. I'm looking into pond-less water features but they seem even harder to maintain than ponds in the long run.

Here are some fountains you can get them at www.topfountain.com

Can someone recommend a website or book that has a fairly comprehensive list of design approaches to a fountain?

A fountain -- but not that fountain.