Waterwheel and Stream

A home-made waterwheel lifts water from the water race to form a small stream, which then wriggles and jiggles its way down the back of the Wattle Woods. I love the waterwheel - the soft, sloshy noises it makes - and, of course, the running water.

I've used easy foliage plantings along the route - green flaxes, Renga Renga, and grasses provide spiky lines low to the ground, while Pittosporums and variegated Mallows make pleasant vertical effects. Doesn't that sound impressive? Hee hee... Sorry that the stream is all but invisible in the photograph, though!

The water in the stock race is Waimakariri River water, and gets silty when it's raining in the mountains. I need the silt to plug up the stream and the small destination ponds at the bottom. But not too much, or the garden areas gets slowly flooded!

And I've already leant the hard way that my waterwheel has a mind and a spirit of its own. It got out of balance and refused to turn for some months. Large stones now channel more water through its paddles, giving watery encouragement.