Water Features

Most people like the idea of having a water feature in their garden but worry that it will be complicated and time-consuming to maintain. The reality is that any water feature will need some maintenance, but the amount of work required depends on the type of water feature you choose. If you put in a huge pond with loads of plants then, yes, it’s more of a lifestyle choice than a decorative feature and that’s exactly what some people want - you can spend endless hours removing weed and leaves, tidying up planting, and repairing the liner. But the payback is a gorgeous habitat for wildlife, and a great place to relax. Another consideration is that open water is a massive hazard for unattended children, and wildlife, such as hedgehogs can drown if there’s no escape route.

However, if you don’t want a pond there are other options that will provide all the relaxing and aesthetic qualities of moving water without the maintenance headaches. Here are some suggestions.

A large pot or half barrel made waterproof, filled with water and planted with some aquatic plants can be very pretty. There are even waterlilies that state specifically that they are small enough for containerised ponds.

A basic bubble fountain kit consisting of a plastic reservoir with a pump and top grating can be bought at a garden centre. The reservoir is sunk into the ground and filled with water, the pump is fitted with a fountain nozzle and sits in the reservoir with its top protruding through the metal grating. The grating is covered with pebbles, or slate paddlestones, or any other suitably sized frost tolerant objects that take your fancy. Once switched on you will have a simple ground level fountain that gurgles away happily. The only maintenance required for such a feature is to top up the water level periodically and remove the filter from the pump and give it a wash – once a year is usually sufficient. You’ll need to get an electrician to wire in the feature.

You can use the reservoir and pump option in a number of different ways. Place a drilled stone/stainless steel sphere/granite sphere/anything else with a hole through it over the fountain outlet. The water foams out of the top of the chosen object and cascades down the sides to be recycled in the reservoir below. Place a reservoir at the base of a retaining wall, run the pipe from the pump up the back of the wall and connect it to a simple steel spout that protrudes through the wall directly over the reservoir. Water spills out of the spout and splashes down onto the cobbles below.

Rills are wonderful, fairly low maintenance and can be made shallow enough so as not to present a hazard to children, pets and wildlife. A rill is a narrow channel of water that empties into an open pool. It can be straight for a formal setting, or curved and meandering in a more informal garden.

A simple reflective pool can be very effective. Your local steel fabricator will be able to make up a base of any shape in stainless steel. Sink this into the ground and fill it with water. You will have a mirror pool of water that will catch the breeze on a windy day, or simply reflect its surroundings on a calm day. No electrics required.

In a courtyard a raised pool can be used to divide the space up, be part of a planting bed, or even the back of a seat. Several pools at different levels can feed into one another to move the water around. Wall mounted spouts look great spilling water into raised pools. The pools can be planted, or kept simple and reflective. A decent pump will be required if you’re moving water over distances – ask at your pond supplier to get the right pump for the job.

These are just a few suggestions – there are many more ways of using water. I’ve put in many different water features in the gardens I’ve designed in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Surrey and London – see the photographs below. If you’d like some inspiration please get in touch and I’ll be delighted to help.

Front garden paving legislation

If you're considering paving over your front garden to create car parking space, check out this article to see whether you will require planning permission to do so.

New rules designed to help prevent flooding have been introduced by the Government. This means you may need planning permission before you pave over your front garden. So, a phone call to your local authority planners before you start work is always a good idea.

Perennial Grasses

Grasses are wonderful for adding colour and texture to a planting scheme and as a foil for other plants. They’re low-maintenance, drought tolerant and excellent for cats to nibble on! Here are some of my favourites:-

Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ – upright, variegated grass, great for adding height and drama to a border. Beautiful pink flower heads in late summer. 120cm – 150cm tall.

Miscanthus ‘Zebrinus’ – a tall upright grass with gold bands at intervals up the stems and leaves from which it derives its name. Purple plumes in late summer. Grows up to 1.2m tall. Plant several together to make an informal screen.

Pennisetum ‘Hamelyn’ – mound forming grass grown for its fluffy flower heads - up to 80cm tall. One of my absolute favourites for planting with herbaceous plants.

Carex elata aurea – a golden grass that will tolerate shade so is excellent for brightening up dull areas. It is a low growing grass (70cm) with pretty brown flower heads in June. Plant with purple leaved Heuchera for contrast.

Deschampsia cesspitosa – a mound-forming grass with a head of diaphanous flowers that blend beautifully in a herbaceous planting scheme. I like to dot it around amongst Helenium, Salvia and Echinacea. It also works well planted in a group towards the front of a border.

Hakonechloa macra aureola – bright gold and lime green arching leaves that forms a cascading mound 40cm high. Will tolerate some shade.

Eragrostis elliotii – striking blue grey foliage and airy flower heads in May. Up to 1m high.