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.

Case Study - Large Garden in Surrey - Update 5

Work is now continuing at some speed in the garden at Kenley, Surrey. All the retaining walls on the left hand side of the rear garden have been constructed and the Purbeck stone cladding is well underway. Have a look at the photos below:-

Its all about kerb appeal

I was shocked when I heard that people make up their minds about another person within the first 3-5 seconds of meeting them. Once formed these first impressions are almost impossible to change. Their opinions are based mainly on your appearance and the same is true when someone is deciding whether or not they like a house. As soon as they step out of the car and see the outside of your property a potential buyer has formed an opinion of the house and whether they would like to live there. If someone has formed a negative impression of your house based on the outside, however nicely you may have presented the inside of the property this negativity will persist and you will not be able to change their mind. The negativity is made worse if they look out onto a depressing and toy strewn back garden that hasn’t seen a lawnmower for years.

Very few of us would consider going to an interview, business meeting, or on a blind date without making an effort with our appearance. Us girls would make sure our hair had been cut and coloured recently, put on some make up appropriate for the occasion (subtle for a day time encounter, a bit more glamorous for the evening), wear our best suit for a business meeting or interview, and something flattering, subtle but sexy for a date. In other words we would put a great deal of thought into our appearance and the impression we want to create. Yet people are happy to show a property that they are expecting to get six figure sum for without giving a thought to whether the exterior is creating a good first impression. You need to make an effort and maybe even spend a little money to persuade people to give you top dollar for your house, especially in the current climate.

Most of the time a good tidy up, some nice pots, and a few new plants will do the trick. It very much depends on the type of house you’re trying to sell. You might need to do something more radical if you are trying to sell a prestige property with a decidedly un-prestige garden. The expense will be recouped when you sell the house, and will certainly make a difference to your chances of making a sale in the current climate. It’s all about separating yourself from the competition and making the best of your property.

If you need a hand with getting a little more kerb appeal and live in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire or London, you might like to take advantage of my Garden Audit service.

Pink Expertise

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Designing a sloping garden

Many people arrive at my Web site after searching for how to design a sloping garden. I’ve designed many sloping gardens – I work mainly in Berkshire, Surrey, and Buckinghamshire and they’re all pretty hilly. I’m designing a particularly steep garden in Kenley, Surrey at the moment – have a look at the case study. It is challenging, and if you don’t know where to start here are a few pointers.

 Sloping garden design Kenley, Surrey

 If you’re looking to create some flat space/spaces then the only way to do this is to terrace the garden. The bad news is that you’ll need to build some retaining walls to support the terraces and this is not cheap.

Sloping garden design Reading, Berkshire

The first step is to measure the space and then survey the levels. You need to find out the height differences between various parts of the garden. You can hire surveying equipment and your local library will have books on how to use it. If you have complex level changes and are considering doing your own garden its well worth paying a garden designer to come round and do the level survey for you. Your local horticultural college may also run a one-day course.

Sloping garden design Guildford, Surrey

It’s very important to get the levels correct. This will tell you how high any retaining walls need to be for any given distance away from the house. For example, with a garden that slopes away from the house, if you are trying to create a patio area directly outside the house the further away from the house you wish the patio to extend, the higher the retaining wall you will need. A higher retaining wall needs more steps to access the lower/higher level. If possible, avoid very high retaining walls, and split the garden into fewer, shallower levels.

Sloping garden design Ascot, Bershire

You will need to decide what material you want to use to build the walls. There are many different options – rendered blockwork, brick, stone, gabion cages, railway sleepers, timber and even compacted earth. Your choice of building materials will depend on your budget, the look you’re going for, and what the wall is to support.

 Sloping garden design Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire

Getting rid of any earth excavated is another consideration. You will need to dig footings for the walls and excavate the levels and this will create a pile of excess soil. So, don’t forget to factor into your costs the price of skip hire or a grab loader to dispose of the soil.

Sloping garden design Basingstoke, Hampshire

In my opinion, gardens with different levels are the most interesting. The level changes dictate that the garden is split into different areas each with its own distinct character. You can use the level changes to create gorgeous water features. Paths can weave gently down through the levels. You have many design options. My garden in Berkshire is very steeply sloped, and although it’s not huge, I’ve managed to create several different areas and a lovely journey around it.

If you would like help designing your garden, or if you simply want a new planting scheme please drop me an email, or visit my Web site for telephone contact details.  You can also see examples of my work on my Facebook page and Houzz profile.