A Water Feature For Every Garden
There are numerous ways to add water to a compact outdoor plot. Be inspired by these clever ideas
Whether you’d like to hear the soothing sound of trickling water in your garden or want to create a home or hydration source for wildlife, there are plenty of ways to do it. Even in a small outdoor space, you can incorporate a rill, a waterfall or a pond that’s welcoming for insects and frogs. Take a look at these schemes for design inspiration.
Add a sense of mystery
A water feature can be quite small and still make a significant difference to the feel of a garden. This shallow bowl is hidden in the wildflower borders of a garden created by Amanda Shipman. When the plants are in full bloom, you can hear the water but not see it.
“The whole idea was to introduce some mystery, which you don’t usually get in such a small space, and it masks some traffic noise, too,” Amanda explains. “It takes in the sense of sound not just sight, and brings your focus back into the garden.”
Take a look around this wildlife-friendly urban plot.
A water feature can be quite small and still make a significant difference to the feel of a garden. This shallow bowl is hidden in the wildflower borders of a garden created by Amanda Shipman. When the plants are in full bloom, you can hear the water but not see it.
“The whole idea was to introduce some mystery, which you don’t usually get in such a small space, and it masks some traffic noise, too,” Amanda explains. “It takes in the sense of sound not just sight, and brings your focus back into the garden.”
Take a look around this wildlife-friendly urban plot.
Break up hard landscaping
There’s an underground swimming pool beneath this small patio, so paving slabs were the obvious flooring, but that didn’t stop designer Stefano Marinaz from bringing in lush planting and a water feature.
The water begins from a spout in the green wall (seen at the back of this shot) and continues along horizontal channels that intersect on the patio.
“It’s a small space and there are lots of fairly tall walls at different levels,” he says. “I wanted to connect the walls with the paving, and that was the inspiration behind the idea of the water coming down from one of the green living walls.”
There’s an underground swimming pool beneath this small patio, so paving slabs were the obvious flooring, but that didn’t stop designer Stefano Marinaz from bringing in lush planting and a water feature.
The water begins from a spout in the green wall (seen at the back of this shot) and continues along horizontal channels that intersect on the patio.
“It’s a small space and there are lots of fairly tall walls at different levels,” he says. “I wanted to connect the walls with the paving, and that was the inspiration behind the idea of the water coming down from one of the green living walls.”
Step over
The water feature in this garden is a beautiful element that helps to create a journey from the front to the back of the space.
Designer John Davies used the full width of the plot to create a shallow pond, with stepping stones that slow your pace as you walk from the house to the seating area at the back. “I wanted to make a dramatic gesture, but didn’t want it to take up too much space,” he explains.
If you’re considering a design like this for your garden, a bank of pebbles at one corner will ensure easy access for wildlife in and out of the water.
Take a peek around this beautiful oasis in the middle of the city.
The water feature in this garden is a beautiful element that helps to create a journey from the front to the back of the space.
Designer John Davies used the full width of the plot to create a shallow pond, with stepping stones that slow your pace as you walk from the house to the seating area at the back. “I wanted to make a dramatic gesture, but didn’t want it to take up too much space,” he explains.
If you’re considering a design like this for your garden, a bank of pebbles at one corner will ensure easy access for wildlife in and out of the water.
Take a peek around this beautiful oasis in the middle of the city.
Stay close to home
It’s perfectly possible to create a pond on a terrace, particularly if it’s covered with gravel. The soil beneath this area is permanently damp, which allowed designer Rebecca Webb to dig out a compact, shallow wildlife pond, surrounded by plants that thrive in moisture.
By having a pond so close to the house, the owners can easily nip outside to watch the wildlife from the comfort of a nearby bench.
Need help with your outdoor space? Find garden designers in your area.
It’s perfectly possible to create a pond on a terrace, particularly if it’s covered with gravel. The soil beneath this area is permanently damp, which allowed designer Rebecca Webb to dig out a compact, shallow wildlife pond, surrounded by plants that thrive in moisture.
By having a pond so close to the house, the owners can easily nip outside to watch the wildlife from the comfort of a nearby bench.
Need help with your outdoor space? Find garden designers in your area.
Be up front
No, this isn’t a back garden – it’s a small plot at the front of a London home. In the centre of the lush, wild planting is a sizeable square pond.
The team at Fenton Roberts Garden Design have used a section of the garden to dig down and incorporate the water feature. The whole front garden is a wildlife haven, full of frogs, newts and bees, that the owners and their neighbours can enjoy.
No, this isn’t a back garden – it’s a small plot at the front of a London home. In the centre of the lush, wild planting is a sizeable square pond.
The team at Fenton Roberts Garden Design have used a section of the garden to dig down and incorporate the water feature. The whole front garden is a wildlife haven, full of frogs, newts and bees, that the owners and their neighbours can enjoy.
Head for new heights
If you’re lacking space at ground level in your outdoor plot, try utilising the vertical areas for a water feature. Here, the team at Maitanne Hunt Design have installed a slate surface within a framework of living walls.
Water flows down the surface and can be adjusted according to how the owners want it to sound. That could be a tranquil trickle or something more dramatic.
Tell us:
Would you like to incorporate a water feature in your small garden? Would any of these ideas work in your space? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
If you’re lacking space at ground level in your outdoor plot, try utilising the vertical areas for a water feature. Here, the team at Maitanne Hunt Design have installed a slate surface within a framework of living walls.
Water flows down the surface and can be adjusted according to how the owners want it to sound. That could be a tranquil trickle or something more dramatic.
Tell us:
Would you like to incorporate a water feature in your small garden? Would any of these ideas work in your space? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The owners of this long, narrow garden were keen to incorporate as many wildlife-friendly elements as possible. Near the back of the space, designer Paul Richards created a pond with a handy decked ‘jetty’ next to it.
The deck is the perfect place to sit and watch the water. “[The pond] is designed with a view to wildlife,” Paul says, “so although it’s fairly straight-edged, there’s a pebble beach to help creatures get in and out.”
He also included pond planting, such as small waterlilies, Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed), and Iris pseudacorus.
See more of this small wildlife haven with secluded seating areas.