Fancy a water feature in your garden but don’t have much space? Don’t worry, you can still enjoy a tranquil rippling pool or fountain to provide an eye-catching highlight, a magnet for wildlife, and give a home to aquatic plants which will add colour and form to the scene.
Water feature ideas for small gardens
Keep it still
The easiest container pool is one where the water remains still – which you can make any size for any space, and won’t need any excavation work.
As long as your container is sealed, with the drain holes plugged with rubber stoppers and pond sealant and a plastic liner, you should be good to go.
Many containers can be used for the feature, from a basic half barrel, which can be converted into a miniature pond, to old basins, galvanised containers and more modern reflective steel bowls. Even ceramic pots filled will water lilies will create an oriental-style feature.
Ideally, the size should be no less than 45cm (18in) across and it should hold at least 23 litres (five gallons) of water.
Fountains and waterfalls
If you want a fountain, it could be placed in a pot above ground, or you could submerge it in an underground container. The main thing with fountains is to keep them in scale with the container. You’ll need a submersible pump, which will need to be placed inside the pot or other reservoir for the fountain once it is in place, then fill the pot with water, test the pump and adjust the flow.
Just remember if you are creating a fountain from scratch, even just a small one where water bubbles gently over the edge of a pot, make sure the container is frost-proof and waterproof. If you’re using a ceramic or wooden container, it’s best to use a butyl liner to seal it.
Top up the containers and reservoirs if the water becomes low.
Ready-made waterfall kits are widely available, some which have LED lighting, which are self-contained, don’t need to be connected to a water source and come with a reservoir which you just fill up. You’ll need an outdoor electrical supply for the pump to circulate water, which is then fed back into the reservoir and circulated again from there.
What about planting?
“You can still have the assortment of plants you would find in a pond with a reduced-sized water feature – you just need to think ‘small’,” says Stephen Buss, marketing manager of water garden specialist Oase UK (oase.com/en).
“Make sure you have a good mix of oxygenators – underwater plants – and ornamental plants that cover the surface of the water with their floating leaves and root at the bottom of the water.”
Most ornamentals are grown in aquatic planting baskets lined with hessian and filled with a heavy loam soil, then covered with grit to stop the soil from muddying the water, he observes.
“Planting baskets also help to stop the spread of vigorous growing plants. With aquatic plants, less is more. Try three to start with as you need to be able to see open water around them.”
Keep algae at bay
Oxygenator plants are essential in keeping algae at bay and are the most beneficial plants in any water feature eco-system, says Buss.
Curly Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) is a British native with wavy-edged deep green leaves that make it look a bit like seaweed. Although it’s a submerged plant, it produces small pink-white flowers above the surface in early summer.
Use colour
Water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) is low growing and produces masses of small sky-blue flowers with yellow centres from May to September.
It’s also native to the UK and is best grown in shallow water of 10cm deep. When the flowers fade, cut them back to encourage more, but in the autumn, let the tips grow, as these become plants the following year, he adds.
Other colourful types include the water violet, a British native plant with white-mauve flowers that appear in May-June.
Don’t forget water lilies
The show-stoppers of the pond world need daily sunlight, which is worth remembering when positioning your water feature, and they don’t like being splashed, so are best suited to still water.
There are a number of dwarf and miniature varieties that like the shallower environment of a compact water habitat. Try Nymphaea ‘Perry’s Baby Red’ with its dark green and maroon leaves and deep crimson flowers from May to September that attract bees, butterflies and hoverflies, Buss suggests.
Whatever plants you end up choosing, some may prefer different depths of water to grow in. A simple way to raise them to the right level is to create submerged pedestals, by using bricks, stones or upturned flower pots – anything that doesn’t float.
Location of your water feature is key
Ideally, put your water feature where you’ll get both sun and shade during the day (although water lilies flower better if they get three to five hours of direct sunlight daily).
Best-selling water features
Stuck for inspiration? Check out our list of best-selling Amazon products!
- 3 TIER BARREL FOUNTAIN - This exquisite three-tier silver barrel fountain with an antique effect will make a stunning focal point in your outdoor space and the cascading water helps to create a...
- TRANQUIL WATER FLOW – The high-pressure water pump enables the water to freely flow around the water feature and create a magical ambience in the process.
- WEATHERPROOF DESIGN – The fountain has been manufactured from ultra-durable plastic that will stand up to the rigours of every season.
- SOLAR-POWERED FOUNTAIN - A durable water feature powered by the sun. Attach a solar panel following the instruction and position its ground stake to catch direct sunlight. For maximum performance, the...
- SOOTHING & RELAXING DECOR - Having a water fountain outdoor or indoor helps create a calming ambience and ease stress. The sound and sight of trickling water are naturally soothing. Our garden...
- DESIGN - High-quality, polyresin construction fountains. They are available in a large variety of colours, styles, and themes that allow you to find the perfect match for the décor theme of your home...
- GARDEN WATER FOUNTAIN: Relax to the calm whisper of water flowing and the soft glow of the warm LED lights with this unique, outdoor solar fountain. Water spills from the top bowl, into the lower and...
- INCLUDES: Solar panel, Water Pump, Built in LED Lights, Rechargeable Battery Backup – Lithium battery (7.4V/2000mA). Lithium batteries are more efficient and last longer than alkaline. Also includes...
- SOLAR POWERED: Please note that this item will need 2-3 days in direct sunlight to initially operate and ensure that you turn on the switch before charging each time. The 3.2W solar panel is IP 64...
- GARDEN WATER FOUNTAIN: Water flows from each tier to mimic realistic sounds of a waterfall creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. The grey stone rock 3 tiered tower design brings a touch of zen...
- INCLUDES: Powerful but silent JR-350LV (UL/UCL listed) submersible pump with 3M cord and JRO-830B Transformer with 2M cord which will perform with optimal strength consistently.
- FULLY SELF CONTAINED: This low maintenance water fountain recirculates the water so there is no need for a permanent water supply. Adapter to plug into a mains socket is also included. Electric water...
- Fully Self Contained, Suitable for outdoor use only, Built in warm white LED's
- Four handmade copper effect mushrooms, Child & Pet Safe
- Creates a soothing sound as the water drops from each mushroom
Last update on 2024-04-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You may be interested in…
This article may include affiliate links to products and services where we may receive a small fee to support the running of this site if you make a purchase or is a sponsored article from one of our select editorial partners providing valuable advice and information to our readers.
