Garden Machinery
Garden Leisure
- Greenhouse Heaters
- Loungers
- Midgeaters
- Gas Barbecues
- Charcoal Barbecues
- Masonry Barbecues
- Furniture Sets
- Benches
- Greenhouses
- Water and Light
- Garden Sheds
- Gazebos
- Firepits
- Wildlife Boxes
- Rock and Stone
- Weather Vanes
- Rabbit Hutches
- Urns & Planters
- Sundials
- Birdbaths
- Garden Swings
- Climbing Frames
- Croquet Sets
- Wildlife Cameras
- Bird Feed
Water feature – planning an appropriate size
The size of a water feature is best defined by the constraints of the site, whether it is a small garden or a large one. On patios, balconies and decked areas, a water lily in a barrel or a small wall fountain can make as much of an impression as a full sized pond in a large naturalistic garden.
However, it’s usually true to say that the bigger the better, both in terms of appearance and practicality. Larger areas offer better scope for planting and for using the reflective power of water, and the bigger the water volume, the less maintenance you will have to do, as small areas of water cope less well with decaying leaves, their temperature fluctuates more wildly and they don’t sustain as many varieties of plant and animal life which work together to create a self sustaining ecosystem. In addition, a small water feature can often look silly – tiny ponds start to look like puddles, if you aren’t careful how you plant them up.
Budget, of course, matters too! But it’s worth bearing in mind that while set up costs are higher the larger the area, maintenance costs are likely to be lower. Fiddling with a small pond where the fish bake on sunny days and freeze on cold ones, for example, is a long term expense (and a disappointment), while planning a pond big enough to have shade, and deep enough not to suffer from weather extremes, costs more at first but is less expensive the longer you have it, and gives you more pleasure with less worry.
