Simple Water Features

Water has a magic all its own — from the strict formality of a rectangular pool set within paving and sculptural planting, to the sweep of an irregularly shaped pond that sets up reflections of everything around it. Imagine the crash of a waterfall on to rocks below or the gentle murmur of a fountain in a raised bed. The mood of water changes too: steel grey, sharp and rimed with frost in the depths of winter; deliciously cool and framed with aquatic planting in the warmth of summer. Of course, water features are not just appreciated by us: a pool is one of the richest habitats you can create in your garden. Birds and insects will come to drink, the frogs and toads that are great predators of unruly bugs will thrive, marginals and deep water plants will bring their own exotic charm, while fish complete the picture. More than any other feature, water will echo your personality.Just how you handle it will be a subtle challenge —success brings enormous pleasure.

Since a water feature can be the making or breaking of a garden, you should plan it carefully. As with other areas of design, the simple things invariably work the best. I so often visit gardens where a ‘Geneva’ fountain gushes high into the air from a quite minuscule pond. Apart from being completely out of scale, the combination is totally impractical, as spray drift results in an alarming rate of water loss in even the lightest of winds.

The style of a pool should reflect the character of the area around it. A pond set within a patio can be built from the same material as the paving, interlocking perhaps with a raised bed or set within the angle of a wall. The further away from the house you get, the softer and looser the composition can become, and this change can be reflected in the shape of the pool.

The situation with regard to sun and shade will also be important. Try to find a position well out in the open, away from the shadow and leaf fall of overhanging trees. If leaves are a problem — and neighbours’ trees are often to blame as much as yours — then spread a light net over the pool at the onset of autumn. You can then remove the whole lot once they have all fallen.

In the ideal pool there is such a balance of aquatic plants, fish, water snails and a host of other insect life that the fish hardly ever need feeding. There are now specialist water garden centres where you can buy all that is necessary to bring your pool alive. If you let them know the size and depth of your pool they will work out the correct permutations, down to the last water snail that will help to keep the water clear. The smaller the area the more difficult it is to create a balanced habitat. The minimum size for a pool is 1.8 x 1.8m (6 x 6ft), while 45omm (I8in) is an adequate depth. You will also need a shelf or ledge, approximately 2 2omm (9in) below the surface and about oomm (I8in) wide, on which to stand marginal plants.

In the past all garden pools were made from concrete. This made them time-consuming to create and fraught with the problems of hair-line cracks. Tough plastic and butyl liners have provided the solution and are now available in virtually any size and in many different grades. An alternative option is to choose a rigid or semi-rigid pool. But, although these can he quickly and easily installed, they are often rather too small to be really effective.

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