Choosing the right water feature

The market for self-contained water features available at consumer prices has exploded over the past couple of years. With several companies vying to become the go-to supplier for garden water fountains, the range of features available has become sprawling and sometimes confusing. This article is intended to point potential water feature customers in the right direction and help them choose the right feature for their garden.

Traditional water features have long been an extravagant restricted to those with the time, money and considerable garden landscaping chops to excavate, engineer and plumb in a permanent water supply. In this enlightened era, however, self-contained features that circulate and recycle their water from an integrated sump or reservoir have forged a large market that includes products of all size, shape, medium and price. It’s always nice to have the luxury of choice, but giving yourself a basic knowledge of the products available can help you avoid disappointment and find the perfect water feature to suit your purposes.

Before you start thinking about the feature, start closer to home and think about your own garden. The space available in the garden, is it a large plot or a small corner? Does it contain areas of patio or decking? Is it frequented by children or animals to whom an open body of water might present a danger? Having a clear idea of the kind of space your garden represents will help you in whittling down the staggering range of available features and give you an excellent starting point.

Secondly, what kind of garden is it? Consider the design principles you’ve applied to it and its purpose. This is equally as important as the size when considering what kind of feature would be appropriate – a small garden primarily used as a sitting out area or patio will be more accommodating to a large feature than a bigger garden that has a lot of foot traffic or impromptu football games! Similarly, match the feature to the atmosphere that you want your garden to exude; if you want a traditional garden that feels homely and informal, perhaps an angular piece of highly polished steel with bright white LEDs is not the area you should be exploring and equally, a contemporary designer garden could make an otherwise timeless wooden barrel or similar feature seem rather twee or old fashioned.

Doubtless before you start considering these elements, unless you’re really lucky, you’ll have a price range in mind. Keep this flexible; however, as a water feature is something you shouldn’t necessarily cut corners with. As with any industry there will be sales and the occasional bargain where you can pick up a quality product for a cut price, and self-contained features are becoming more and more accessible in terms of price, but the cost of a feature is still a useful guide. Poly-resin features are generally a safe bet – the price will increase with size, weight, complexity, but little else, but other popular mediums can be trickier to get right. Stainless steel, for example, is a fantastic material for water features, but cheap, thin steel does not a quality water feature make. Look out for Grade 304 steel, used in surgical and naval applications due to its high nickel content, and the thickest steel you can get – this will generally be between 0.5mm and 2mm depending on the size of the feature. In terms of stone, ensure that if you want a solid piece of natural stone you check thoroughly that’s what your ordering, as terrazzo (a stone shell with a cement or concrete interior) features can be very convincing!

Solar features are a greener way to add a water feature to your garden and they’re increasingly dependable and affordable as new solar technology appears on the market. To this end, ensure you’re purchasing the most up to date kit your budget will allow as this will minimise disappointment. In less sunnier climes, a battery backup system is a worthy investment, as features without this function will struggle in overcast or cloudy conditions.

Some final recommendations: for poly-resin features look out for Kelkay, their Easy Fountain range in particular. Ubbink’s AcquaArte range of terrazzo features is impressive. For stainless steel or granite, try specialists Aqua Moda, as their range is exclusive and extensive.



Posted by David Hellowell

Water Features 2 Go is one of the UK's leading online Water Feature retailers and stocks a huge range of pond pumps, pond liners, fountains and Water Features

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