There’s nothing quite like watching sunlight dance across the water’s surface or catching a glimpse of the ripples of fish in a pond – an instantly soothing and comforting sight. The good news is that you don’t need acres of land or a massive budget to bring an element of water into your garden: features on the affordable end of the spectrum, such as a simple pond, require little maintenance but still offer the natural benefits of light reflection and a soothing soundscape, as well as providing a much-needed habitat for local wildlife.
City dwellers with the benefit of more garden real estate, however, can turn to architectural or decorative elements that have the power to completely transform an outdoor space. Here, we reveal some of the finest contemporary examples…
The man-made stream
A winding rill (a decorative narrow channel of water) that begins at the house cuts through this home’s neat courtyard lawn (pictured top), adding a playful touch to an otherwise orderly garden. Designed by Marcus Barnett Studio, the courtyard can be seen from all of the main rooms of the house, so it needed to look inviting in every season. To achieve this, the team planted an array of lush perennials and sculptural multi-stem trees. marcusbarnett.com
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The cubist rock pools
Garden designer Tom Massey installed a series of bespoke cuboid concrete steps in this small suburban garden in London’s Twickenham to create a path that conveniently connects this property’s ground-floor level to the living areas in the basement. Several of the large steps are fitted with corten-steel containers that fill with water, which then cascades slowly down the cubist trail through large metal spouts. tommassey.co.uk
The pond with a view
This north-London garden at the home of broadcaster and DJ Trevor Nelson features a contemporary raised pond where plenty of colourful koi carp reside. Its creator, the award-winning designer Matthew Wilson, quickly nicknamed it the ‘fish TV’, as it has a wide reinforced-glass panel along one edge that provides a window into the koi’s underwater habitat. matthewwilsongardens.com
The urban waterfall
Wall fountains are an excellent option for smaller gardens. Here, one transforms a compact outdoor lounge area into a serene spot. The design was masterminded by London-based landscape-architecture practice Stefano Marinaz, with the fountain’s textured, aged-bronze finish selected to complement the slate chippings that form the paving material. stefanomarinaz.com
The zen oasis
Will Cooke, the founder of Artisan Landscapes and the architect behind this tranquil walled oasis in Bristol, used his client’s love of terrariums as the starting point for this project. The passion informed the densely packed planting that is framed by black charred Accoya-wood boundary walls and punctuated by two rust-coloured corten-steel tanks. These trough-like features are filled with water that gently flows downwards. artisanlandscapes.co.uk
The miniature pool
Renowned garden-design practice Rosebank Landscaping combined industrial accents with a diverse selection of plants to create a calming outdoor space for a home in the Cotswolds village of Castle Combe. Set within the patio is a neat, square body of water enclosed in corten steel (a scaled-down version of the nearby swimming pool), which is framed by large, sand-coloured stone tiles from Artisans of Devizes. Yew shrubbery that has been trimmed into playfully rounded shapes contrasts the linear forms of the metal table and chairs by Hay. rosebanklandscaping.co.uk
The liquid arrow
The owners of this house in Hampstead, London, tasked Lynne Marcus with creating a classic yet quirky, asymmetric garden ideal for socialising late into the evening. A crisp rill of water, flanked by silver birches, acts as a piercing, reflective jolt through the middle of the manicured lawn, drawing the eye down the narrow garden from the house’s glass-clad gazebo towards the back gate and the Heath beyond. It’s a smart way to visually stretch the dimensions of this suburban slice of greenery. lynnemarcus.com
