Where do I start? Water features

PART 11 Getting started

For beginner gardeners, getting to grips with the fundamentals can seem daunting. But in this exclusive series, Alan Titchmarsh is sharing his wisdom to help you master the skills that really matter.

This month, Alan reveals where to start when choosing a water feature that will suit your garden and your budget. Follow Alan's tips, and discover the many benefits that a water feature will bring to your plot

You'll learn about:

✓ Choosing a water feature to suit your garden

✓ How to construct a simple water feature

✓ Picking plants to go with your water feature

Water features

I do wonder sometimes if Charlie Dimmock actually invented the term 'water feature', but I suspect that since the days of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon it has been in common parlance to describe any garden ornamentation containing H₂O.

Whatever the case, water features in all their guises have never been more popular, and it's easy to see why: they offer tantalising reflections, pleasing sounds (if well regulated), lively or calming movement, and sustenance for wildlife. Not a bad list of attributes for any garden feature, and they can be tailored to suit your spatial and financial limitations or excesses.

The installation can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish, and if properly constructed you need not be a slave to its maintenance. Off the shelf or bespoke, there is a water feature to suit every garden.

What and where?