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?
This story is from the August 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
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This story is from the August 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
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Bite-sized bounties
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Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
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Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
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Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there
