The presence of water in a garden is almost essential, a Water Feature creates not only an idyllic feature for any garden, but the sound of water is often tranquil and relaxing, adding another sensory ingredient to your new garden space. Water gardens are also great way of making use of existing ‘undesirable’ features in your garden: turn a water-logged ditch into a beautiful wildlife pond or make use of differing levels in your garden by creating a cascading water feature. Not only will this improve the look of your garden, but it will use otherwise wasted space, making the most out of the area.
Over recent decades, Oakleigh Manor have created numerous natural features including Lakes, Large Ponds, Waterfalls & Streams, as well as many other contemporary or traditional water features. Our Design team can design your new feature, together with a water Management system to ensure your feature provides optimum performance and minimal maintenance and hassle.
A pond is a great addition to your garden if you enjoy natural features and want to support sustainable landscaping. Not only is it beneficial for the appearance of your garden, but ponds are the single best way to encourage an array of wildlife into your garden, helping to promote your local ecosystem. You can enjoy nature’s daily open-air symphony from creatures around your pond- croaking frogs, flapping butterflies, buzzing insects and chirping birds. Planting pond plants around your wildlife pond will provide a beautiful display of native plants that you otherwise would not get to enjoy, such as:
If you have the space in your garden, a lake can be a stunning and therapeutic addition, creating an instant habitat for wildlife and a fun place for your family to enjoy. Lakes create in incredible habitat for creatures including fish, frogs, wild birds, turtles, butterflies and all sorts of underwater creatures. Lakes could even be made into your own fishing pond! In a practical sense, lakes could also be used to store water for animals or used for irrigation in the dry months of the year. If your garden suffers from drainage issues/surface water retention, a lake can act as a ‘retention area’. A lake is a great choice to promote ecology and sustainability.
The simple sight and sound of running water creates a soothing, tranquil atmosphere and can help drown-out unwanted noise from neighbours or nearby traffic. Relaxing next to the sound of running water can help you unwind and forget about the day-to-day worries. Not only that, but a bespoke designed water feature can really give your garden the ‘wow factor’ and make it stand out from the rest. Different types of water feature include:
Natural swimming ponds are an incredible addition to a garden if you love swimming and would like to create a natural haven to harmonise with the landscape. A natural swimming pond is a great sustainable alternative to a regular swimming pool. Natural swimming ponds are built to reduce nutrients in the water to prevent algae from growing, thus keeping the water beautifully clear. They are chemical-free, low maintenance, and completely wildlife friendly, providing the perfect balance between enjoyment and sustainability. The key to keeping your swimming pool beautifully clear is to plant plenty of native plants around it, including bog plants, floating plants, and oxygenators.
Adding a cascading waterfall into your garden/pond can be a stunning, exotic feature that also has practical benefits. A waterfall can help to keep water fresh and clean by constantly moving around and preventing stagnation. Incorporate lighting in and around your waterfall to create a stunning night time feature for your garden.
A stream is another great way to incorporate water into your garden and make use of extra space by linking different areas of your garden and creating a natural pathway. A stream creates a great visual and sound element to your garden through movement of the water and is also a fun feature for children to play in and enjoy. A stream can also provide a perfect natural bird-bath, attracting even more wildlife to your garden.
Wildlife pond
A pond is a great addition to your garden if you enjoy natural features and want to support sustainable landscaping. Not only is it beneficial for the appearance of your garden, but ponds are the single best way to encourage an array of wildlife into your garden, helping to promote your local ecosystem. You can enjoy nature’s daily open-air symphony from creatures around your pond- croaking frogs, flapping butterflies, buzzing insects and chirping birds. Planting pond plants around your wildlife pond will provide a beautiful display of native plants that you otherwise would not get to enjoy, such as:
Lakes
If you have the space in your garden, a lake can be a stunning and therapeutic addition, creating an instant habitat for wildlife and a fun place for your family to enjoy. Lakes create in incredible habitat for creatures including fish, frogs, wild birds, turtles, butterflies and all sorts of underwater creatures. Lakes could even be made into your own fishing pond! In a practical sense, lakes could also be used to store water for animals or used for irrigation in the dry months of the year. If your garden suffers from drainage issues/surface water retention, a lake can act as a ‘retention area’. A lake is a great choice to promote ecology and sustainability.
Water feature
The simple sight and sound of running water creates a soothing, tranquil atmosphere and can help drown-out unwanted noise from neighbours or nearby traffic. Relaxing next to the sound of running water can help you unwind and forget about the day-to-day worries. Not only that, but a bespoke designed water feature can really give your garden the ‘wow factor’ and make it stand out from the rest. Different types of water feature include:
Natural swimming pond
Natural swimming ponds are an incredible addition to a garden if you love swimming and would like to create a natural haven to harmonise with the landscape. A natural swimming pond is a great sustainable alternative to a regular swimming pool. Natural swimming ponds are built to reduce nutrients in the water to prevent algae from growing, thus keeping the water beautifully clear. They are chemical-free, low maintenance, and completely wildlife friendly, providing the perfect balance between enjoyment and sustainability. The key to keeping your swimming pool beautifully clear is to plant plenty of native plants around it, including bog plants, floating plants, and oxygenators.
Waterfall
Adding a cascading waterfall into your garden/pond can be a stunning, exotic feature that also has practical benefits. A waterfall can help to keep water fresh and clean by constantly moving around and preventing stagnation. Incorporate lighting in and around your waterfall to create a stunning night time feature for your garden.
Stream
A stream is another great way to incorporate water into your garden and make use of extra space by linking different areas of your garden and creating a natural pathway. A stream creates a great visual and sound element to your garden through movement of the water and is also a fun feature for children to play in and enjoy. A stream can also provide a perfect natural bird-bath, attracting even more wildlife to your garden.
If you would like your garden redesigned by our Design team, simply complete the enquiry form or call the team today. No fees are charged for an initial chat or for most initial site meetings. We will prepare you a written “Design Fee Proposal” prior to proceeding with any charges to you.
So firstly, we will need a little bit of your time to find out a little about your ideas, then we would look to arrange an Initial Site Meeting with one of our designers, at a time convenient to you, preferably at the site location or to view drawings of developing scheme projects. At the meeting, we will listen to your requirements, then suggest the some ideas and provide advice for your project. This will take approximately one hour of your time.
Once we understand your Design requirement, we will submit a Design Fee Proposal for you to consider with no obligation, this will state our Design Fees and the stages of design work we will carry out for you. Our service is tailored to suit you, your home and your requirements so your Design Fee proposal will specify the correct type of survey required, whether you will need to invest into an optional Concept Design stage, and the appropriate stages of the process.
Each Design Package offers the most suitable survey type, a client brief, a conceptual stage if required, finally we will create a large format Master Design together with a Garden Installation Quotation & Specification to construct the new design.
We also provide planning guidance for all projects that require local authority or other permissions.
The Oakleigh Manor group provides a huge range of services geared for a beautiful Garden or Landscape, Driveways, Garden Lighting and Illumination, Drainage and/or Irrigation systems, Swimming Pools, Artificial Grass Surfaces, Resin Gravel Surfaces and more in Kent and the South East of England.
Simply complete our online Enquiry Form or call the Oakleigh Manor team on 0800 023 1310 to discuss your requirements. Our team can guide you through the options available for all our services, provide initial budgets or arrange an Initial Site Visit from one of our friendly team.
