Adding a Water Feature to Your Garden
Why People Want One — and What Goes Wrong
A water feature is one of the most rewarding things you can add to a garden: the sound of moving water, a focal point, a sense of calm. It’s also one of the most commonly botched. The dream is a fountain that draws the eye; the reality, when it’s done badly, is a stagnant pool, a pump that fails, and — in our climate especially — a mosquito-breeding liability sitting in the middle of your garden.
The difference between the two is entirely down to how it’s built. Here’s what actually matters.
It’s a Hardscape Job First, a Water Job Second
People think of a water feature as “water.” A builder thinks of it as hardscape and plumbing — and that’s the right way round. A pond or fountain that lasts depends on:
Solid Groundwork
Like everything in a garden, it starts below the surface. The base has to be properly excavated, levelled, and built — a feature on poorly prepared ground cracks, leaks, and settles. This is the same groundwork-first discipline that makes paving and walls last.
Watertight Construction
A leak in a water feature isn’t a small problem — it undermines the structure, the surrounding hardscape, and the planting. The build has to be genuinely watertight, not hopefully watertight.
Real Plumbing and a Pump That Moves Water
This is the single most important point for our climate: moving water, not standing water. A pump that keeps the water circulating is what separates a feature from a stagnant pool. Standing water in Ghana breeds mosquitoes; circulating water doesn’t, the same way. A water feature done right keeps the water moving.
Power, Run Safely
A pump needs electricity, and a fountain often wants lighting to come alive at night. Both need to be designed in and run safely — buried, weatherproofed, planned from the start, not trailed across the garden afterwards.
The Honest Part: Upkeep
We’ll be straight with you: a water feature is not zero-maintenance. The pump needs occasional servicing, the water needs topping up in the dry season, and the feature needs cleaning to stay clear. None of this is onerous — but a firm that tells you a water feature looks after itself is a firm that hasn’t owned one. We design features that are realistic to keep, and we can keep them for you on a maintenance plan, including for owners who are abroad.
Designed as Part of the Whole Garden
The best water features aren’t bolted on — they’re designed into the garden from the start, with the groundwork, plumbing, power, and planting all planned together. That’s part of the design-and-build process, not an afterthought.
Build It Properly, Enjoy It for Years
We design and build water features that move water, last through the seasons, and don’t become a liability. Book a design consultation: +233 27 000 0844.