A Monolith water feature can make the perfect focal point in a garden, learn how to set it up

There is no doubt that a water feature makes the perfect focal point in a garden. In a small garden where there are pets and children, the difficulty is finding something safe and in the current trends, something that looks natural and informal. The monolith fits the bill exactly and Blagdon Water Gardens has the biggest selection of drilled stones, pumps and fittings in the South West.

Hose pipe ban?

Even if there was a hosepipe ban in the region at some future date, it will not prevent you from topping up your pond or water feature. It can also provide a humid micro-climate for surrounding plants that will actually help them to tolerate less watering. There was good reason for the central water features used in the fantastic enclosed gardens of the arid areas of the Middle East where many of the concepts of the garden were borne.

Requirements

  • Good strong powerful pump capable of delivering 1000 gallons per hour to 3ft or 5000 litres to 1metre.

  • A waterproof power supply to the site of installation.

  • A sump and grill and an offcut of pool liner that will cover the immediate area where water might splash from the feature.

  • Enough tubing of the widest gauge that can be threaded through the water feature.

  • AND of course the water feature.

Method

First of all, mark out the position of the sump, ensuring there will be a flattish area around the circumference.

Excavate a hole for it, slightly wider and deeper than you imagine and nestle the sump in on a bed of sand. This will help you get it level. Then backfill with soil around the circumference.

Ensure the surrounding soil slopes gently in towards the sump. I made the ground up to the top of the supporting grill with some Readimix mortar.

NB: Make sure the grill is not set in solid before the concrete goes off completely.

Install a good quality powerful pump with a flow control and attach an appropriate length of the largest hose that you can thread through the hole in the monolith.

 

Get a human powerhouse like Dave Hewlitt (assistant manager at Blagdon Water Gardens) to help you get the feature into place.

 

Then thread the hose from the pump through the stone.

 

 

Cover the area with a piece of liner that has a hole slightly smaller than the sump area. This will help to direct any water that splashes out to flow back to the sump.

 

Put the grill trap door in place and cover the whole area with attractive pebbles.