Things to consider before buying a garden water feature

 Consider these essentials before you invest in one for your outdoor space

Before you invest in a garden water feature for your outdoor space, there are a lot of logistics to consider, from the supply of water to the general maintenance. Here are things everyone should consider first.

1. You probably don't need a water supply. Of-the-shelf water features are self-contained, they just need topping up occasionally.

2. But if the feature has moving water, unless it's solar powered, you will probably need an electricity supply to drive the pump.

3. Pretty much all water features work the same way. There's a reservoir of water (or sump), which has a pump which moves water up a pipe. Gravity then brings the water back down to the reservoir. Whether this mechanism is surrounded by stainless steel, granite or a sculpture, the principle is the same.

4. Listen to the water feature – do you like the sound? This is almost more important than what it looks like. If it sounds like a bath filling it won't be relaxing, if it's a barely-there trickle, it might just be annoying.

5. Think about cleaning it. Water will get slimy, especially during the winter, so you'll need to know how to drain it, dismantle it and clear out the sump.

6. When you are finding a place for your feature, think about what's above it. If it's under a tree, for instance, it's likely to get lots of leaves in it, which will mean even more maintenance.

7. It's much easier to get a water feature, or any feature, to look good if it's placed in amongst planting rather than at the centre of a space. Nestled among the plants, it doesn't matter if it's a bit too big or small.

8. Interestingly, modern features – stainless steel, glass etc – will work in either a modern garden or a traditional one, but older styles, like cherubs, millstones and the like, look really out of place in modern gardens.

9. Think about lighting the water, often the features come with an option of an inbuilt light. If you're going to have it in sight of the house this will look really good all through the year.

10. If you have children consider their safety first. Small children can drown in tiny amounts of water, so it's advisable to buy a feature with no exposed water.