DIY Doctor

The Complete Guide to Building Garden Features and Objects to Make Your Garden Special

If you are looking for inspiration for your garden and how you can build eye catching design features then this section will cover everything you need. We describe how you can build garden water features such as ponds, paddling pools and spas or hot tubs. There lost of information about fun features for the kids, such as advice on building tree houses, sighting trampolines and building climbing frames. There is also a lot of information about constructing garden features such as a pergola or a barbecue and many more ideas.

  • Building a Barbecue

    Barbecue - how to build - A brick barbecue is a great addition to a patio area. Easy to build and use, a brick barbecue means you don't have to find a large space to store your BBQ

  • Bird garden with bird feeder

    Bird gardens - How to attract birds to your bird garden, with ideas for bird feeders, bird baths, nest boxes, and bird boxes to make the perfect bird garden

  • Building an Arbour

    Garden arbours - how to build - How to build a timber arbour; designing, locating and detailed instructions for building a wooden arbour including making the frame, fixing the frame, cladding the frame and fixing the roof

  • Garden cinema screen and projector

    Garden Cinema - How to build a Garden Cinema including how to hang a screen outside, where to get a projector and then how to play your movies using a laptop

  • Garden Design

    Gardening - a complete garden makeover - In this project we show you some great garden design pictures and give you some great garden design ideas that can be easily applied and used in your own garden

  • Green house maintenance

    Greenhouse maintenance - How to maintain a greenhouse or conservatory and make essential repairs to extend the life of your greenhouse

  • Garden Hot Tubs and Spas

    Hot tubs and spas - In this project we take a look at installing a hot tub or spa in your garden, including the different types of spa’s, hot tubs, pools and steam rooms, what base you should lay your tub on and what benefits they can have to your health

  • Building a rockery

    How to Build a Rockery - Find out how to build a rockery in your garden including where to locate it and what you need in order to build it and then plant in it

  • Garden and Outdoor Lighting

    Lighting - garden lighting - Garden lighting and outdoor electrics safe installation. Advice on wiring garden lights and outdoor lighting cables and regulations.

  • Summer Fun and Games for the Garden

    Paddling pools and trampolines - Find out how to get the kids out of the house this spring and summer and entertain them in the garden

  • Guide to Patio Heating and Lighting

    Patios - patio heating and lighting - Inspiration and advice for patio heating and lighting in your garden for year round use.

  • Building a Pergola

    Pergola - how to build - A pergola is an open structure, usually used to link different parts of the garden or as a focal point. A pergola provides a secluded area and shade in the summer

  • How to Build a Garden Pond and Some Great Garden Pond Ideas

    Ponds and how to build them - There are two types of garden ponds, natural wild life and rigid plastic. When installing a pond, the first job is to decide on the location

  • Raised planting bed

    Raised planting bed construction - How to build a raised planting bed in your garden. How to build above ground garden beds to get the perfect vegetable patch.

  • Rope ladder for tree house

    Rope Ladder - How to make your very own rope ladder - In this DIY guide you will learn how to make two different types of simple rope ladder using easy to follow step-by-step instructions

  • Sleeper raised planting beds

    Sleeper Raised Beds - How to build raised beds using railway sleepers - In this DIY guide you will learn how to build long lasting and solid raised planting beds using old or new railway sleepers

  • Building a Tree House

    Tree houses - how to build - Planning permission needed when building a tree house, when building a tree house be careful choosing the tree you are going to use. An advisable safety height would be not higher than 5 or 6 feet from the ground

It is one thing to have the garden design but quite another to actually build all the garden features that will make your garden an enjoyable place to be and a wonderful space to use. This section of is all about showing you how to build the features that you have decided to put in your garden – this is where you roll your sleeves up and get to work!

Water is the King of Garden Features

When it comes to garden features the assumption more often than not is that the feature will be a water feature. This is largely because a water feature can be so effective in bringing a garden together and making it a relaxing place to be. While we do cover water features, such as how to build a garden pond, we also want to go beyond water features.

Beautiful garden water feature
A water feature will enhance any garden (image: West Lothian Landscape Design)

In this section we cover other areas and ideas that you might have to create a feature in your garden. Whether you are installing feature lighting, which can have excellent security benefits or erecting garden structures such as pergolas and arbours there is a lot of information here to help you.

This section does not cover garden paths, patios and driveways as this is a huge area and we deal with this in a dedicated category, which you can see by clicking here.  For information on lawns and hedges you can look at our section on lawn and hedge care.

Another area that is closely related but we do not cover here is home security. As you garden is often the point of entry for any would be burglar then this is something to consider when building your garden features. Don’t make it easier for anyone to get in. Position lighting to deter the opportunist. You can read about more ideas in our section on home security here.

We have comprehensive information about most of the jobs that you are likely to attempt in your garden in our landscaping and gardening section.

Feature garden wall under construction
A feature garden wall, work in progress, by Roger Gladwell

7 Top Tips for Adding Features to Your Garden

Here are our 7 top tips so when you are planning and building the various garden features that you will want to have in your finished garden:

  1. Leave plenty of head room: The standard schools of thought suggest that you need to have 7 feet clear under arches, pergolas and arbours. We suggest that this should be the minimum especially if you plan to train plans that will hang down. You don’t want to be ducking under plants or worse, getting caught on one as you try and get through
  2. Water features in the sun: Avoid putting water features in a dark or overgrown corner as this will make it more dank and cold. Try to put water features in a place where they get direct sunlight most of the day at least
  3. Safety Features: There are a number of garden features, such as lighting and water features, which will require power. Make sure that you consider this when you are sighting the feature. Also make sure that they are installed safely – you will need to get a professional to complete wiring outside
  4. Be neighbourly: If you new garden feature is going to over-shadow or impact your neighbours it is worth talking it through with them or simply considering them. It might save many years of unintended bad feeling, particularly if you could use an alternative location that is just as good
  5. Check before you dig: As part of the planning stage is it worth checking that there is nothing that could derail the project before you start. Find out where the pipes run into and out of your house. Make sure that there are no underground cables or impossible to break up lumps of concrete. “Sods Law” say that you’ll only discover this when you’re digging in the last leg of your new pergola, and it will be much harder to work around then than if you know about it before
Garden pergola feature
A Pergola makes a fantastic garden feature (Image: DesignRulz)
  1. Measure before you spend: It sounds really obvious, but it is so easy to forget to measure up the space you have before you head off to the garden centre filled with enthusiasm for your new feature. Have the measurement written down and to hand because it is very hard to imagine the space that you have when you’re at the garden centre
  2. Wildlife: It is worth considering how your new feature can encourage wildlife as wells as look beautiful. This about your location and choice of plants. There are plenty of tips on wildlife websites – have a quick read before your start

Garden features can make a huge impact on a garden and really change the feel of the space. They are easy to plan, but much harder to install. Hopefully this section will give you the knowledge and confidence to have a go at installing a beautiful garden feature yourself.

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