Garden Water Feature Transformation – Case Study by Mark Kenyon

At Wirefence, we love seeing how our customers use our gabion cages to transform their outdoor spaces. Recently, one customer replaced an old, high-maintenance water feature backdrop with a beautiful and durable surround. The result? A stunning garden centrepiece that’s already getting positive reviews from friends and family.

The Problem: A High-Maintenance Water Feature

The rear patio had seen several water feature designs over the years — but none quite worked out as planned.

“Over the last 20 years we have had a solid concrete structure (too complicated to maintain, the pump kept clogging up with leaves and I was forever climbing inside to sort it out).”- recalled Mark.

After the concrete structure proved too difficult to maintain, the next solution was a wooden surround with the water sunk below ground to help reduce leaf and dirt ingress.

“This was much easier to maintain (i.e. maintenance free), but of course the wood rotted after about 12 years.”

Why Gabion Cages?

When the time came to rebuild, the landscaper initially suggested using a wire mesh roll to create a new surround. But after doing some research, Mark realised custom cut gabion baskets were the best choice.

“When I looked at the costs and sizes we needed, it looked more cost effective to have the Gabion cages made by Wirefence. I also thought there was less room for error.”

Not only would these walls provide a strong, long-lasting structure, they would also add a contemporary look to the garden design.

Building the Backdrop for the Water Feature

The installation was quick and straightforward using the helical connectors and the pre-cut and pre-clipped baskets.

“The structure, including digging out the earth and putting down some loose hardcore, took less than a day. The instructional videos you provided were really easy to follow, and the quality of the Gabion cages and the accessories was top notch.”

The baskets were filled with natural stone to create a rustic yet modern backdrop for the water feature, blending seamlessly into the surrounding garden.

The Finished Result

The water feature itself holds special meaning for Mark, so keeping it at the heart of the design was important.

“The water feature itself is symbolic of an everlasting bond between two people… it’s also extremely heavy to manoeuvre so again it signified that anything worth having/keeping requires effort. So when we decided to change the surround, we never considered changing the feature itself.”

The end result is a striking patio centrepiece that is low-maintenance, durable, and deeply personal.

“We have already had significantly better feedback on this feature than the two previous attempts, so we think we have got it right this time.” – shared Mark, much to our delight.

Comment From Wire Fence

“When we received the quote request via live chat at the end of July, we had no idea that our gabions would be used in such a personally meaningful project. Needless to say, we were absolutely delighted to see how it all came together when Mark shared the end result of his garden upgrade. It’s always nice to see our products in their final surroundings, but we are especially happy to know that, despite being “just metal”, they can bring joy and be part of meaningful garden design.”

Erno, Sales Support Specialist at Wire Fence