A thoughtful redesign brings wildlife, peace, and year-round enjoyment to Mr & Mrs Giles’ Southampton garden.

Project Snapshot

• Location: Lowford, Southampton
• Completed: Autumn 2024
• Focus: Stone Rockery and Water Feature Installation

 Why Hambrooks: A Longstanding Relationship

“We discovered Hambrooks 25 years ago at the garden centre, and the decking we installed back then is still going strong. We’ve regularly visited the Garden Centre for fresh ideas and always admired their landscaping work – and this time, we needed a fresh approach for our aging pond.”– Mr. Giles

The Challenge

Mr. and Mrs. Giles had:

• A leaking pond that required constant maintenance
• An overgrown, difficult-to-manage area
• A desire to maintain wildlife appeal but in a more practical way

The Solution

Hambrooks created a bespoke water feature that:

• Uses a sump-fed recirculating system (no need for a full pond)
• Is surrounded by a natural rockery and seasonal planting
• Includes stepping stones for easier access
• Refreshes the layout while staying wildlife-conscious

A particularly touching moment was the repositioning of a favourite bench beside their memorial Camellia, planted in 1997.

Kind to Wildlife

The team carefully:

• Decanted pond debris onto nearby beds
• Allowed amphibians to safely relocate
• Improved the soil quality at the same time

“We were impressed with the team’s care for the frogs and wildlife – they even reused pond debris to enrich the borders. Hambrooks truly listened to what we wanted.”– Mr. Giles

Clients thoughts after a few months

“We’ve enjoyed many balmy evenings on the deck, listening to the water before the Winter set in. Over Christmas we added subtle lighting – which we plan to keep for alfresco dining in the warmer months.”...

“We were thrilled to see the wildlife returning, frogs have now shown their approval with an enormous deposit of spawn! The tadpoles enjoy their ride through the pump before resurfacing at the outlet. We were also delighted to see our snowdrops reappear in January, inspiring us to add more and create a beautiful winter display.”

Spring 2025 Update

“We had breakfast by the water feature this morning. The Camellia has flowered, and the Acer and Tamarisk are bursting into colour. It’s a joy to watch the garden wake up.”….

“A huge thank you to Hambrooks, particularly Dave, for his vision. We couldn’t be happier with the result and are so pleased we had the work done.”

Thinking of transforming your garden?

Whether you’re dealing with a tired, leaking pond or dreaming of a new water feature, or a whole garden makeover, Hambrooks Landscaping can help create something beautiful, practical, and nature-friendly.  For more inspiration see other examples of our Water Features and Ponds here.