Garden water bowl feature buying guide

Corton steel garden water bowls
The hottest look right now though is Corten steel. With its rusted look and industrial feel, it makes a bold statement that works beautifully alongside smooth, pale paving, gravel, and loose, airy planting (think grasses and tall meadow-style flowers).
Arriving with a dull, grey finish, the beauty of this material is that the surface weathers and changes over a period of four to nine months, developing a rich palette of red and brown tones peppered with unique marks and lines.
After this time, the metal will self-seal and preserve its textured surface without weakening the steel. Do be careful where you position a Corten steel bowl as it can stain pale and porous surfaces during the first nine months.
Powder-coated steel garden water bowls
Powder-coated steel bowls are an eye-catching alternative and their durable, sealed surface promises clear reflections. Many companies will coat water bowls in a RAL colour of your choice, giving you the option to tailor a container to suit your space.
RAL is a colour-matching system used in Europe to define colours for paint, coatings and plastics – have a look at the colour range at Ral Colours. The darker the hue, the better the reflection, so if you’re after a mirror surface, opt for a deep shade for maximum effect.
Glass-reinforced garden water bowls
Glass-reinforced concrete adds solidity and weight to bowls with sturdy forms and wide rims. They come in a variety of finishes from bare concrete and natural stone to verdigris, the interiors coated with a sealant to ensure they're watertight.
Raising up a water bowl can change the reflection and look of the feature. Some designs that double as fire bowls and planters have tripod legs, and this added height makes them perfect for bloom-filled borders. It’s easy to raise a standard water bowl too – a sawn log, timber sleeper, or stone block all make stylish plinths.

Water bowls come in many different widths from 60cm diameter up to a whopping 180cm, while custom-made designs can be made even larger. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to match the size of the bowl to the size of your garden. A generous one will make a big impact in a compact space and the reflections will make the area feel bigger and more open.
In a larger garden, you can use the surprise factor of a smaller design, tucking one into a border or hiding it around a corner, waiting to be discovered. Nestled into low-growing plants such as hardy geraniums or bugles, they take on a different dimension where the foliage hides the container’s sides and only a still, perfect circle of water is revealed.
While a single bowl has the wow factor, there’s nothing to stop you from going for a trio placed in a row or a more relaxed, triangle arrangement.

Regardless of material or size, these simple water features are easy to install. Most bowls have a flat central base and are designed to sit straight on a level surface. Those with a curved back can be bedded into a layer of soft sand and levelled up. The key is to remember that water will always level itself so it may be necessary to tweak the bowl once it’s part-filled to avoid an irritating tilt and a sloping waterline.
There’s much debate about whether it’s best to fill a water bowl using a garden hose or with rainwater. In some hard-water areas, the excess lime can leave a white, chalky tideline on dark containers, but it’s seldom noticeable.
Algae can be a problem but there are a few simple steps to avoid it. Keep the water topped up to the brim – we get enough rain to ensure this happens naturally for most of the year but you’ll need to give it a helping hand in summer. Don’t position your water bowl under trees or shrubs, as fallen leaves and debris will soon build up and can cause water to become stagnant. Regularly skimming the water’s surface with a net is also a good idea, and at least once a year, empty the bowl out, wiping away any mould and algae, and rinsing it clean.
If you do still find algae is a problem, then adding a wildlife-friendly anti-algae solution can help keep the water clear and stop bacteria from building up, while non-toxic pond dyes can reduce photosynthesis and algae and weed growth.