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Looking for ideas for this Trough border round our garden

franksebemfranksebem Posts: 40
in Garden design
Hi everybody. 

Completely new here. I have just moved into a house that has a large garden. When I tell you I love rivers, streams, canals etc it won’t surprise you all when I tell you that One of the main reasons for I bought this house because it has a brook running at the back of it. The sound of The Brook is so relaxing at the end of the garden and I am looking forward to summer sitting there with a cold beer listening to trickling Brook. So, as you can see from the image I have a large (trough) border around the Garden. It is the width of a Garden Hoe. I’d yes that it is similar width to that of a square gutter pipe. I want to do something creative in this trough. I’d love some sort of light or water or both in it. I can’t install a black Gutter pipe in the trough because as you can see the garden bends and there would be no way I could bend the gutter pipe to the same council as the garden. I am restricted how deep I can go because there are land drains that run under the border that feed into the Brook at the back. That’s how the whole estate was designed! So, on this Friday evening of lockdown, I’d love you guys to get created and give me some ideas. How could I implement Water? light in my trough? Any ideas guys? I must say that because of the several land drain pipes the deepest the trough can be would be about 15cm. I might add that in 8 weeks I am getting done professionally installed garden lights at the end of the garden so with the right ideas I can get the sparky to assist me. So, to recap..imagine a square drain pipe on the floor that bends with the garden. What are your thoughts peeps? 
Thanks in advance. 
PS, I tried to upload a photo but it’s too large. I will follow up shortly with a photo from my pc. 
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Posts

  • franksebemfranksebem Posts: 40

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,245
    That is where the previous owner has maintained a crisp edge to the lawn. Very neat. I can't think of any plausible way of turning such a small thing into a successful water feature, without digging out a wider, deeper channel to construct it. And you'd need a pump + sump at the end to collect and pump back the water.  Sorry to be a wet blanket!

    What about a bubble fountain or overflowing water bowl with lights instead?
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    I am struggling to understand why you want to do something with it. I suppose it's there to enable you to cut the edge of the lawn with one of those long handled shears.
    .
    You could run decking lights inside supported with a decorative gravel but any water you put in it will just fill up with grass clippings
  • brackenbracken Posts: 91
    Sorry not sure what you mean?  Is there any pictures of the Brook.  Have you dug out the gully round the lawn?
  • franksebemfranksebem Posts: 40
    Well, it’s a start. Thanks for your comments guys. Why do I want to do something with it? Because it has taken me 2 days to cut that Channel (I should have told you that the house had been empty for 2 years). The previous owner created that border but it has been left to infill. I work very long hours and simply do not have the time to maintain that border. Within months it will be untidy again because I won’t have time to tend to it. I know I’m probably asking for the impossible but I’m after your ideas and thoughts. The only thing I can rule out is leaving it as it is now because of my time constraints. 
    Thanks all. 
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,030
    I imagine the brook is behind the conifer hedge - so not actually in the garden, but creating a lovely restful sound for the OP.

    Yes, that gutter has been cut out to make a neat edge to the lawn.  I guess you could run lights through it, but you'd have to be careful not to cut the cable when using shears to trim the lawn edge...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • franksebemfranksebem Posts: 40
    Yes. The Brook is hidden behind that edge. I’ve recut that border over the last 2 days but I just can’t keep on top of it. I need a creative, low maintenance, thrilling, different,  exiting (yes I know I’m asking the impossible) idea. 🙂
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 11,195
    You're quite right - it's impossible.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,245
    edited March 2021
    The lowest maintenance solution would be to reinstate the lawn up to the edge of the paving. Obviously you COULD have a WONDERFUL water feature, wrapping alongside the lawn, but it would need a strip of paving between it and the lawn to run your mower up to, and it would need a fair bit of excavation and money spent on it I'm afraid.

    What *I* would do here is forget the water feature, and dig a wider border, putting edging between it and the lawn, as a mowing strip, and plant it up with something that can be easily kept tidy e.g. clipped lavender or small hebes. Probably just down the side of the path, leaving the front of the patio clear.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,507
    edited March 2021
    A narrow strip around your grass is never going to be thrilling and exciting.
    You could fill it up with a mortar mix to almost level with the grass and while it's still wet set in coloured glass or pebbles but might look tacky.
    You could put more soil in and plant up black grass all round that edge but then you cant mow the lawn up to it so that would be more time consuming.
    Or just leave it and get someone  in to look after the lawn for you.
    At the beginning of each mowing season I used to tidy the grass edges then with plenty of water and a trowel smooth the dirt. It dried very firm and did stop grass and weeds taking a foothold.

    P.S Large garden? Don't think you are going to have a lot if time for sitting with a drink!
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