Opinions on my garden design please......

[jojosapphire]

We have started our extention today! so i am expecting much of the existing garden to be trashed .. Things like the pond will be cheaper to do during the build so i need tosort the design soon. The raised pond is for gold fish and the smaller one a wildlife pond with lots of planting. The trees on the back wall are existing apple trees. The bifolds will be approx 20cm above ground level so i was thinking decking there to give a good flow from the kitchen...
Please be honest all ideas welcome
Thanks

One thing that leaps out, if I've understood your plan correctly, is that you have bifolding doors opening out onto decking, and then you have to step across water to get to the seating area. I think that might quickly feel a real PITA, especially if you want to eat or drink outside. I would move the pond elsewhere, or consider just having the lower, non-raised pond.

If I may say so I think the plan lacks balance and rhythm. Bear in mind how you will use the terrace and grassed area: I think the path beside the pool is not going to be enough in the way of access. If you must have a water feature I think should be elsewhere because of the orientation of the garden is north facing you may find that the water is in shadow for much of the time. Please don't be offended, but it looks quite amateurish as this point in its development.

If you can hold back for a few weeks Chelsea is not far off (May) and you could get some inspiration for this size plot off the telly then

It looks from the diagram as if the patio/paving gives directly onto the stream/pond? We have that arrangement (was already there in this house) and it does mean you can't eg use any weed killer on the patio because all runoff goes into the water. I'd always have a gap of some sort in future.

The 3 green bits on the left. Shrubs? Beds? Won't they be a pita to mow around and keep a neat lawn edge?

Thanks all, on the left is a border keeping the new Zealand flax that is there with cut log stepping stones for the kids slate chip mulch. The strip of water between the ponds will be flat and either really skinny or have stepping stones in the middle. Its something we love and cant have it going towards the back due to apple leaves getting in too much. I also like the idea of it being close to the house. I hadn't thought about weed killer, but i tend not to use it if i dont have to. I have ton of inspiration pinned on pintrest but really like modern gardens but with the apple trees it feels more traditional, as well as trying to fit a lot in a small space.

One thing about those rills on pinterest - a lot of the time they are custom-built in metal or stone. This is what gives that incredibly sharp, crisp finish. And it is even more expensive than it looks!

If you are dropping that kind of cash, it might be worth spending a bit more and getting in a garden designer. I'm absolutely not saying your design is rubbish - it's quite the opposite, I'm really impressed - but water on multiple levels with falls and pumps tends to get quite expensive and you want to make sure you get something that's right for your garden long term. A professional will be able to suggest things that won't even have occurred to you (or me) in terms of materials.

Oooo maybe a bridge over the water would work....

Thanks shove, i had concidered a designer but its finding one thats not too expencive and who isn't attached to a landscape company... As the builders will do all the hard landscaping for us as part of the project.

If your fish pond is joined to the wildlife one then the fish will eat the toad/newt/frogspawn i think.

Yes they would get eaten if in the same pond hence hoping to seperate while still connected.
Have spent a couple of lovely sunny hours with DH trying different layouts in the garden and have an alternative design. We roughly layed it out using bits of decking and hose! I think this works better yes we will still be stepping over water but have found pre-made rill sections which are 30cm wide so not too bad. The small round water feature on plans (hose circle in the garden) would be the new location for our existing pebble pool.
What do you think?

If there is no water circulating between the ponds you should be OK. Otherwise small fish/fry will migrate. Will your link water-ways actually flow? I'm worried if it doesn't it will either stagnate and be slimey or evaporate and not be there. It's not good to be continually topping up a wildlife pond with tap water, so you would need a good supply of stored rain water.

To be honest the secound design doesnt have a wildlife pond as we figuredcwe were trying to do to much! Also water that comes out of the pond will be going through the filter first so fish should stay in the pond... So in the second design we have a rill going from the pond (via the filter ) down to the pebble pool and another waterfall with rill going also to the pebble pool....

One great piece of advice Monty Don gives people on the show Big Dreams Small Spaces is not to try to do too much in a smallish garden. One idea, followed through with commitment, tends to look and feel better. Subdividing a smallish space many times tends to fragment it and lose coherence.