Sometimes space comes at a premium in gardens, or even where a garden might not be possible. If you’ve only got a little bit of outdoor space, or even if you’re limited to the indoors, you can still find a perfect water feature for it.
We’ve studied the catalogue and found the best water features for small gardens. Take a look below for inspiration or to find the perfect feature for your space.
Please note: all prices correct at time of writing.
What is the best water feature for small gardens?
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Only you can answer this, but it boils down to the size of your space. A 47cm-wide Pizarro bird bath might work in a yard a metre or two long, but would be out of place on a balcony. Similarly, a little 27cm triple trickle honey pots water feature might get lost in a garden of any size, but would go great on a coffee table inside or out.
Filter your water features by size first, then take a look at what best fits your style and space (probably best to measure those out too). We’re always adding more water features, so even if you can’t find the perfect one right now, check back in a month to find a new love!
Tabletop Water Features
Tabletop water features are designed, as the name suggests, to fit on a tabletop. Self-contained with small, appropriately sized reservoirs, these features can go practically anywhere. Just be sure to keep them away from edges and to secure the power cable, to make sure it doesn’t become a trip hazard.
Wall-Hanging Water Features
Pictured: Olso Cascading Water Leaf Water Feature
When floor space is at a premium, look up to your vertical areas for water feature placement. With a Wall Hanging Fountain, you can preserve patios and tables for plants and lunches, while still enjoying those water feature sounds they’re loved for.
Available in a few different styles, these hangers don’t get quite as small as the tabletops but they’re still a viable small-garden option.
Self-contained Water Features
While these aren’t a category in their own right, ‘self-contained’ is an important term in the water feature world. Self-contained means there’s no digging required and your water feature can go anywhere that power can be found – with even more outdoor versatility if it’s solar-powered.
The Best Tabletop Water Features
1. Family Crystal Sphere Tabletop Water Feature with LED Lights
An element of modern style representing harmony, unity and family, perfect for a table, windowsill or bookshelf. It’s small, made from polyresin and wonderfully self-contained (as every tabletop feature should be).
The crystal is illuminated too for a cool, calming effect.
- Price: £45.99
- Type: Sculpture fountain
- Size: 25cm x 20cm x 20cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Family Crystal Sphere Water Feature
2. Gothic Arch Tabletop Cascading Water Feature By Ambienté
Petite yet effective, this stone-effect arch has uplighting LEDs to add to the gothic effect once the sun starts to dip and the lights turn low. The water reservoir is sufficiently small that even with a spill, there won’t too much of a tabletop flood.
Place it on a shelf or in an alcove for maximum gothic effect.
- Price: £79.99
- Type: Stream cascade
- Size: 36cm x 22cm x 16cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Gothic Arch Tabletop Water Feature
3. Vercelli Table Top Indoor Water Feature with Light
Another figurine, this time two figures embracing in the shape of a heart and even smaller than the last at a minuscule 17cm tall. The lights illuminate the heart, drawing the eye and creating a lovely tabletop focus.
Take in the bubbling sounds on a quiet afternoon with a book.
- Price: £45.99
- Type: Sculpture fountain
- Size: 17cm x 17cm x 19cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Vercelli Tabletop Water Feature
4. Nebula Bubble Wall Tabletop Water Feature with Colour LEDs
Completely compact, this small bubble wall is like an executive toy with its brushed steel and clear plastic design. You can choose from 15 different colours using the included remote, so you can change the water feature mood with the press of a button.
This is one of the most colourful water features around!
- Price: £114.99
- Type: Contained bubble wall
- Size: 27cm x 20cm x 11cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Nebula Bubble Wall Water Feature
The Best Wall-Hanging Fountains
1. Tortoise Shell Wall-Mounted Cascading Water Feature by Ambienté
Made from a combination of ceramic and hammered metal, this wall hanging feature has a garden style all its own. The tortoiseshell effect adds a splash of subtle colour, and the four tiers of streams means it has a great sound to go with it too.
Place it close to a socket, as these hanging fountains need mains power to run.
- Price: £159.99
- Type: Tiered cascade
- Size: 78cm x 27cm x 48cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Mounted Tortoiseshell Cascade Water Feature
2. Gentle Lion Head Wall Fountain
Polyresin with a rust-effect finish, this feature is built to last while looking great all the while. A single stream flows into the reservoir to refill it and send water on its way once more, creating a reassuring sound and a zen-like atmosphere.
It’s a mix of ancient British heritage and modern water feature design.
- Price: £159.99
- Type: Hanging fountain
- Size: 75cm x 43cm x 22cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Gentle Lion Fountain Water Feature
3. Fish Wall Fountain by Ambienté
A fish fountain coupled with a three-spout cascade, sure to liven up any drab or unadorned wall. All its smooth lines are thanks to the polyresin construction, and its 40cm height means it’ll fit on walls where space might be an issue.
Top tip: be considerate of the ‘depth’ dimension with hanging fountains – if you choose an alleyway, you want to still fit! This one’s just 20cm.
- Price: £89.99
- Type: Hanging fountain
- Size: 40cm x 28cm x 20cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Fish Wall Fountain Water Feature
The Best Self-Contained Water Features
1. Solar Squirrels Pouring Bowls Tiered Water Feature With Battery Backup and Lights By Solaray
Charming, quirky and colourful – coming in at only 39cm tall, these curious critters are perfect for a patio or small garden corner. They look like they’re mixing a curious potion, but really it’s just solar-powered streams.
Light polyresin means it’s easy to move, so you can pick and choose your favourite small-space spot.
- Price: £119.99
- Type: Character cascade
- Size: 39cm x 40cm x 32cm
- Power: Solar-powered
Shop this Solar Squirrels Water Feature
2. Eclipse Sphere Stainless Steel Water Feature with Lights by Ambienté
We couldn’t have a water feature list without featuring a sphere, and this is the smallest of the lot. Just 23cm tall with LED lights to stand out, this small feature is everything great about stainless steel spheres in the smallest package possible.
Rust-proof, eye-catching and weather-resistant too.
- Price: £99.99
- Type: Sphere fountain
- Size: 23cm x 22cm x 15cm
- Power: Mains-powered
Shop this Eclipse Sphere Water Feature
3. Cosmos Three-Tier Oil Jar Ceramic Water Feature by Solaray
One of our best-selling solar water features, and perfect for small spaces at 25cm tall. The smooth, ceramic edges pair perfectly with running water, and being solar-powered means you can run completely mains-free.
It’s also available in green or brown.
- Price: £129.99
- Type: Tiered cascade
- Size: 24.5cm x 21.5cm x 21.5cm
- Power: Solar-powered
Shop this Cosmos Oil Jar Water Feature
There you have it – you don’t need to let a small space stop you from enjoying the water feature of your dreams. Check the specifications carefully, measure out your space and you’ll have a fabulous feature that’s perfect for you before you know it.
Shop over 500 Water Features at Primrose
Large fountain Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash