Beyond the Water Butt: Making Water Storage Beautiful. Harvesting in garden design does not have to mean an ugly plastic water butt hidden behind the shed.
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
How the European Commission’s award-winning Renewed Blooms garden turned drainage, storage and irrigation into visible design features.
When people think about collecting rainwater, they often picture a large plastic water butt hidden behind a shed.
But water storage does not need to be boring.
It does not even need to be hidden.
That was one of the central ideas behind Renewed Blooms, the garden I designed for the European Commission at Bord Bia Bloom 2025 in partnership with the Rediscovery Centre https://www.rediscoverycentre.ie/.
The garden explored circular design by giving discarded materials new purposes. It received a Gold Medal, Best Medium Garden and Most Sustainable Garden. (bordbiabloom.com)
Thinking beyond conventional drainage
At the centre of the garden was a paved water-collection area incorporating Marshalls Driveline drainage blocks. https://www.marshalls.co.uk/gardens-and-driveways/products/driveline-drain
Rather than treating the paving simply as a surface to walk across, it became the starting point for the garden’s water system.
Rainwater entered the drainage channels and collected within a concealed sump below the paving. From there, it travelled in two directions through the garden. The original drawings describe this as a small water loop, connecting the paving, water storage, pump, pond and planting.
Marshalls produces Driveline drainage systems to channel surface water while providing a more considered alternative to conventional exposed plastic or metal drainage. (Marshalls)
One system, several uses
On one side, the collected water fed into a small natural pond constructed from discarded materials.
The pond provided visual interest and created another habitat within the garden. Broken bricks, rubble and other materials that might normally have been thrown away instead became part of its structure and character.
On the other side, water travelled into old oil-barrel drip trays.
These industrial trays had previously existed to catch oil and waste. In the garden, they became small water-storage reservoirs.
The stored water then fed a manual water pump, allowing it to be reused for irrigation across the wider garden.
The system was practical, but it was also deliberately visible. Visitors could understand where the water came from, where it was stored and how it could be reused.
Making overflow useful
Every water-storage system needs to manage overflow during periods of heavier rainfall.
Rather than sending that excess water directly into a drain, the overflow within Renewed Blooms was directed towards marginal planting.
Plants around the pond and water-storage areas could therefore benefit from the surplus.
This connected drainage, storage and planting into one functioning system:
Collection → storage → pond → irrigation → marginal planting
Nothing operated in isolation.
A copper gutter as a design feature
One of my favourite details was the copper gutter positioned against the cork wall.
The copper created a strong contrast with the dark, textured cork surface. As it weathered, it would continue to develop more character.
But it was not there simply for decoration.
The gutter visibly collected and guided rainwater into another reclaimed oil tray below, which once again acted as storage.
Instead of concealing the pipework, the garden celebrated how water moved through the space.
Water infrastructure can have character
The water system worked because it followed the same material language as the rest of the garden.
Orange pipes connected visually with the reclaimed radiator.
Oil trays reflected the garden’s industrial influences.
The cork, timber, brick and metal gave each functional element warmth and texture.
The European Commission described the garden as an example of how salvaged wood, repurposed metal and upcycled containers can become functional, durable and striking design elements.
Water efficiency formed part of that wider circular approach. (Representation in Ireland)
What could this look like in a domestic garden?
The same thinking can work on a much smaller scale.
A garden studio, greenhouse or pergola roof could feed:
A copper or steel gutter
A reclaimed trough or tank
A planted dipping pool
A rain garden
A manual pump
An irrigation system
Storage could sit beneath a bench, deck or raised planter rather than occupying a separate corner of the garden.
The important step is to consider water at the beginning of the design process.
Where will it land?
Where can it be stored?
How can it help the planting?
Could the system become something worth looking at?
Water saving should be seen
Renewed Blooms was designed to challenge how we view waste.
But it also challenged how we view garden infrastructure.
Drainage does not have to disappear beneath the ground.
A storage tank does not always need to sit behind a screen.
A gutter can become a beautiful line through the garden. A pump can encourage interaction. An old industrial tray can store water. Overflow can support wildlife planting.
With some imagination, water saving becomes more than a practical necessity.
It becomes part of the garden’s identity.
Click below for a video of the garden and to learn more about me
rainwater harvesting in garden design
beautiful water-storage solutions
sustainable garden water management
water-saving garden ideas
circular garden design
reclaimed materials in garden design
rainwater collection paving
drought-resilient garden design
Comments