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. The garden explored circular design by giving discarded materials new purposes, and it received a Gold Medal, Best Medium Garden and Most Sustainable Garden at Bord Bia Bloom.
Thinking beyond conventional drainage
At the centre of the garden was a paved water-collection area built with Marshalls Driveline drainage. Marshalls make Driveline to channel surface water, as a more considered alternative to exposed plastic or metal drainage. Rather than treating the paving simply as a surface to walk across, we made it the starting point for the garden’s water system.
Rainwater entered the drainage channels and collected in 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.
One system, several uses
On one side, the collected water fed a small natural pond built from discarded materials. The pond gave visual interest and created another habitat within the garden. Broken bricks, rubble and other materials that might normally have been thrown away became part of its structure and character.
On the other side, water travelled into old oil-barrel drip trays. These industrial trays once caught oil and waste. In the garden, they became small water-storage reservoirs. The stored water then fed a manual pump, so it could be reused to irrigate the wider garden.
The system was practical, but it was also deliberately visible. Visitors could see 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 when the rain is heavier. Rather than sending that excess straight into a drain, we directed the overflow in Renewed Blooms towards marginal planting, so the plants around the pond and storage areas could benefit from the surplus.
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 set against the cork wall. The copper made a strong contrast with the dark, textured cork, and it would keep developing more character as it weathered.
But it was not there simply for decoration. The gutter visibly collected rainwater and guided it into another reclaimed oil tray below, which again acted as storage. Instead of hiding 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, with water efficiency as part of that wider circular approach. You can read more from the European Commission Representation in Ireland.
What could this look like in your garden?
The same thinking works 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 taking up a separate corner of the garden. The important step is to think about water at the very start of the design. 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, and 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, saving water becomes more than a practical necessity. It becomes part of the garden’s identity.
Filed under Project insights on 15 July 2026
