About the Project

This Warnborough garden transformation centred around the creation of a naturalistic waterfall garden using reclaimed stone from an existing rockery-style border.

The client wanted to bring the sound of moving water into the garden, with an initial idea for a series of small ponds flowing into one another. As the project progressed, the available stone shaped the final design. The pieces were larger, heavier and more characterful than expected, so the scheme evolved into a two-pond water feature with a longer waterfall and a stronger visual presence.

This was a site-led project that relied on experience, practical judgement and a careful eye for natural stone placement.

What We Did

The original border was large, sloped and around 50 metres long. MNB Designs stripped and levelled the area as carefully as possible, creating a more manageable two-tier structure while uncovering and assessing the stone already available on site.

The stone itself became one of the defining features of the project. It was surface limestone, a material that has not been quarried locally for around 30 years. Because the supply was limited to what was already in the garden, every piece had to be considered, positioned and used with care.

Using the reclaimed limestone, MNB Designs created a two-pond system with a 4 metre long waterfall, dropping around 2.5 metres from top to bottom. A powerful pump was required to create the right flow, sound and movement across the natural stone.

The finished waterfall brings structure and atmosphere to the garden, with the sound of running water helping to soften background noise from the nearby airfield.

Working With Rare Reclaimed Limestone

This project was unusual because the design had to respond directly to the material available. The limestone could not simply be reordered or replaced, so the layout developed around the size, shape and character of each stone.

That required a flexible approach. Rather than forcing the original idea onto the space, the design was adapted to suit the scale of the stone and the natural slope of the garden.

This is where hands-on landscaping experience made the difference. The result feels more established and natural than a heavily pre-planned installation, because the water feature was shaped by the garden itself.

Challenges & Solutions

Challenges

We inherited a sloped rockery border with oversized limestone, uneven levels and a loose brief for moving water.

Transforming an old rockery-style border into a working water feature

Working with oversized reclaimed limestone

Creating balance across a large, sloped garden border

Managing heavy, uneven materials in difficult weather

Designing around a limited supply of rare stone

Including lilies and planting areas away from fast-moving water

Solutions

We adapted the design around the stone, creating two ponds, a waterfall and a more manageable garden structure.

Adapted the original pond concept into a two-pond waterfall system

Regraded and levelled the border to create more usable tiers

Used practical stone placement to create a naturalistic finish

Installed a powerful pump to support the 4 metre waterfall

Positioned the water feature to create strong movement and sound

Left the project ready for terrestrial and pond planting to mature

The Results

An underused garden border has been transformed into a natural waterfall feature, with reclaimed surface limestone repurposed to create movement, structure and long-term visual interest.

The project is still maturing, with terrestrial planting and pond plants due to establish further over the coming seasons. Once the planting develops, the water feature should sit even more naturally within the garden.

MNB Designs will revisit the garden in spring to see how the planting has settled and to capture updated photos of the completed space.