Landscape 101

Be it washing away the grime or stresses of the day or the salt of the sea, showering seldom feels better than in the great outdoors courtesy of one’s own garden. With the stars in your eyes and the wind in your hair, an outdoor shower makes a holiday treat become an everyday luxury – all year round for some. For the design and look, the choice is limitless – from a simple showerhead hanging from an old fruit tree to a fabulous purpose-built cubicle overlooking the ocean – but, always, practical considerations need be taken. While solar showers and portable gas water heaters allow hot water in just about most spots in the garden, if you want to run it off your main supply it makes sense to choose somewhere close to the bathroom, kitchen or laundry. You will also want to site it somewhere with enough sun to dry out the surroundings surfaces. Little dampens the sensory delights more than mould and rot. Most outdoor showers don’t need to be connected to the wastewater system and can simply, with a few caveats, seep into the garden. However, drainage still needs to be considered. If the shower is near your house ensure the water runs away from the building. If your soil is heavy, rather than risk a puggy mess below the boardwalk or, even worse, your feet, then it will pay to dig a pit under the shower and fill it with stones to aid drainage. Be wary of what you wash yourself with in the shower, use environmentally friendly products, remembering many of your plants will be drinking it, and if not them, then it may be entering the stormwater system.