Fairy Tale Garden Stream

The Project

In 2018, I started working on a small side project that was as whimsical as it was fun to build: a fairy tale-inspired garden stream. It all began when some friends of ours rented a garden plot and offered us space for a creative venture. A friend and I began sketching out ideas and quickly landed on a concept that blended the dreamy aesthetic of the Efteling theme park with a touch of rustic charm.

Construction stretched over about half a year, with a winter break in between. We started by preparing a foundation: digging a shallow base and filling it with compacted gravel. For the brickwork, we used standard mortar, but the bricks themselves were a little adventure. Being located in Germany, we couldn’t find any suppliers who stocked the iconic Dutch-style bricks. In the end, we managed to source them from a supplier who had them imported from the Netherlands.

To create the look of a ruin, we deliberately avoided straight, clean lines. Some bricks were broken or left out to simulate age and damage. The centerpiece was a brick backdrop wall with two rounded, raised flower beds on either side. In the middle, a gentle stream flowed over natural stones and down into a small pond, which was visually integrated using gravel and well-placed plants.

The wall featured two charming little windows—one covered by a small shutter painted in classic Pieck green, the other fitted with rustic metal bars for a medieval touch. A small pond pump, hidden beneath the stones, circulated the water, creating a soothing stream effect. The tubing was carefully concealed to keep the illusion intact.

Plants brought the whole scene to life. Different types of grasses and flowers softened the brick and stone structure, but my favorite touch was the succulents tucked into the crevices between the natural stones. They added texture, color, and a bit of surprise to the whole setup.