Lots of people have a plant box feature that runs along side the garden fence for the length of the garden, or a series of plant box areas. This is fine if you have the time to maintain them all, and keep them looking great; not always possible during the winter season though.
How about building up a featured area along the side of your garden fence instead?
Just picture in your mind an area that is the height of a bench that runs along side your fence for the length or width of your garden, whether along the back or the side fence of your garden. This area will become a wooden boxed area that will have plant boxes, a seating area and also a boxed pond area for small fish.
Start by building the bottom boxed area along your fence, about the height a standard bench, but have the depth about 3ft from the front to the back; the wood you choose and the panel effects on the front should match your style for your garden.
Once you have built this, you can start marking out the length of the flower box areas you want to sit ontop of various sections of this built up boxed area, then cut out these marked out these sections and build a framework that you can sit a removable flower-box comfortably in; because this section is going to be designed as a removable feature, you will build these flower boxes with a shallow depth, but still deep enough for small bulbs to be planted inside. Just make sure you leave enough room for a bench area where two people can sit comfortably on, and also the area for the boxed fish pond your going to be building.
From the first flower box area you marked out, start building a framework for the bench to also sit ontop of the box section for the arms, sides and back of the bench you are going to build; you can start to see this taking shape now.
After the first flower box section has been created, and also the bench seating area that will sit ontop of the boxed section, you can start building in a framework for the fish pond boxed area; the guideline for the height is to have something that is just below the shoulders of a person who is about 5ft in height and sitting on the bench next to the boxed fish pond area, so they can see inside the pond and look at the fish. It’s also got to be a comfortable height for somebody 5ft and over to see inside and maintain, but heigh enough for children not to fall into.
You should be able to get the materials to line the boxed area for the fish pond, and it should not be to shallow in depth from the front to the back of the box to make it a worthwhile feature, and also enough room for the fish to swim around in. This box will sit ontop of the boxed section, but the boxed section will have a hidden feature where a winch can be winded to tilt the boxed fish bond area forward for drainage and cleaning if required.
This is just a general guideline and an idea, and it will depend on the size of your garden and the area you have available. You will also need to get somebody who knows how to build this and who can recommend the best way to put it together and the most suitable dimensions.