I am in the process of installing a small water feature in my front yard in a flower bed. The water feature uses an approved submersible electric pump that will be placed in a water reservoir buried below ground. The pump has a 16' electrical cord. I have trenched and placed a 1 1/4" piece of pvc pipe in the bed and under a short span of brick pavers that are set in concrete in order to run the power cord to my garage where I will use a GFCI outlet. The person who dug the trench for me said that I should not put the power cord in the pvc pipe without protecting it somehow. What do you suggest? Thank you!

Installing a cord in a buried conduit is not allowed. The GFI outlet for the water feature should be close enough to avoid having to bury it.

Better to do this properly, since you need to trench and install conduit anyway.

Thank you tk for your quick response. SO, to clarify, I need to run romex or something comparable, through my new conduit and create a GFI outlet in my flower bed where the water feature will be located? Thank you!

Almost correct.

Romex is a product name, just like Kleenex is a product name.

NM, (Non Mattalic) is the term used to describe the cable.

NM cable is not allowed to be used in a wet location. Inside buried conduit is considered to be a wet location.

Certainly, UF (Underground Feeder) type cable will work. But you would still need to install the outlet in a weather proof device box and properley support it.

Thank you Don! This just stopped being a DYI project and an electrician has been scheduled.