How to Make an Outdoor Water Fountain or Water Garden
by Debbie Rodgers
When hot, sticky days hit, try to use all your senses to keep cool.
Sight and sound have amazing psychological effects, even when the
thermometer soars.
One of the most cooling and relaxing sounds I know is that of a
trickling spring. It relaxes my mind and helps my body unwind. In the
city, it can drown out the sounds of the daily hustle and bustle of
life, calming and refreshing the spirit. I also love the glinting,
reflective surface of water. You can have the soothing coolness of
water without a huge space so why not recreate this in your outdoor
living area?
Some small water features have still water and aquatic plants but
with the fight to remove stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed,
many people now prefer items with moving water.
The most popular "moving water" items are tabletop fountains,
statuary fountains and spitting creatures. All rely on a pump to
circulate water through the feature. The water is pumped up through
plastic tubing and released into the fountain, returning to the
bottom where it is pumped up the tubing again. Most pumps run on an
electrical connection but some smaller tabletop fountains have
batteries. There are also solar units available that require no
electrical hook-up.
If you are going to make a water fountain feature, you need the
following elements:
. a "bottom" where the pump where will be located and the water
returns. This can be a large pot, an urn, a trough and so on.
. a "top" from which the water will emerge. This can be a small
pot, a fanciful creature such as a frog, a conch shell, etc.
. a "middle" - the water course which will receive the water
from the top and return it to the bottom. This can be pots, pebbles,
shells, marbles, or even empty space, creating a freefall.
. a pump.
Give crucial attention to two features of the pump: maximum gallons
per hour (gph) and maximum lift.
The gph can vary from 35 gph for a small battery-operated tabletop
unit to over 600 gph for large garden fountains. Choose one
appropriate to the size of your water feature - more is not
necessarily better. A low gph will give you a gurgling effect in the
same fountain that a higher gph pump would provide a steady stream -
or even splash. It's strictly a personal preference within the range
recommended for the fountain size.
The maximum lift figure tells you how high you can expect
your "little pump that could" to push the water. A small pump that
has a lift of "up to 2 feet", for example would not be appropriate
for your 3-foot wall mounted lion's head.
You will also want to consider the length of the electrical cord if
applicable, and whether the unit has an on/off switch, if that's
important to you. Remember, though, that water left sitting will
stagnate.
Pump kits are available that include pump and tubing but tubing is
quite inexpensive (about 60¢ per foot) and can be purchased at most
garden centers. You can make a water fountain from something as simple as terracotta pots and pebbles.
So soothe your senses with the calming sounds of moving water and keep cool in your outdoor space!
Does anyone have any idea where to find a vintage water pump like the one used in the top picture?
Reply to Angela
steve – lancaster
Jun 19, 2009 - 07:41
ebay normaly have a few on auction around 45 pounds or so
HTH
Steve
Reply to Angela
Rose – Missouri
Jul 04, 2009 - 08:40
you might try a antique mall, farm auction or a junk sale, I got mine at a garage sale beleive it or not!
Rose Storlie – Glendive, Mt.
May 06, 2009 - 20:25
We are setting up a fountain and we are not sure how much water a person should use , it has 4 bowls that it goes thru but after it runs for a few hours the pump acts like it working hard to get the water thru. any ideas whats going on?
Reply to Rose Storlie
ben
May 29, 2009 - 13:03
no
Joe – Newton MA
May 06, 2009 - 16:28
I work for the town and we have a fountain how can i get the water supply to automatically feed the fountain. I was thinking of some kind of float but I dont know where or how to install it any ideas
Billy Bob
Mar 23, 2009 - 09:47
awesoime ideas
So
Jan 06, 2009 - 18:16
We're thinking of making a water fountain for our school's auction. Any ideas as to how to make a simple one?
sabrina
Dec 17, 2008 - 11:39
nice water fountains we are making one in science class and were trying to get ideas for it.
jack – san carlos sonora mexico
Jun 12, 2008 - 01:45
I enjoyed reading your article and the reactions. I AM TRYING to combine the use of a garden fountain and the misting process used in the Arizona area at some malls to keep people cool--suggestions?
The gph can vary from 35 gph for a small battery-operated tabletop
unit to over 600 gph for large garden fountains. Choose one
appropriate to the size of your water feature - more is not
necessarily better. A low gph will give you a gurgling effect in the
same fountain that a higher gph pump would provide a steady stream -
or even splash. It's strictly a personal preference within the range
recommended for the fountain size.
