Tuesday, 13 August 2013

How To Create Your Own Garden Fountains

By Nita McKinney


Most people think garden fountains have to be elegant concrete statues with water spilling out of them. Such a picture might get you thinking that it is very expensive and difficult to install a fountain in your backyard. This is not really true. You can make your own fountain from cheap and available materials. Most of the items that you require can be found at home.

The idea behind a fountain is spilling of water on the sides of a container so that it can be collected in a basin found below and recycled using a pump. To build your own fountain you need to buy a water pump and a rubber plug. You also need a shovel, a plastic basin, a vessel to hold water, a drill, garden rocks, cutting shears as well as metal screening.

The first thing you should do is to decide on an appropriate container to use. Choose a vessel that will hold the water and form a good base. A good idea is a decorated urn. If you cannot find a container with a hole at the bottom use the drill to make one. It should be approximately 2 inches wide so that a water tube can fit through it.

Dig a hole that is wide and deep on the garden where you want to build your fountain. The plastic basin should fit in the hole and it should be wide enough to trap the water that will spill out. The plastic basin should be positioned in a way that the soil line is at the same height with the top of the vessel.

Place a piece of metal screening on top of the basin. It is advisable to make the screening wider than the plastic basin. Make a hole at the center of the metal screening using cutting shears. Ensure that the hole you cut is large enough to accommodate the power cord and the water tube.

Position the water pump on the floor of the water basin. Pass the power cable and the water tube through the hole on the metal screening. The screening should then be placed on top of the basin.

You need to ensure a proper seal is created so that water does not leak. For this purpose you will need a fountain plug. Seal the hole where the water tube and the power chord passes through to get into the base. After setting up everything you can now plug in the power cord to a socket. You should bury the power cable under the soil or conceal it using plants and rocks.

The receptacle as well as the basin underground should be filled completely with water. Hide the screening using rocks and colored stones. If you follow the right tips you should have a working fountain without having to spend much. One way of improving your backyard is creating garden fountains. They are easy to make at home. You do not have to spend a lot of money on hiring a professional to do the work for you.




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