How to Build a Fountain in your Garden

Until fairly recently, most garden fountains were simple patterned sprays of water emerging from a pool. Now there are many options, ranging from sophisticated, grand affairs to small-scale child-safe features.

Wall-mounted lion’s head

This is usually cast into a block, made from concrete or reconstituted stone. A small pipe feeds water through the back and into the mouth, so this needs to be built into a backing wall from the outset. Water pours either directly into a pool below, or into a small suspended reservoir, which can then either overflow into a larger pool below, or be recirculated. Be aware that the smaller the reservoir, the greater the danger of it running dry, through evaporation, in hot weather.

Fountain garden

Geyser ‘foam’ jets

These are designed to suck in air and mix it with the water to produce a lively column of foaming water which, with an appropriate pump and nozzle, can reach a height of a metre (3ft) or more.

‘Bell’ jets

These compress a flow of water from a nozzle, deflecting it outwards and downwards to produce a glassy ‘mushroom’ of water. Lighting can produce dramatic results with this type of fountain, but you must make sure that the pond water is not dirty or full of debris.

Solar-powered fountains

These are now becoming widely available, and more efficient. Their output is not always as good or as substantial as conventional fountains and pumps, but this technology does make it possible to have a modest fountain in a place to where it is difficult to run electricity. Thanks to solar panel installation phoenix, our home has the best solar panel in our area now particularly in our garden fountain! To learn more about solar panels, click here for more information.

Bubbling stones, millstones and ‘boulder’ fountains

In most cases these are suspended by means of a strong steel grid – sometimes with pebbles and/or rocks – over an underground tank of water. Kits are available from most large garden centres. They include a small plastic reservoir and a plastic cover with a central hole for a fountain on a submersible pump below. Check the water level in the reservoir in hot weather.

Installing a pebble fountain:

1. Make a hole in which to fit the reservoir.

2. Line the hole with sand and place the reservoir into position, making sure it is level.

3. Place the pump housing and nozzle and fill with water.

4. Arrange washed pebbles over the pump housing platform.

5. Surround the area with plants and paving – and switch on!

Installing an egg-style fountain

If you would prefer to see a piece of modern ‘art’-something that would be both a focal point and a talking point – this smooth, high density concrete egg fountain has a timeless, contemporary feel. Dimensions of the egg stone are: height 50cm; width 38cm (15m), and weight 80kg (1761b).

1. Excavations are started for housing the fountain liner’or ‘reservoir’. A layer of builders’ sand is required in the base of the hole to protect the liner from sharp stones

2. The liner is placed in to the hole to check for depth and level – a spirit level is crucial

3. More sand is required to protect the sides and lips of the liner, and all edge levels should be checked. The liner is finally put into position, level checked and then more sand used to inĀ­fill and pack the sides

Fountain garden

4. Rubber tubing, which is cut to fit, needs to be threaded through the egg fountain and then connected to the pump

5. The egg is placed into position, and a final check for levels is made

6. Pebbles are placed over the inspection cover to complete the effect, and new plants surround the whole structure

7. Within just a few weeks, the area looks established