How to Add a DIY Water Element to Your Garden
Water can make your garden feel more peaceful, as well as encourage birds and other wildlife to spend more time in your yard. Adding a water feature might seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get all the benefits of a backyard oasis without too much hassle. Here are some simple tools and tips that you can use to add a bit of tranquility to your garden effortlessly.
Materials needed to make a fountain with your own hands
You won’t need too many tools for this type of project: a tape measure and a few plastic pipe shears are what you’ll use most often. The rest of the materials will depend on the project and this is where you can really unleash your creativity. The containers you use for your water to create a favorable habitat for plants or pollinators are really up to you – a thrift store or garage sale are great places to start looking for inspiration to choose a container for your water feature. For a small body of water, you can start with a large waterproof container such as a water tank , water pot , or a converted bath bowl.
Whether or not you add plants will depend on your climate, but there are many aquatic plants that will thrive in a container and also benefit your local wildlife. The water hyacinth, the sensitive plant, and the coin plant are just some of the plants that will thrive in a small body of water. These types of plants add room for bees, birds, and dragonflies to shine while enjoying the water. If you don’t want to add plants, you can add pebbles so that some of them break on the surface of the water so that wild animals can enjoy the water. After that, a little weeding and attention to the water level is all your mini pond needs.
How to add movement and flowing water to a water feature
For a water feature with moving water, you will need a pump and some tubing. However, there is no need to run wires for power – you can use the pump kit , which comes with its own solar power source. For a simple water spring that you can add to any container, you don’t even need tubes, you only need a water level that is as high as the size of the fountain. You can find your fountain’s spray nozzle height in the manufacturer’s specifications section of the product label or listing. Make sure your solar power source is exposed to enough light to keep your fountain running.
If you want to create the look of flowing water, such as a stream of water pouring out of a pot or over rocks, using a tube to direct the flow of water is very easy. First connect the tubing to the pump with a tubing clamp by sliding the clip onto the tubing and then sliding the tubing over the pump outlet. Do the same with the inlet and point the tube into the deepest part of your fountain so that the flow of water remains uninterrupted. You can buy hose clips if you don’t know what size to choose. Then use the snorkel to direct the flow of water towards your target. Stop a few inches from the surface and cut the hose so that the tube remains hidden. Depending on the effect you want, you can use pebbles to hold the hose in place.
If you want to create a fountain of running water through a pot or vase, thread a tube through the drain hole in the pot, or drill a hole in the vase to thread the tube through. Make sure the hole is above the expected water level to avoid backflow.