DIY Flat Stone Fountain
A fountain of flat stones is perfect for a small space that needs a touch of Zen and the music of flowing water. Water may be directed to fall from the flat edge of the stone like a mini-waterfall or trickle over the edge and down the face of the stone in a subtle shimmer. The most versatile stone fountains sit over hidden reservoirs landscaped to look like the natural environment. The water bubbling up through the rock mimics something magical you might stumble across in a forest or field. But the construction and maintenance are designed, not random, and they couldn’t be simpler. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Spray paint
- Shovel
- Sand
- Carpenter’s level (optional)
- Pre-formed plastic reservoir
- Submersible pump
- PVC pipe
- Metal water pipe
- Metal grid
- Hardware cloth or screen
- Wire cutters
- Drill
- Decorative flat stones
- Hand saw
- Bubbler fountainhead (optional)
- Garden hose
- Small stones and pebbles
- Silicone glue
- Landscaping plants
Instructions
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Pick a site close to a power outlet and near enough to a garden hose to make refilling the reservoir convenient. Mark the hole for the reservoir and a trench for the power cord with spray paint.
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Dig a hole the same depth as the height of the pre-formed basin you will use for the reservoir. Scatter an inch or so of sand in the bottom of the hole and fit the basin into it. Adjust the basin so it sits level in the hole, using a carpenter’s level if necessary. Fill in around the basin with some of the dirt you removed form the hole, making sure it is snug and just slightly higher than the surrounding earth to keep dirt and stones from sliding in.
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Place a submersible pump in the basin and run the power cord over the side. Thread the cord through a length of PVC pipe and lay it in the trench. Cover the trench with dirt. Attach the metal water pipe to the pump.
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Cut a hole in the center of a metal grid and a matching hole in the center of a piece of hardware cloth or fine screen to cover the grid. Place the grid over the reservoir, fitting it over the pipe, and lay the hardware cloth over the grid.
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Drill holes in flat stones if they did not come pre-drilled. The holes should be about ¼ inch larger than the diameter of the water pipe. Stack the stones on the pipe from largest to smallest or experiment with random sizes until you achieve the effect you want.
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Mark the pipe just below the surface of the top stone. Remove the stone and cut the pipe. Replace the stone and attach a bubbler fountainhead to the water delivery pipe. You may leave the pipe open and just pump water straight up and out the hole in the stones but the bubbler creates a nice effect.
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Fill the reservoir with water, plug in the pump and test the fountain to see how the water flows and spills over the stones. Turn the stones and wedge small rocks in between them until the fountain seems balanced to you. Turn the water off and secure the arrangement with dabs of clear silicone glue between and under stones.
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Let the silicone dry before turning on the water again. Cover the grid and screen with small stones and pebbles as if the stacked rocks rise out of a scattering of stones. Once the basin below is hidden, plant mosses and ground cover around the fountain area and landscape the power cord trench with sod or plants. Keep the reservoir filled with water to protect the pump.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a lower but still arresting fountain with an old millstone. Follow directions for a stacked stone fountain but use a shorter water pipe and place camouflage stones and pebbles on the grid before setting the millstone in place on top of them.
If you buy flat stones for the fountain from a landscape supplier or a quarry, they may be able to drill the holes for you, saving you a messy job and some time.
Ferns and ornamental grasses make attractive landscaping around natural stone fountains.
Always wear protective goggles when drilling rocks.
References
- Photo Credit Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
