How to Build a Backyard Fountain

A fountain in the back yard or on your backyard patio will give hours of peaceful relaxation. There is something therapeutic and relaxing in the sound of water cascading. Seeing water after a hard day's work is considered to be good for the eyes. The Chinese believe a fountain in the house will usher in abundance and prosperity. This backyard fountain uses materials that are easy to find and it is simple to put together.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Terra cotta trough, without holes
• Square terra cotta planters, of different sizes, with holes
• Glue
• Fountain pump
• Small piece of pantyhose
• Nylon string
• Rubber hose in a diameter that will fit through the planter holes
• Jackknife
• Scissors

1. Place the terracotta trough in an ideal location in the backyard. This trough will form the pool around the fountain. If you are unable to get terracotta trough, you can use a terra cotta colored plastic trough. If you are unable to get a trough without a hole, glue a piece of rubber hose, cut open, over the holes to prevent leakage. Place the trough right-side up, to contain the falling water.

2. Make a pyramid with overturned planters. Place the biggest at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Align the holes on the planters so that rubber hose can be threaded through the holes. Glue the planters together and leave overnight for the glue to dry. You can use terra cotta colored plastic planters if you can't find terra cotta planters. Make sure the planters are glued together the next day. Repeat the gluing process if any planter is not properly glued.

3. Place the pump in the middle of the trough and fit the hose to the pump. Fill the trough with water. Switch the pump on to make sure water comes out of the hose.

4. Lay the planter pyramid structure on its side. Thread the rubber hose from the pump through the holes in the planters. The hose can stick out about 1/2 inch from the hole of the smallest planter. Cover the end of the hose with a piece of pantyhose that is cut to fit the top of the tube. Use nylon string to secure the pantyhose. The pantyhose acts as a water filter.

5. Turn the pyramid upright, to cover the pump. Position the pyramid so that when water comes out, the side of the pyramid where the water cascades faces the seating area of the yard.

Tips & Warnings

• Position the planters in a pyramid shape in the store before purchasing the planters, to make sure it looks the way you want it to. Buy a fountain pump that will be completely covered by the largest planter that forms the first step of the pyramid. It is sometimes easier to thread the hose through the planters before gluing them together.
• Make sure the pump is shock proof. Since the pump runs on electricity and water is a good conductor of electricity, you may be in for a nasty shock.