How to Make a Garden Fountains

Garden fountains bring tranquility to a garden, especially an urban one. It's easy to make garden fountains using clay pots. Although this project calls for 8- and 6-inch clay pots, you can use smaller or larger ones, depending on your site and how large you'd like to make your fountain.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8-inch clay pot
• 6-inch clay pot
• Silicone sealant
• Pump
• Chicken wire
• Tubing
• Small to medium-small stones (thumb sized to palm sized)

1. Seal the hole in the bottom of the larger pot with silicone sealant. Allow to dry for the time recommended by the sealant manufacturer. This pot will be the reservoir for the fountain system.

2. Place the pump in the bottom of the larger pot. Connect the water feed tube and the overflow tube. Drape the overflow tube and the power cord over the edge of the larger pot. Temporarily drape the water feed tube over the side of the bottom reservoir pot.

3. Surround the pump with a small cage of chicken wire to protect it from damage from the rocks.

4. Fill the reservoir pot with the stones. Be careful not to damage the water feed tube, the overflow tube or the power cord.

5. Place the second, smaller pot on top of the stones in the bottom pot. This is the spillover pot.

6. Thread the feed tube through the hole in the bottom of the smaller pot. Seal around the opening with silicone sealant. Allow to dry completely.

7. Add a few rocks to the top spillover pot to hide the water feed tube.

8. After the silicone sealant applied in Step 6 is thoroughly dry, fill the bottom reservoir with water just to the top of the stones. Plug in the pump.

Tips & Warnings

• The top spillover pot can be set level on the stones, so the water overflows the rim, or it can be set on a slant, so the water spills out of it. Pumps and tubing for garden fountains are available at garden centers.

References

• How to Make a Fountain
• HGTV: Clay Pot Fountain