How to Build Your Own Garden Fountains & Pools
Garden fountains and pools can be created in your backyard or garden to create a beautiful focal point in your yard. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can create your own design for any shaped garden space. Place them under an arbor or along a pathway for an attractive landscape addition. Add colorful aquatic plants to the pond for a vibrant water garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Sand
- Rubber liner
- Rocks
- Water
- Pumps
- Electrical outlet
- Aquatic plants
- Fish
Instructions
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1
Choose a place for your garden pool that receives at least 4 hours of sunlight per day and is near an electrical outlet for plugging in the water pump.
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2
Excavate where the water pool will be located. As you dig into the soil, provide different depth levels for plants and fish and waterfall features. For a shallow end, dig between 5 and 10 inches deep. Here you can use shallow aquatic plants. For the deeper end, 20 to 40 inches deep will provide a space for fish. Dig a tier at the top and end of the pool for a watertank which will create a waterfall in your pond.
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3
Keep the various tiers level and straight. Use the shovel to smooth out the bottom and sides of the pool. Remove all rocks or stones that could puncture the lining.
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4
Lay down a 2-inch layer of sand at the bottom of the pool to help prevent scratches and rips in the liner. Smooth down the sand with the shovel.
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5
Line the excavated area with a rubber liner, making sure it is snug by smoothing out the liner with a rock or your hands. Lay stones and rocks to secure the rubber liner to the bottom of the pool and to provide an area for fish to swim around. Stack stones around the waterfall tank to hide the tank and create a spot for the water to cascade down and into the pool. Fill the pond liner halfway with water. Install a pump by placing the pump at the bottom of your pond.
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6
Plug the main pump of the pool and separate waterfall tank pump into an outdoor electrical outlet. Make sure your outdoor outlet has a ground fault interrupter circuit--a type of outlet that acts as its own circuit breaker that will trip in the event the pump experiences mechanical problems.
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7
Fill the rest of the pond with water until it's three-quarters full. Let the pump circulate the water for 1 to 2 hours to raise the temperature. This will assure the water plants and fish don't undergo cold water shock.
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Lay floating aquatic plants, such as yellow pond-lilies and water-chestnuts, on the surface of the water pool. Immerse plants whose leaves emerge from the water such as cattails and buttercups.
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Tips & Warnings
Clean the pump filter once a month to keep it running properly. Add colorful fish who like to munch on algae and other water organisms. They will help to keep the pond clean.
Check the water levels in your pond once a week to ensure the pump has enough water to work properly. If the water runs below the pump, you can permanently damage the pump.
