How to Make a Backyard Garden Waterfall
Enjoy the soothing sounds of falling water with your own backyard waterfall, simply constructed in your open yard, garden or pond area. Waterfalls come in all sizes and varieties. Fiberglass kits can be used for very minimal construction of a waterfall, but most people appreciate the natural beauty of stones and landscaping from a custom waterfall. If you have a low garden or pond area, keep your waterfall a low, gentle slope for the best consistency of form and style for your relaxing waterfall garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Sand
- Small landscaping rocks
- Large stones
- Submersible pump & hose
- GFCI electrical connection
- Black waterfall foam (glue)
- Water
- Liner
- Biological filter
Instructions
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1
Plan before you dig. Consider how high a slope you want for your waterfall and how big a pool you want. For a shallow pool that is 12 feet by 14 feet, think of a maximum fall distance of only 18 to 24 inches. Dig out the space for the lower pool. Cover the base of the pool with sand, pack it down and then place small landscaping rocks over the sand to achieve an ocean floor look. Or install rubber pond liner to keep the water cleaner and prevent erosion.
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2
Mound the dirt from the pool into a straight slope or sloping steps at the side of your pool. Shape this into a small hill, sloping down toward the pool at the angle you wish to have for your waterfall.
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3
Set up your cascade by placing rocks along the slope/steps. Use larger, heavier rocks at the bottom and place them so they jut out over the pool edge to create the fall for the water. Start stacking the rocks up from heavier to larger in whatever design you like to create the waterfall ledge.
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4
Connect the pump hose to the pump and lace the hose up behind the stones before you complete your stone cascade. The hose should be long enough to reach the top of the stone slope. Hide the hose among the rocks so it seems as natural as possible.
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5
Place the pump in the lower pool so it won't touch the sides or bottom to allow water to flow freely. Connect the power cord to the GFCI receptacle just to test the pump for 30 to 60 seconds and make sure it's working properly.
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6
Add water to the pool and make sure the pump hangs where you want it. Turn the pump on and test the water flow. Maneuver any rocks to enhance the waterfall effect to your satisfaction. At this point, if you want to additionally secure your rocks to prevent them from moving or slipping, adhere them together with black waterfall foam.
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7
Complete the pool edge landscape. Add plants, small bushes or other stones around the edge of the pool to blend the waterfall into the style of your garden.
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Tips & Warnings
For a higher slope or larger pond, dig a U-shaped channel in the sloped dirt mound. Place a pond liner in the channel and press it down tightly against the dirt before fitting rocks over it.
If you have dirty water or pond water that tends to stagnate and grow algae, add a biological filter to the pump to clean the water for your waterfall.
