Add a Garden Pond and Working Fountain to Enrich Your Backyard Landscaping
There is something to be said about the soothing qualities of listening to trickling water while sitting on the bank of a small stream, creek, or river. Many fishermen enjoy the ambience of such settings, regardless of whether the fish are biting that day or not, and filmmakers will often use such backdrops to incorporate scenes of uninterrupted privacy, intimacy, or solitary contemplation in their movies.
While this indeed sounds idyllic, many homeowners have neither the time/inclination for fishing nor immediate access to such peaceful and relaxing natural surroundings. There is a way, however, to enjoy this atmosphere in one’s own backyard, and not through the use of pre-recorded sounds playing from an audio tape; it can be created by constructing a garden pond with a working fountain. And believe it or not, this can be completed in a do-it-yourself fashion over the course of a weekend, at a rather reasonable cost too.
Furthermore, garden pond landscaping can provide a natural habitat for flora and fauna, added another dimension to the overall backyard atmosphere. Incorporating the option of continuously moving or running water in the pond, i.e. a fountain, will just cap off this landscaping feature while simultaneously deterring the irritating presence of mosquitoes.
For purposes of this discussion, emphasis will be placed explicitly on the construction of a working fountain. Homeowners looking to integrate a fountain within a backyard pond are encouraged to visit the following link for additional information on pond landscaping:
There are relatively few requirements to make a working fountain. These will consist of:
- A submersible pump
- A length of PVC conduit
- Composite decking (to support the fountain)
- Rubber or plastic tubing or ½-inch copper pipe
- Pre-made sculpture or other construction material
- A large plastic bucket and some screening or mesh
With respect to the actual composition of a fountain, this is a prime opportunity for some recycling and/or some ingenuity. Some of the items or materials that can be used for a fountain would include the following:
- A concrete birdbath
- Stone or ceramic pots
- Stacked stones or pavers
- Retaining wall stones/blocks
- Old garden ornaments or urns
- And likely many other ideas too
The physical construction of the fountain will entail a number of steps, outlined here in a rather basic approach (degree of difficulty depends on the composition and the builder):
- Stabilize the empty bucket on a layer of gravel and place the pump in the bucket
- Thread the power cord through the PVC pipe, from the bucket’s edge to the outlet
- Dig a shallow trench for the PVC pipe – lay pipe along trench (it will be buried later)
- Lay screen or mesh over the bucket – cut an opening in this material for the tubing
- Connect tubing or copper pipe to the pump – thread unconnected end through mesh
- Secure the screen or mesh to the bucket using the weight of the composite decking
- Cut a hole for the tubing or copper pipe to pass through the bottom of the fountain or build the fountain (with the stones, blocks, or pavers) around the tubing/copper pipe
- Fill bucket with water, cover any exposed screen/mesh with rocks, turn on the pump
- If all went well, bury the PVC pipe in the trench then sit back and enjoy the fountain
While some homeowners may be intrigued by the challenge of installing a fountain in their backyard garden, with or without any accompanying pond landscaping, others may prefer to enjoy such an atmosphere after it has been created by a third party. In these instances, homeowners can rely on the professional landscaping services of Landcare for any and all of their garden and pond landscaping needs.
For further insight on the garden and pond landscaping services provided by Landcare, visit Pond building services.
Professional Garden and Pond Landscaping to Meet All Needs and Expectations
The skill and experience of the Landcare crews in garden and pond landscaping ensures that homeowners can expect quality workmanship throughout the project and a finished product that will endure for many years on end. To that end, Landcare is committed to delivering complete customer satisfaction through all phases of a project, including:
- Design – a plan that meets personal, functional, and budgetary needs
- Build – professional craftsmanship, using the latest materials/techniques
- Maintain – year-round maintenance to keep properties looking their best
If you have questions about the construction of a working fountain and/or installation of garden or pond landscaping in your backyard, or want the services of a professional landscaping crew to construct these features on your behalf, call the specialists from Landcare today at 416-410-0320 or contact us to schedule your free consultation.