How To Make A Fountain From Three Garden Pots
Even though the idea of garden fountains being made from pots is not new, I happened upon a method of building one that I hadn’t seen before. I think this fountain would make a wonderful addition to any garden and its so easy to build that anyone can do it. The first thing you need to do is choose the appropriate pots. One will be used as the basin to catch the water coming down. The next is a base and then the largest pot is used for the main fountain. When you are choosing the shape for this pot, keep in mind that the function is just as important as how it looks. A slightly tapered pot that is smooth will be very quiet as the water tends to cling on to the sides of the pot as it falls. Pots having ridges or rings will cause the water to splash into the basin causing more sound. [I:http://www.rhf1.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/DonaldRickerby0.jpg]
Start with a large stone or terracotta bowl for the foundation of your fountain. This is the pot that catches the overflowing water from the large main pot. Turn the pot upside down and drill a hole in the bottom center (if necessary). Turn it back over and run the cord from your pump out through the hole. Now cover the hole with duct tape and seal it with a body filler used for repairing cars. Once its dry, fill in around the cord with silicon. Next, use a water sealant to coat the inside of the basin. Its now ready to place in your desired location. The basin should be somewhat level, but this is not crucial.
For the base, use a standard terracotta pot and turn it upside down to house the pump. Make sure to choose a pot with a base diameter that is equal to the base diameter of the large fountain pot. If you soak the pot overnight in water, it will be easier to cut in notches around the top of the pot. They allow water to pass through to the pump which is inside the base.
For the tubing, cut a piece of pipe about a foot longer than the height of the main fountain pot and attach to the pump. Now you must feed the pot used for the base down over the tube through the hole in the bottom. Apply silicon around the gap between the tube and the bottom of the pot. The whole set up at this point will be the basin with a pump inside an upside down pot sitting in the middle of it and the pipe sticking out the top of the base pot.
Test fit the large fountain pot by sliding it down over the pipe and onto the top of the base pot. Don’t apply any glue just yet. If it all looks good (the pot is plumb and level with the pipe sticking out past the top of the pot), then you can take it back off to run a couple of thick beads of silicon around the top of the base pot. The bead on the inside closest to the hole will keep water from running in between the pots while the bead on the outside helps hold the two pots together.
When everything has dried, you should test it out by filling with water and running the pump. You will have to adjust the height of the tubing by cutting off the excess to achieve the desired effect you are looking for. Finish by filling the basin pot with decorative rocks.
Donald Rickerby has been working in gardens since his early childhood and has always been interested in educating others on garden pot and landscaping techniques. If you would like to know more about container gardening, visit AllGardenPots.com
