Sitting on your deck or garden bench and listening to the trickle of water as it cascades down rocks somehow has a mesmerizing effect on people.  For this reason, you will find that more and more gardeners are now buying or building fountains for their garden so that they too can experience the tranquility created from the sound of water.  Some fountains are small, affixing to a wall while other fountains are quite large, becoming the home to fish.

If you are interested in making your own garden fountain, you will find the project is not difficult and the rewards many.  Your garden fountain can be designed as an elegant focal point or simply a subtle visual effect for your garden.  No matter what you decide, once you add all the decorative touches to your fountain, you will be able to retreat to your own personal oasis, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

One of the downfalls to buying a garden fountain is that finding the exact design you want can be a challenge.  While there are many fountains on the market from which to choose, you would be surprised at how many homeowners feel they simply cannot find the one that best suits their needs.  If you find yourself in this situation, then making a garden fountain is indeed the best solution.  We would recommend you consider a three-tier planter fountain, which is easy to make and looks elegant.  To get started, you will need three planters, preferably those made from terra cotta, a fountain pump, drill, tubing, and small, finishing nails.  The result of your creation will be a fountain that has water cascading down the sides, which then reenters into the larger, of the three planters, which will set on the bottom, up through the hold that will be drilled into the second tier, and then the process will repeat.

Start by drilling a larger hole on the side of your medium-sized pot, which will be used as the back.  You want the hole to be large enough so the end of the pump cord can slide through.  Next, a hole will be drilled at the bottom center of the smallest pot and the medium pot so the tubing can be threaded through.  Just make sure the hole is not too loose in that you want the tubing to fit snugly.  The best option is to check the diameter before you start drilling.  Now, you will add four, small bit-sized holes in the lip of the planter, which will be used for drainage.  These should be drilled at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.  Later, the holes will be hidden using moss or decorative rocks.

Now with the large planter sitting right side up, you will put the pump in the bottom.  Next, the electrical cord will be threaded through the large hold in the medium-sized planter.  The tubing is then cut so that it is long enough to fit onto the pump and still be able to extend three inches above the top of the small planter.  Now, you want to place the tubing onto the pump.

Turn the medium planter upside down, thread the tubing through the bottom, center hole, and then repeat this for the small planter.  The two top planters will now be pressed to fit on top of the larger planter base and any tubing that goes beyond the top by one-inch of the small planter will be trimmed off.  Working with moss and hot glue or decorative rocks, you will not create a design on the top of the small planter as a way of hiding the tubing, and then work your design around the rim between the medium and large planter.  When the decorations are in place, all you have to do is plug the fountain in and enjoy!

Now, that you know how to build one maybe you’ve decided that the project is a little more than you want to take on or that you just don’t have the time. Perhaps you just don’t want to have to lug all that stuff home from the supply store. That’s alright there are plenty of waterfalls and garden fountains readily available that all you have to do is put in place, hook up the pump and fill with water. Many of these can be sent right to your home so you don’t even have to carry them home. Krupps.com has a large selection of garden waterfalls and garden fountains if you’ve decided you’d rather just sit back and enjoy your new fountain rather than build it. Whether you build or buy the enjoyment will be the same.