Designing Your Own Water Feature

Considering how popular water features are for most gardens and landscape designs, it only makes sense that you may be thinking of adding one to your home. Instead of purchasing a ready made one though, why not design your own? Designing your own water feature isn't that difficult, and really only requires a bit of imagination. Here are a few steps that you can use to ensure you are on the right track.

1. Get a pump and tubing. Most, if not all, water features utilize water pumped through tubing to help create the effect that they are noted for. This means that if you are going to be designing your won water feature, you will need to obtain a pump and tubing. Simple water pumps and tubing can be obtained from most home improvement stores. Discuss what you have in mind with the clerk to make sure you get the correct pump for your needs.
2. Choose the right container. While you are at the home improvement store, you should also begin looking at the various containers you may want to use for your water feature. Some really good ones that you may want to consider are gardening pots, though you can use just about anything. If you do use some gardening pots, make sure that you also obtain some decorative gravel as well to fill them up with. At this time you should also obtain some sealant to help seal the drainage hole in the pots or containers you are using.
3. Install the pump. Take all the materials you purchased home, and begin installing the pump and tubing. Have the pump centered at the bottom of the container, and the tubing rising out of the pump to about where you want the water to come out. The higher you have the tubing above where the water will end, the more dramatic it will be. However, if you simply want it to be gently bubbling, then have the tubing end just below where you want the water to be. Make sure that you have the power cord to the pump exit through one of the drainage holes in the bottom of the container.
4. Seal it off. Using some waterproof silicone caulking, or something similar, seal off the container. This will help ensure that the water you put into the pot will not simply pour out of the bottom. You may need to apply the sealant a few times to fill up the hole, or even to get a nice solid seal.
5. Fill it up. Fill up the container with some of the decorative gravel you purchased. The gravel should fill the container until it reaches about 1/2 to 1/4 inch below the top of the tube. Once you have done that, go ahead and fill up the container with some water.
6. Test it out. Plug the pump in, and see if the pump works. If you have done everything properly, you should have no problem at all. In the even that you do have a problem, you will need to remove the water and gravel, and look at the pump.

There are literally hundreds of simple water features that you can create using this method. However, if you are looking to create a pool, lake, stream, or some other type of in ground water feature, you will need to use a different method. That being said, the method listed here can easily be incorporated into one of the other styles of water features as well, so that you can create a truly spectacular water feature that is unique to you and your home.