If you’re looking for an eye-catching feature for your patio, deck or even front entry, this natural-looking artesian fountain will do the trick. We designed this fountain around a special stone, one with a 1-in. hole drilled through it. Water from the pump gurgles up through the hole and overflows the stone. To reduce maintenance, we eliminated the collection pond. A gravel-filled reservoir below collects the overflow for recirculation. Since no sunlight can reach the water in the reservoir and support algae growth, the water stays pristine. You’ll have algae growing near wet areas, but it only contributes to the natural look.
In this article, we’ll show you how to select and drill a boulder that’ll mimic a natural artesian well.We’ll also show you how to construct a simple under-gravel reservoir using 5-gal. pails. The decorative choices—the top-dressing stones, fountain stone and plants—we leave to your own creative eye and inspiration.
The whole building process is simpler than you might think, and you don’t need any special skills or tools. But it’s not a completely no-sweat job. You’ll have to dig an 8 x 10-ft. hole about 2 ft. deep and dump in gravel. That’s the only genuinely heavy work. You can easily have this project up, running and finished in a day once you’ve gathered the materials. The fountain we show cost about $1,000 including the pump, rock fill, pond liner and pad, and all of the boulders, including the one that’s drilled. But your pond doesn’t have to be as large and elaborate as ours. You can design a smaller version that will cost as little as $200. All you need is one water-spouting boulder resting in a small area of decorative stone for a beautiful conversation piece for your garden.
FIGURE A Fountain details
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The planning steps
The water basin is a two-tiered hole: a shallow end where the boulders rest and a deeper end that serves as the reservoir (Figure A). The 5-gallon pails (Photos 5 – 8) create a large reservoir volume, so you don’t have to add water often. They also reduce the amount of coarse gravel needed to fill the hole. (We ran this fountain most of the summer and found that we only needed to add water every week or two, depending on the weather.) All of the pails but the one containing the pump are positioned about 5 in. below the surface to leave room for potted, water-loving plants. We elevated the pump pail so the lid lies just below the surface for easy pump access. We drilled all of the pails with holes sized to keep out the gravel (Photo 5) but let the water seep in.
If you build a smaller fountain with fewer 5-gallon pails, monitor the water level more frequently. If the reservoir goes dry, the pump may be ruined.
Begin your search for fountain stone by calling stone suppliers that either customdrill stones or have a selection of predrilled stones (“Stone, Natural” in the Yellow Pages). Prices will range between $50 for small stones and upwards of $2,000, plus delivery and placement charges, for 1-ton stones with natural basins.
Deciding on the fountain stone is the hard part. Bring several gallons of water with you and pour water over your stone selections to see how it flows. Adjust the stone to alter the flow. Look for a stone that has natural chutes or channels if you’re seeking a “stream-like” flow, or one that has a natural basin if you’re after a gurgling-up-from-the-ground look. Pick a stone that’s less than 15 in. thick at the fountain hole location; that’s the limit for available drill shafts.
Bring water from home and pour it over the stone you choose to test the water flow.
Our fountain stone cost $75, and we paid $150 for the boulders that supported and surrounded it. If you don’t have a source for drilled stones, buy a stone and drill it yourself. It’s easier than you think. (See “Drilling a Stone”)
Drilling A Stone |
Click Image to enlarge. Don’t force the drill; let the weight of the hammer drill do the work. Pull the bit out of the stone every inch or so to clear the dust. If you’ve picked out a rounded stone, stabilize it before drilling by digging a little crater in the ground to rest it in. The 1-in. bit may slide off the rounded surface when you start drilling. If so, drill a 1/2-in.-deep pilot hole with a 1/2-in. bit. |
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Select a site and dig the hole
Pick an area that has no more than a few inches of slope over the length and width of the water feature you plan to build.
Roughly assemble your fountain and other decorative large stones and cluster the 5-gallon pails to locate the deep end of the basin (Photo 1). Use a rope to shape a natural-appearing perimeter for the basin and gravel bed. Keep in mind that a larger basin means more digging! Our excavation is about 4 ft. wide and 8 ft. long. Dig the deeper part of the hole with steep sides and a flat bottom to leave plenty of room for the pails. Use the depth of the pails as a guide to the proper depth (Photo 2).
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1. Group the pails and roughly assemble the stone fountain. When you’re satisfied, mark the edges with spray paint.
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2. Dig the reservoir end of the hole 6 in. deeper than the pail height and the fountain end 6 in. deep overall.
Lay in the padding and pond liner
The whole purpose of the pond liner padding is to protect the waterproof liner from punctures, but it won’t offer complete protection. Cut off roots flush with the bottom and sides of the hole and dig out sharp stones. Lay indoor/outdoor or any other old carpeting beneath the padding to further protect the liner (Photo 3), especially where the pails and heavy stones will sit. Then line the entire hole with the liner pad (Photo 3). If you need to cut it to fit the contours better, go ahead. Just do your best to keep folds to a minimum and avoid large voids between the soil and the pad.
Work in your socks when you’re installing the pond liner to reduce the chance of damage. Start by unfolding the liner and centering it over the hole. Work the liner well into the transition between the bottom and the sides, folding neat, flat pleats wherever necessary to help it fit (Photo 4). The weight of the fill and water will push the liner into any remaining small voids. Add another layer of carpeting or pond liner scraps under the boulder and pail positions to further guard against punctures ().
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3. Lay carpeting in the bottom of the hole. Then lay in the liner pad, folding it to follow the contours of the hole.
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4. Unfold the liner and center it over the hole. Push it into recesses and pleat it wherever necessary to fit against the sides of the hole.
Add the pails and fill in the hole
Use either a spade bit or a twist bit to drill 1/2-in. drain holes in all the pails as we show in Photo 5. To make accessing the pump easier, we suggest cutting off the lid-locking lip of the pump-containing pail (Photo 6).When you start backfilling around the pails, they’ll want to shift a bit, so keep a foot on the lids while you shovel a few inches of rock around each base. Be sure to keep the height of the pump pail about 2 in. below grade level (Photo 7). Stop filling at this point. The pea gravel will fill the final 2 in.
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5. Drill four columns of 1/2-in. holes around the middle and near the bottom and top of each pail. Then snap on the lids and rest the pails in the hole.
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6. Cut off the rim from the pump pail and cut and fold down a 1-1/2-in.-wide x 2-in. flap at the top for the water line and electrical cable.
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7. Backfill around the reservoir pails with 1-in. to 2-in. gravel, resting the pump pail on the gravel so its top becomes even with grade. Keep the gravel 2 in. below grade.
Lay in the top-dressing rock and arrange the fountain and filler stones
Hook up the pump to the water line and rest it on the bottom of the pump pail (Photo 8). Position the larger base rocks at this point, and then pour the pea gravel around them and top off the rest of the feature (Photo 9).
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8. Connect the water line to the pump and route it to the stone fountain location, avoiding areas where heavy stones will rest.
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9. Pour in and level the pea gravel until it’s even with the edges. Then use a steel rake to even out the surface.
Arrange the fountain stone and other stone supports or features in the shallow end of the hole. Use a flowing garden hose near the hole in the fountain stone and tinker with the stones until the flow pattern approximates the look you’re after (Photo 10). When you’re satisfied, tip over the fountain stone to expose the hole, cut the water line to length and clamp on the plastic fittings (Photo 11). Test-fit the fitting end in the fountain hole; you may have to grind or chisel off the plastic barbs on the fitting to make it tight. Coat the fitting with silicone caulk and slip it into the hole. Let it set for an hour and then reset the stone.
FIGURE B Fountain fittings
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10. Place and roughly adjust the fountain boulders using a garden hose placed near the fountain hole to simulate the water’s path. Then flip over the boulder to access the underside of the hole.
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11. Cut the water line to length and attach the fountain fittings. Coat the plastic elbow with silicone sealant and work the fittings into the hole on the underside of the fountain stone.
Now fill the reservoir by laying a garden hose on the gravel and running water through it until the pump pail is full. Rest the pump at the bottom of the pail and then plug it in for a test run. Readjust the stones as needed to get the ideal water flow.
If you stack boulders and smaller stones to form a more elaborate fountain, use expanding “pond foam” between the stones to stabilize the pieces. Protect the stones from overflowing foam by tucking aluminum foil in the areas you want to keep free of foam (Photo 12). Start with small amounts of foam and try to keep it out of sight by shoving the dispensing tube deep into the crevices. After the foam sets (about two hours), tear away the foil and cut off any exposed foam with a knife or saw.
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12. Test the water flow by filling the basin and running the pump. Shim the stones as necessary, then fill around the stones with pond foam to lock them into place.
If water “sticks” to the side of the stone as it runs off and your goal is a mini waterfall, let the stone dry and then apply a bead of silicone to the water side of the stone. The silicone will repel the water and help it “fall.”
Finish the water feature by trimming off the overhanging liner and pad even with the rim of the hole. The liner is best cut with a utility knife and the pad with a scissors. Add whatever other top-dressing or perimeter stones and plants you wish.
If you live in a cold climate, take your pump in for the winter and store it in a pail of water to keep the seals wet. Don’t worry about draining the reservoir; freezing won’t hurt it a bit.
13. Scoop out the pea gravel and set in potted pond plants, then finish the water feature with decorative topdressing and perimeter edging stones.
Editor’s Note |
A 300-gph (gallons per hour) water pump will give you the type of flow you see in our opening photo. If you’d like a smaller, gurgling flow, buy a 200-gph pump or install a restrictor valve at the pump to allow you adjust the flow.
We selected a low-voltage pump (see Buyer’s Guide) because it’s safer and the wiring is easier to install. In fact, you only need to bury the cable an inch or two below grade. For a standard 120-volt pump, however, you’ll have to apply for an electrical permit, bury the wire much deeper and install a GFCI protected outlet.
-Travis
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Materials List |
You’ll find all the materials for this project, besides the fountain stone, at home centers or large nurseries. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1- to 2-in. smooth round stone for the main filler stone. A large fountain like ours will require about 1,000 lbs.
- A small roll of indoor/outdoor carpeting or any other old carpeting you may have on hand.
- Pond liner padding and waterproof liner: Know your pond dimensions and make sure to allow for the hole contours before you go shopping.
- Five 5-gallon pails with lids.
- Pea gravel: Buy it in bulk or in bags for the 2-in.-thick top rock layer (our feature required 25 bags).
- Select corrugated pond tubing only. Cheaper, thin-walled vinyl tubing will collapse under the overlying stone. Buy two tubing clamps, a 1-in. elbow and a 1-in. male adapter to feed the water into the stone fountain hole. You’ll find the fittings in the lawn irrigation area at the home center.
- One tube of silicone caulk and one can of pond foam. Use silicone caulk to seal the elbow into the fountain stone hole.
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Buyer's Guide |
| Wayne Water Systems offers the 300-gph low-voltage pump shown in this story for $114.69 plus shipping. Call (800) 237-0987 and order part No. 57924-WYNG. |
