Water Features: The Perfect DIY Project For Your Garden

Water Features

Everybody loves the sound of water trickling in a garden. It is soothing, and it cools the surrounding area on hot days. Many a house-owner has looked longingly at their neighbor’s fountain or pool and wished they could transport it home with them. Now you can install these brick water features in your backyard by yourself with reclaimed brick and stone. There are endless options, but some of these garden water feature ideas are perfect for the DIY enthusiast because they are simple and don’t require many specialized tools. Here are few that transform your yard with ease.

In-Ground Pond:
Pick an area suitable for a hole full of water and mark out the area you want the pond to take. Dig the pond down to a good depth (it is up to you how deep you want it or what shape. As a rule, though, shallow ponds evaporate faster.) Once you have a hole, line it with tarp and add a cushioning material, such as stones, around the sides. You can line the edges with brick pavers by digging a 4-inch trench around it that will fit the bricks together snuggly. Lay mortar on the edges of the bricks to get them to stick together.

Waterfall Fountain:
You might have marveled at the mini-waterfalls in your neighbor’s backyard. It looks so rustic! You can create this, too. You get a plastic pond basin and dig a hole for it in the desired spot. Make sure the basin fits in the hole exactly. Line the pond with cobblestones or bricks, insert one side of a 3/4 inch tube in the pond. Build a wall of stones that is terraced, with flat stones used to direct the water, then maneuver the tube so that it comes out of the pond, loops up behind the stone wall, and stops at the top of the rocks. Connect the tubing to a water pump and plug it in.

Brick Fountain:
Take a tub, preferably a large one, and build a brick wall around it. This wall is built by digging a shallow trench in the shape of the container, laying down a layer of mortar to stick the bricks in, and then building up layers of bricks to the desired height. Mortar the bricks together. Fill the container with water. Now, you can treat this as an above-ground pool, with plants and decorative rocks to suit the mood of the garden. You can also install a water pump in the water and plug it in for a charmingly simple fountain.

Tire Fountain:
This is very similar in concept and execution to the brick fountain and the In-Ground Pool, but it in involves any old tire you can spare and small cobblestones. Dig a shallow hole that your tire can fit in. Most of the tire should be above ground, we’re just making sure the tire doesn’t shift around. Take a large piece of plastic sheeting and lay it over the tire so that the tire is covered with a lot to spare. Press the center of the sheeting down in to the tire. There should be plenty of plastic over the sides. Pile cobblestones or stone pavers around the tire into an artistic mound that completely hides plastic and tire. Fill your tire with water and a water pump.

Bird Bath:
Make a chimney-shaped brick building in your preferred bird feeding spot in the same way you built the brick wall around the tub in the first suggestion. Top the chimney with a bowl and add water. The birds will thank you.

As fall starts cutting down on your gardening chores, you will have plenty of time to consider some brick water features for your yard. If you think that any of these garden water feature ideas would make give your backyard some extra zing, contact us. We have reclaimed bricks and stones that will make your projects stand out.