Simple water features with a collecting basin, pump, hose and stone (often made of limestone) can be bought as a set from around 50 euros in gardening stores. All you have to do is install them. Alternatively, you can purchase the components individually and drill through the desired stone yourself. However, this is usually significantly more expensive and also more laborious. In the following article you will find instructions for installing such a simple water feature.
For a water feature you need above all a pump and water and a hand full of imagination
Materials needed
You will need the following materials for the water feature described here:
- a tub or similar made of plastic or another durable material (no wood!) and with a lid
- a pierced stone for the water feature
- a submersible pump with garden hose and power line
- possibly aquatic plants including a plant basket, (11.99 €) pond fleece and potting soil
- possibly plants (perennials or grasses) for the integrated planting next to the water feature
- possibly paving stones or similar for the integration of the water feature on the terrace
- Pebbles, basalt and other stones of different sizes for decoration
preparation
Before installation, the first thing to do is to carefully select the location. This is important if only because this water feature is buried and can therefore only be relocated later with difficulty. A place near the patio or other seating area would be ideal so that you have a view of it and can really enjoy the calming effects of the water. The floor should also be reasonably level with enough space to dig in a water drip tray.
build a water feature
Once you have found a suitable location, you can get to work with a spade, shovel and pickaxe.
Install catch basin
To do this, first dig a suitable hole for the water collection basin:
- Turn the pool upside down and place it in the desired location, opening side down.
- Now surround it with sand: This way you know how big the opening to be dug has to be.
- Dig the hole deep enough so that the pool is flush with the edge of the earth.
- It is best to go a few centimeters deeper to create a secure foundation with sand.
- This is much easier to spread than normal soil and gives the container the necessary stability.
- Use a spirit level to ensure that you stand upright.
- This is important so that the water pump is not crooked later and thus does not run smoothly.
- Sand foundation and vessel are now in the hole.
- Fill the jar with water to the brim.
- This is important because the walls of empty plastic jars give way when the earth around them is filled in and tamped down.
- Be sure to put the lid on so that as little sand as possible falls in.
- Now you can fill in the soil on the sides and tamp it down.
- Now integrate the ensemble harmoniously into the surroundings, for example with paving work and/or planting.
In addition, you can now cut suitable holes in the lid for stones, plants and cables / hoses. A jigsaw (€36.18) does a good job here.
Install water feature
Any aquatic plants you may want are planted as follows: Fill a plant basket with pond fleece and potting soil, put the plants in there, fold the ends of the fleece over the soil and weigh it down with pebbles. Water thoroughly. The planter is lowered into the water trough, on a base made of one or more base plates, so that they are only about ten centimeters deep in the water. The pump is also placed on such a stone so that it does not suck in dirt.
However, think carefully about whether you actually want to add plants or whether you prefer to plant them next to the water feature: In winter, the water has to be drained because the installation is not frost-proof due to the shallow depth. Now put the lid on so that plants and hoses can be fed through the pre-drilled holes. Then install the water feature stone: attach the hose to the pump and feed it through the stone. Fix the end protruding from the stone with thick insulating tape so that the water cannot run back into the stone
decorate water feature
Rinse the decorative stones thoroughly before laying them so that the dirt adhering to them does not get into the water and thus into the pump.
Fix the water feature stone with large stones so that it does not tip over and cover the lid with decorative stones. This should then no longer be visible. Now the water feature only needs to be connected to the electricity. A test run shows whether it works as desired.
tips
Do not use a pump that is too powerful, because the water must not be sprayed outside the trough. It has to stay in a steady flow, otherwise you'll have to keep adding water.