Between flowers and vegetable garden tending, you’ll have a few weekends to build a zen like river rock fountain to make your backyard the tranquil envy of the neighbors (not that this is a competition, mind you). You can use just about any outdoor garden structure for a fountain, but you can’t beat the organic beauty and simplicity of smooth, serene river rocks. The trusty guys over at This Old House make it look very DIY-able. Here’s all you’ll need to get started:
an underground reservoir (tub) for the water
a rigid screen to protect the pump
a support system made from strong and water resistant material
a submersible pump
a copper pipe, a pipe cutter and a ball valve to adjust the water flow
a stack of smooth river rocks
a hammer drill and a 5/8″ masonry bit
smaller stones to cover the screen and support pieces
See detailed instructions and great photos right here at This Old House.
Photographs: Kolin Smith