One of the great pleasures to a decorative garden is the introduction of the water fountain. People like water and making it flow from a fake fish, shooting a stream of water in the air, just seems to fascinate folks. If you are using a fountain, it should be noted that this would be the focal point of the pond. Unless your pond is very large, mixing fountains and lets say streams and waterfalls really don't look that great. The reason is that you are mixing elements of the formal and informal pond. Also note that using a fountain sprays water on aquatic plants. What? These are water plants! Well maybe so, but most varieties do not like water spayed on them.

Choosing One:

Probably the simplest form of a fountain would be the single jet that shoots the water straight out a single opening. This fountain is attached to a submersible pump and through tubing, supplies the fountain with pond water and pressure. This fountain could be a single fountain head jet or a spitter like the fish we described in our opening paragraph. You can also get fancy patterns that shoot multiple streams or tiers of water. Some bubble, some are shaped like a tulip or bell. Any of these may or may not be your cup of tea. Before you make a purchase look at the spay pattern and be sure this is the one you want. Bubblers are very effective in providing added oxygen to the water for fish, plants and nitrifying bacteria.

Light the Way:

One very nice aspect to fountains is the ability to accent them with lighting. Some fountains come with halogen lighting that all plug into a low voltage pack. That way you are not using standard 120-v current running in the water. By using different colored lenses and effects, you can really make your water garden a viewing masterpiece day or night.

Installation:

Installing a fountain in your pond doesn't have to be a difficult chore. It can be as simple as connecting a pump via tubing to a spitter. A spitter being the ornamental frogs, turtles and fish you see shooting water out of their mouths. Or it can be one of the new pump styles that include fountainheads with the pump. All you have to do is connect the flow control valve to the pump, push on the riser; pop on the head you want and turn on the pump. Some of the ornamental cement fountains you see at home improvement stores and nurseries usually come plumbed with copper tubing running inside the unit where you can attach a pump. Placing a small submersible pump right in the bowl can use the deeper dish models and pumping the water threw interchangeable spray heads. Also, you can place a pump and fountain combo set up on a stand made of brick topped with a flat stepping-stone. The entire assembly is submersed except for the actual spray head, which slightly above the waters surface. You can get pretty creative using old hand pumps, wall mounted fountains and many more. It is beyond the scope of this section to try to teach you in-wall installation. This requires a lot of skill and generally needs to be done professionally or by a seasoned do-it-your-selfer.

Container Fountains:

Container fountains or patio ponds are very popular these days. By using a large container pot or whiskey barrel liner placed inside of a whiskey barrel, a small and decorative water theme can be introduced. You can use these in and around your pond, on a patio or porch or in your garden. The easiest way is to purchase a whiskey barrel at a local home improvement store, and buy a plastic whiskey barrel liner to waterproof the barrel. Then a small submersible pump and fountainhead and you have a new water wonder for your home. We have even seen people use old tubs, toilets and other weird items. The later may not be the best choice, but different strokes for different folks.