How to Rock a Water Feature in Your Backyard!
Water features are beautiful and do much to enrich the look of a backyard, plus, the soothing sounds of nature round out their overall appeal. Researchers say there’s a scientific explanation why natural sounds soothe our psyche and promote relaxation and well-being. So, who wouldn’t want a water feature as the soundtrack for their summer outdoor life?!
Water Features for your Patio
You can opt for a fountain and create a simple spring weekend project. Country Living just published 18 new designs using pots and barrels, tea kettles and hand pumps! For $63 you can get a wooden barrel fountain, complete with a plastic lining and iron staves, from Target. It’s only 23 inches high so while it’s perfect for a patio, if you want to make more of statement you’ll have to go bigger!
Blogger Katie at Addicted 2 DIY took three graduating sizes of pots from Lowe’s and a $5 water pump and added some rocks to create a relaxing fountain for her front yard. The birds can’t get enough of it, which adds a songbird melody to the bubbling audio for her DIY water feature.
If a simple fountain isn’t quite enough for your backyard water statement, consider the wall of water Interior Frugalista Marie created for her patio. The step-by-step video tutorial starts with a water trough made of wood, a pond pump and liner, rocks, plus side and top panels and tempered glass. The effect is stunning, especially when illuminated after dark!
Marie gives you a detailed materials list and says the project cost her less than $300.
Awe-Inspiring Backyard Water Features
When you want to turn 20 percent or more of your backyard space into a water feature that birds, fish and family will love, turn to the experts and design a show stopper! Bill Elkins, Landscaper and Owner of Water on the Rocks in Erie says the first step to any major water feature is to find out what a client wants.
“I tell my customers we can go from a tea cup to an acre — are they looking for a biological feature with plants and fish and turtles or do they just want to flip a switch and have a little water gurgling with sound,” Bill says.
“The biggest problem I see with homeowners is that the don’t know how many gallons are in the pond,” he says. “If you’re going to treat for algae and bacteria and don’t know the number of gallons, you’re either going to throw money away or overdose your water and things will struggle to survive.”
Bill says the average pond runs 1,000 to 1,800 gallons and the expense — electrical to run the pump and the water — should cost about $28 a month.
Tips for the DIY-er
“Just think about future upgrades,” Bill warns. “This happens all the time that a customer will install a waterfall in their backyard with less than two-inch piping and then later wish they would’ve gone with a bigger pump.”
Bill says it never hurts to plan with an eye toward the future!
“And don’t forget underwater lighting,” he adds. “At night, underwater lighting is just fantastic!”
Creativity in Colliers Hill!
The new homes in Colliers Hill offer a variety of choices in styles, architectural features and interior layouts, with backyards just waiting for your creative landscaping ideas. Stop by and tour the 12 spectacular models from Shea Homes and Richmond American Homes, two of Colorado’s top home builders. Available in ranch or two-story designs, these amazing new homes are priced from the upper $300s to the $600s.
