Transform Simple Terra Cotta Planters Into A Rustic Yard Fountain

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There are a whole bunch of good reasons why you should add an outdoor water feature to your landscaping, and although some require considerable time, effort, and money, that doesn't have to be the case. In fact, creating a fountain that will benefit both you and the birds and wildlife in your yard can be a surprisingly straightforward, budget-friendly, fun garden project.

This idea is perfect if you recently switched to terracotta planters to say goodbye to plant pests and you have a few left over. Or maybe you just happen to have a number of old pots lying around the place. Even if you need to go to the local big box store or garden center, you'll likely save money over store-bought fountains of a comparable size, and you'll have something unique for your yard.

Jessica Jelly (also known as the_rusticpallet) shares a simple way to create a rustic yard fountain from those terracotta planters. A large one, turned upside down, provides a stable base. A smaller one on top provides a waist. Then three more upturned planters in descending sizes allow the water to cascade between them. The top two have small, upside-down pots to support them. She then places a submersible pump inside the lowest of the three to send the water back to the top again.

Using Jessica Jelly's basic idea, you can build yard fountains in many different shapes and sizes. If your chosen pots don't have drain holes, it's easy to drill them with a masonry bit. Soak the pot, then put an 'X' over the hole position with paper tape to help prevent the pot cracking. Jelly uses sealant where the fountain outlet pipe runs up through the planters so the water doesn't leak out. If you chose a waterproof construction adhesive, like Gorilla Max Strength, you could also glue the terracotta planters together so there's less chance of the fountain toppling over if someone bumped into it.

The design doesn't need a water supply; you can just top it up occasionally from a watering can. However, it does need electricity for the pump. By law, any power outlet outdoors must have a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) for safety. If one isn't already available, you may need to call an electrician.

Alternatively, you could use a solar fountain. They may not produce the same performance in terms of the height they can pump water, but you don't necessarily have to have a three-bowl cascade, it could be two. There are also positives to having a fountain in a birdbath, so if you had a single bowl on a stand, you could use something like the popular Autga Floating Solar Fountain. It sits on the surface of your water source, and it costs just ten bucks.