Hopefully some of you have designated a space in your home's basement or an area in your garage or a heated shed to take on projects to prepare for spring. Having an area to do tool maintenance, create a new garden artifact or repair outdoor furniture is essential to get you going on garden work.
We are all enthusiastic about getting our hands in the soil to clean and plant new items in the ground, however, taking the late winter months to prepare yourself for the new spring renewal in your garden is an important aspect of gardening. We all spend time enjoying looking at magazines, seed catalogs and perhaps going to a flower shows before we enter our gardens. I say, take those new inspirations and start creating. Begin, by utilizing that designated workshop area. Clean your tools, oil or refresh your outdoor table and chairs, or start a new garden art project.
One I would like to suggest is a recirculating fountain. Having a water feature in your garden is delightful. Bring the calming, cooling influence of water into your garden with a recirculating fountain is quite rewarding. Now, there are of course fountains you can purchase, set up and you are instantly satisfied with your new garden art. For those of you who would like to use the pre-spring season to prepare for a new area in your garden, try your hand at creating a fountain. A ceramic pot, an old barrel or antique milk can, or all options for creating garden art with rippling effects.
You can start with a ceramic pot with a pleasing shape and a simple drainage hole in the bottom. If the pot lacks a hole, drill one about ½ “in diameter. Next measure the distance from the top of the pot to the base and add 2.5”. Cut a piece of copper pipe to that length. Use ½ “ copper piping You can sometimes find salvage piping at the metal pile at your local transfer station, then this material is free.
Cut a scrap piece of lumber ½” into a square. Then invert the pot over the square scrap. Drop the copper pie through the drainage hole so end rests on the wood. Make sure it is vertical, you may want to use a clamp to assist you in keeping vertical while you silicone the bottom. Now, using a good aquarium silicone caulking seal the gap around the pipe. After curing for 24 hours, turn over and caulk the inside. Be sure to set the fountain base on some bricks, this will help stabilize the unit.
Then, place some stone in bottom of the pot. This will help keep the pipe vertical and the pot weighted. All this can be done as a project in your workshop, while you are waiting for the spring thaw. Once you get the unit outside, add 3” of stone to bottom of pot for weight.
Once you can dig outside, prepare a hole to fit your reservoir box. Add a layer of pea stone or sand to bottom of hole to help level it. It is much easier to adjust your leveling at this stage then later. Set in reservoir box, add more gravel around sides of box. Thoroughly clean inside of box, then place the piece of Plexiglas on top as your cover. You will have to drill a 3/4” hole to accommodate the piping to the fountain.
You also have the option to buy a reservoir kit that comes with a lid. The unit makes it quick to be up and running. However, if you enjoy DIY projects all the components can be prepared in your workshop before heading out to the garden.
Once you are ready for the install, you can make decisions on how and where you want to place your new water feature. You do need electric nearby that is ground fault protected for your recirculating pump. These pumps can be purchased online or at your nearby hardware store. Choose one that makes that meets the capacity of gallons of water for your unit.
Once outside, the pot can sit directly on a platform, or you can arrange some stone slabs to create a low pedestal for the pot. Remember, always leave access to the pump cavity because you will need to fill and clean the area as needed. There is spill over or splash that does occur with all fountains, so you can add plastic sheathing around the base to collect and re-funnel the water into the basin. Cosmetically disguise the plastic with river rock or bagged stone.
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