Best gardening steps

Adding disappearing garden fountains to your yard is a great way to add that mystical relaxing sound of moving water to create a calm and relaxing place to think about things. Basically the water is stored in a hidden reservoir buried in the ground. From here it is pumped up through the fountain where it falls to the ground and seems to disappear into the ground.

Almost all disappearing fountains are even safe for very young children and pets because there is no open standing water for them to get into. They can also be a safe source of water for wildlife that is around your home. Birds often love stopping by them just to get a little wet in the summer heat.

When constructing these the first time, most people will choose a premolded reservoir to use and fill it with gravel and small rock. Remember, however, that gravel generally holds around 2.2 cubic feet of water per cubic foot versus an empty container holding around 7.4 gallons per cubic foot. Generally any watertight sealable container having a lid or grate could be used for a water container.

The fountain itself can be constructed from almost anything. From flower pots to big clay pots or just rocks piled on top of each other. It does not matter what it is as long as it obstructs the view of the water line from the reservoir inside it.

The pump is a little bit trickier though as there many different kinds that could be used successfully. Some individuals like an inexpensive pump that only moves the water around. Other individuals go all out and buy pumps with filters built into them to stop algae and bacteria from growing. Whatever choice you make always use a GFI outlet to prevent the possibility of a shock hazard.

Dig your hole a tiny bit bigger than you will need for your reservoir to rest in without it being covered up. Place the reservoir into it and pack soil around it tightly. Place your pump inside the reservoir after blocking off an area for it that is free from any rocks. If you plan to add gravel, put it inside filling to within about 2 inches of the very top of the container.

Put the grate on the container and cover it with larger rocks until it can no longer be seen. Pull the supply line up from the pump and put it in the feature you are using, this may be a pot, rocks piled up or whatever. Make sure the power cord free so it can be plugged into a GFI outlet. Fill the container with water and turn the pump on.

Using a larger reservoir for your disappearing garden fountains means you will need to fill it less and can add on to it in the future. They also allow for greater flow. Do not forget to add a shut off valve from the pump so you can control the volume of water flowing.