I’ve never been in the market to employ a professional garden designer or landscaper to improve my yard. And as the cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, more homeowners like me are turning to DIY fixes to improve their outdoor spaces.
The truth is, creating a beautiful garden doesn’t require a big spend; you just need creative thinking with savvy spending.
With the summer weather finally arriving, I was motivated to kickstart a mini-project I’ve been planning all year — building my own backyard water feature.
My mission was to create a low-level water feature with large pebbles placed at the bottom of a rounded bowl, topped with a small solar fountain to create movement.
What’s more, the complete project took less than 30 minutes, cost under $40, and has provided an attractive feature and a drinking spot for birds.
Here’s what I did, and how you too can achieve an attractive garden feature on a budget.
1. Find a leak-proof bowl
As I planned to provide drinking water for wildlife, finding a container that was easy to clean was a priority. Experts recommend rinsing and refilling the birdbaths daily to prevent the spread of disease, so I needed to find a bowl with an easy-to-clean surface.
If you’re planting flowers into a container, a drainage hole is a must. However, with a water feature, you want to avoid a hole, as otherwise you’ll have the extra job of sealing it to prevent leaks.
I found a dark green hole-free planter from Muddy Hands for £16 at Amazon. If you’re in the U.S., a similar alternative is Angoily’s Lotus Bowl Planter, $30 at Amazon.
Top tip: Ensure your bowl is wide enough. If the diameter is too short, the spray will splash over the edges and you'll have to refill the bowl more frequently. Although some water will evaporate, it won’t be cast onto your lawn, or in my case, my gravel path.
2. Add some decorative stones
It’s not strictly necessary, but to add a pleasing aesthetic to my water feature and to give the birds somewhere to perch, I placed some large pebbles in the base.
I was able to repurpose some pebbles that I already had lying around my yard, but if you don’t have any to hand, ask around your neighborhood for spares. Alternatively, you can purchase some online, such as these Natural Aquarian Rocks, $16 for 5lbs at Amazon.
Once the pebbles were in place, I filled the bowl to the brim with water from my garden hose.
3. Just add sunshine
The final touch was adding the floating, solar-powered water fountain to the bowl. I'd picked mine up at a local garden store for £10, but for something similar, try the Augta Solar Water Fountain at Amazon for $9.
I literally unpacked the water fountain, attached one of the nozzle options, and placed it into the bowl. Once the fountain had absorbed a small amount of sunlight, it began to work.
My low-spend water feature has improved my patio, given the birds somewhere to drink, and it hardly took any time to complete. I think my money was well spent.
