Photo by Robin Plaskoff Horton

Although I’m not a Feng Shui practitioner like my friend and fellow blogger, Ann Bingley Gallops of Open Spaces Feng Shui, I hear that water is the universal sign of abundance and anything that brings that to me is welcome in my universe. I’ve been told that if you are considering placing a water feature in your garden, it’s a good idea to have the water flow toward your house or apartment–but I would consult with a Feng Shui expert who can help you plan the whole thing so it all works in harmony and you don’t flood your living quarters…but I digress.

Recycle and Recirculate
I like fountains and waterfalls for the calming sounds they produce, especially in small spaces where you can hear them well. While touring French Farm, a very eclectic and interesting garden property in Greenwich, CT yesterday, I came across this cool little watering can fountain, above. Yup, it’s just a few found or reclaimed objects like a galvanized tub and watering can with a simple pump that recirculates the water creating a “fountain.”

Another galvanized tub, this time with an industrial mixer hook, conduit and chain. Via WikiHow.

There are a number of drop-dead gorgeous fountains on the market, many for which I maintain a long lingering desire. But for these, I would need a second mortgage. There are some less pricey models available for sure, but I am picky. And also, I kind of like the idea of making one myself…not that I have yet, but still, I like the idea, so why not share that with you?

Ommmmm My Goodness I Made It Myself!
This Old House offers up plans for a wonderful Zen fountain, one that it claims you can manage as long as “you can dig a hole and lift stones.”

I love this, from the author: “You tried sweating it out in the sauna, you can’t let go in a yoga pose, and om isn’t exactly hitting home.  And no wonder—you’re working too hard at relaxing. What you need is a place to sit quietly and contemplate the sounds of nature: birds chirping, breezes blowing, brooks babbling. What—no backyard brook? Not a problem. Just build yourself the next best thing, with a softly trickling garden fountain.”

Visit This Old House for instructions on building this fountain:

Turn Containers Into Fountains
With some readily available kits on the market, you can turn one of your favorite containers into a fountain. The Container Fountain Kit from Smartpond comes with everything you need to pretty instantly create your own water feature.

Smartpond’s kit offers an instant water feature.

TinkerTom from one of my favorite DIY sites, Instructables, shares how to make this fountain from ordinary terra cotta pots from your local garden center:

On Your Mark…Get Set…Flow!
And lastly, the winning piece (below) from the Laguna Pond pond-less water feature competition at last month’s Garden2Blog event I attended at P Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm. We got ten minutes to set up the pond kit and then make it into something you might consider placing in your garden. These are, after all, do-it-yourself kits easy enough to set up that quickly. It’s the surrounding landscaping that was more of a challenge.

I was lucky enough to be on a team with some very clever and creative gardeners like Shirley Bovshow of Garden World Report and EdenMakers; container garden gurus Fern Richardson of Life on the Balcony and Kerry Michaels, who writes the Container Gardening column for About.com; Seasonal Wisdom’s Teresa O’Connor; Brenda Haas of BG Garden; and Helen Yoest from Gardening With Confidence. Thanks y’all.

Some of Laguna’s pond kits that could work well in a small space patio or terrace:

Now go test the waters!