I came across a way of building a garden fountain out of pots that I hadn't seen before. The idea of using pots as fountains is not new but I think this version makes a wonderful addition to any garden and its very easy to do. The first thing to do is choose the pots for your fountain. The three pots will be used for a basin, a base and the larger pot that will be used as the fountain. When choosing the shape of pot for the main fountain, keep in mind how it will function and not just how it looks. Slightly tapered pots that are smooth will be quieter since the water clings to the sides as it goes down. Other pots having rings or ridges will cause the falling water to produce more sound. 
You start with a large sized terracotta or stone bowl as your garden pot foundation. This will be the basin pot where the overflowing water will fall. Drill a hole out of the bottom center of the bowl if there isn't one already. Now take the cord from your pump and run it through the hole. For larger holes, cover with duct tape and fill with a car body filler. Smaller holes can be filled in with silicon. When that has dried, coat the inside with a water sealant. Now you should be ready to place the basin in your desired location. Although not crucial, try to make the basin as level as possible.
For the base, use a standard terracotta pot and turn it upside down to house the pump. Make sure to choose a pot with a base diameter that is equal to the base diameter of the large fountain pot. If you soak the pot overnight in water, it will be easier to cut in notches around the top of the pot. They allow water to pass through to the pump which is inside the base.
Take a length of tubing a little longer than the height of the main fountain pot and attach it to the pump. Feed the base pot down through the hole in its bottom and seal the gap between the tubing and the hole with silicon. The whole set up should be your basin with an upside down pot sitting in the middle with a tube sticking out from the pump inside it.
Now take your fountain pot and test fit it by feeding it down over the tube and placing it on top of the base pot. If everything looks good (it should be plumb and level with the tube sticking out the top higher than the height of the pot) you can take off the fountain pot and run two thick beads of silicon around the top of the base pot. Run one bead towards the outside to help hold the pots together and one on the inside to keep water from running in between the two pots.
When it is all dry, test it by filling it with water. Adjust the height of the tubing to get the desired effect of the water bubbling up. Finish it off by filling the bottom basin pot with rocks. Enjoy your beautiful fountain!
You start with a large sized terracotta or stone bowl as your garden pot foundation. This will be the basin pot where the overflowing water will fall. Drill a hole out of the bottom center of the bowl if there isn't one already. Now take the cord from your pump and run it through the hole. For larger holes, cover with duct tape and fill with a car body filler. Smaller holes can be filled in with silicon. When that has dried, coat the inside with a water sealant. Now you should be ready to place the basin in your desired location. Although not crucial, try to make the basin as level as possible.
For the base, use a standard terracotta pot and turn it upside down to house the pump. Make sure to choose a pot with a base diameter that is equal to the base diameter of the large fountain pot. If you soak the pot overnight in water, it will be easier to cut in notches around the top of the pot. They allow water to pass through to the pump which is inside the base.
Take a length of tubing a little longer than the height of the main fountain pot and attach it to the pump. Feed the base pot down through the hole in its bottom and seal the gap between the tubing and the hole with silicon. The whole set up should be your basin with an upside down pot sitting in the middle with a tube sticking out from the pump inside it.
Now take your fountain pot and test fit it by feeding it down over the tube and placing it on top of the base pot. If everything looks good (it should be plumb and level with the tube sticking out the top higher than the height of the pot) you can take off the fountain pot and run two thick beads of silicon around the top of the base pot. Run one bead towards the outside to help hold the pots together and one on the inside to keep water from running in between the two pots.
When it is all dry, test it by filling it with water. Adjust the height of the tubing to get the desired effect of the water bubbling up. Finish it off by filling the bottom basin pot with rocks. Enjoy your beautiful fountain!
About the Author:
Donald Rickerby has been working in gardens since his early childhood and has always been interested in educating others on garden pot and landscaping techniques. If you would like to know more about container gardening, visit AllGardenPots.com
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