If you love entertaining outdoors on your deck or patio, you’re constantly looking for new ways to make your backyard more appealing. Nothing beats those summer evenings eating hamburgers with good friends and a calming atmosphere. You can really spice up your barbecue by adding a water feature. The soothing sounds of running water makes any patio a tranquil and relaxing area. Here’s a list of backyard water features you need to add to your Harrisburg home.
Ponds
A pond is an excellent addition to any backyard garden. Just dig the shape you want, (make it bean-shaped, a circle, or design it like the state of Pennsylvania). Then, put down a liner so it can hold water.
Make sure you fill in any holes that popped up while removing rocks before you put the liner down. Once the liner’s in place, fill the pond with water. As you fill it, you’ll need to get in there and smooth out wrinkles and bubbles. Place stones along the edges of the pond (on the rim of the liner). You should also use 20d nails to hold the liner in place.
Now the fun part. Design the rest of your pond as you like by adding boulders, plants, and other decorations to help it blend into the rest of your yard. The cost to build a pond DIY is usually around $3,000. Learn how in our step-by-step guide to building a small backyard pond.
Bird Baths
Who doesn’t want more birds visiting their yard? A simple and economically friendly way to utilize a water feature in your back yard is to add a bird bath. Bird baths come in all shapes, sizes, and materials so you can spend as much or as little as you want. It may be a good idea to put a bird feeder nearby.
Waterfalls
Who doesn’t stop to gaze at a waterfall and listen to the gentle sound of the water cascading down? Waterfalls add a sense of peace and tranquility to your garden, and it will definitely be a conversation piece.
All you need is a basin to hold the water, a pump that churns the water, tubes to pump the water through, a liner to direct the flow, and your imagination. If you’re incorporating the fountain into your pond, then the first part is already done.
Just build up the area you wish to use. Put the liner down to direct the water into the pond, then cover it with rocks. Place the hose somewhere inconspicuous like under some boulders to create a natural-looking effect.
Flower Pot Fountain
This fun and simple project will draw instant attention at get-togethers. All you need is three different pots and bases in different sizes (small, medium, large), a pump, and some PVC pipe.
Place the pump in the bottom pot and add extenders, so it goes straight up. Cut PVC to length so it sits over the pump and cut a notch for the cord. Drill a hole in the largest base and set it over the pump extender.
Now place the second pot over the extender, so it sits on the broadest base below. Repeat the previous steps for the next two pots. When you place the last pot, attach the spray head so that it sticks just above the top container. Now add rocks to conceal the spray head and the pot bases. There you go, a low cost, easy way to make a fountain for your deck or patio.
Need help choosing the right backyard water features for your lawn? Visit our Harrisburg lawn care page for more information!
