A Jug Fountain

Landscape designer Efren Herrera agrees that the existing pond is too flat and one-dimensional, so it tends to fade into the background. He plans to build a fountain with more drama and character--using boulders for a more natural, rustic look--with pottery jugs embedded in the rock walls. Herrera adds that a rustic waterfall should mimic nature; softly curving shapes with irregular borders look more natural than perfect circles or squares and give a more authentic feel.

Herrera says that a professional would charge about $1,500 for labor and materials to build this fountain and pond (excluding the cost of plants), but do-it-yourselfers can cut that cost to only $450. He gives the project a 2 on a scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (hard), with the help of friends for the digging and stonework. It can be completed in one or two weekends.

Step One: Preparing for the Fountain

The crew removes the existing pond, including part of the rock wall, and preserves the boulders for use in the new fountain.

Herrera uses a 20- by 12-foot rubber pond liner, available at pond and home supply stores for about $175. The material is easy to work with, durable and can be shaped any way you want.

Step Two: Building up the Walls

Herrera chose moss-covered rocks for the fountain walls--about 1,900 pounds at 6 cents per pound. You can use any local stones; just look for rocks in irregular shapes that are easy to stack.

Step Three: Placing the Planters

Herrera found weathered Mexican pottery planters (Figure F) in warm colors to tie in nicely with the rocks. The pots already have a hole in the bottom that will serve as drainage holes in the two used for plants and as a hole for the recirculating tube in the one used for water.

Step Four: Setting in the Spillway

Lower the pump into the 6-inch pipe and brick channel. Set the jug in place on top of the pipe, angling the mouth toward the basin.

Plant the side pots, while the basin in still empty. Fill up the basin with water and plug the pump's electrical cord into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlet to prevent shock in case of a short circuit. Test-run the fountain.

Planting: Around a Fountain

Herrera doesn't want too many plants that will become overgrown and hide the fountain, but he does choose a few plants in purples and pinks to draw the eye towards the fountain. He fills the two planter jugs with cascading flowers that look like they're spilling into the fountain. He plants blooming groundcover in the nooks and crannies between stones on the upper parts of the walls. He also adds a trellis with a flowering vine behind the fountain. His planting plan includes:

• Bacopa 'Snowflake,' Zones 9-10, to fill the side pots
  
• Million bells (Calibrachoa hybrid), Zones 9-11, to tuck in the crevices
  
• Bougainvillea 'Purple Queen,' Zones 10-11, to spruce up the fence behind the fountain