Learning How To Make Urn Garden Fountains

 

Urn garden fountains are amongst the most useful water features as they can be used in almost all types and sizes of garden. However it is in small garden design that such fountains are invaluable as in small yards it is often difficult to find things that are of the correct scale for your design. Urns are superb items to have dotted around a small garden and, as they can be moved, they can radically change the mood and ambience of a small space and add important points of interest in an otherwise plain and uninspiring design.

The first thing to consider with urn garden fountains is what type of urn and what size would be most suitable for your yard. Urns are available in a wide range of styles and sizes which means that it is not too difficult to find one which is perfect for you needs.

The second consideration is where to place your urn and this depends on a number of factors which we have mentioned in other articles in this section. Obviously you will want to place your urn where it can be seen but, with urn garden fountains, you do not really want them to be in a too dominant a position as they should not really be considered a central point of interest but rather something which will support and add to a garden design subtly.

Where you place your urn also depends on the availability of a power source. Unless you are using a solar powered fountain you will need to provide your fountain with power for the pump. If you need to run a power cable across your garden it is highly advisable that you hire a qualified electrician to do the installation as he will use the correct shielded power cable and lay it at the correct depths etc.

The placement of any water feature must really be decided upon at the earliest stage of building your garden. This is especially important if you are having any solid pathways, a patio or an area of decking. During the planning stage clearly mark in your garden design where the cables will be running to you urn garden fountains or other items that require power. You should always lay power cables, pipes and the likes, before you lay any solid structures upon the ground as it can be an absolute nightmare later if you need to dig up a section of paving just to hide a cable.

Homemade Urn Garden Fountains

Making your own garden fountain out of a Roman or Greek urn may, at first, sound rather easy, a simple case of installing a plain fountain kit into a large urn of your choice. Unfortunately things are not that easy.

The most important thing to check is that your urn is suitable for use outdoors. Items left outdoors can suffer certain stressed, such as temperature changes, which can cause an urn to crack, which, in the case of urn garden fountains, is an absolute disaster as it will no longer be water tight. Much will depend upon what type of material the urn is made of and if your urn is of clay you will need to ensure that it is water tight. Even if your design is one in which the water is seen to be flowing from the urn into another container below you should not allow the clay to become saturated as this will cause structural problems, especially in winter when the water could freeze.

The Solution

There are two possible solutions to the question of waterproofing your urn. One is to coat the interior of the urn in a waterproofing paint such as butyl paint but this can prove rather difficult with some urns. There is something else you can do in these circumstances but it is rather tricky and merits some care and attention but also requires an element of skill. Simply place a smaller container within the urn! Of course you will need to fix the smaller container to the urn and seal the top with mastic so that water does not escape into the urn. If done correctly this technique creates the illusion that the urn is completely full of water.

 

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