Starting with planting the flowers, which I take great pride in, to turning my lawn into looking like a golf course. By arranging the shrubs, bushes and flowers, it was very pleasant to look at. With the new patio furniture and grill, I thought everything was in place.

Something was missing and I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I would sit in my comfy lounge chair reading a book, I was still edgy not relaxed. Turning on the stereo, placing the lighting in just the right direction and sipping a cool drink, just didn’t put me in the right mood.

Then it dawned on me what I was yearning for. It was quite simple my body wanted to be around water. A swimming pool or hot tub was not an option since it would take up the entire yard. Looking through home decorating magazines, it was there I found that special touch that was needed. The wall mounted outdoor fountain.

Wall mounted garden fountains achieve the same effect as any other fountain. The serenity and tranquility of water trickling down is an essential element to any outdoor setting. The element of water enhances any environment by just its visual presence. These fountains seem to touch the human spirit deeply and personal. The sound that comes from a fountain is perfect to help you unwind at the end of a busy day. It is soothing and relaxing which creates peace and harmony.

The two most common materials are cast stone concrete and fiberglass. The fiberglass models have a sand stone finish and weigh less for shipping purposes and are less expensive. There are various styles that will fit with anyone’s decor. Whether you want a traditional or contemporary model it is easily located. If you are on a tight budget try wall mounted garden fountains made of plastic or resin. Whatever material you choose, they are sure to add class and sophistication to your out door area.

Every imaginable color, illumination, size and theme is available for all variety of tastes and needs. Some popular themes are animals, birds, fish and biblical characters. The size you purchase strictly depends on where it will be mounted. They have these fountains for walls, fences, alcoves and trees. Don’t be surprised if a bird swoops down for a drink.

Outdoor wall mounted fountains help clean the air and remove harmful pollutants. They also help add humidity into the air which is ideal for keeping your flowers and plants healthy.

A small amount of regular maintenance will allow you to enjoy your fountain for many years. Simply spray it down with a garden hose, keep the basin free of debris and in winter remove the pump and keep it dry. Most come with easy to follow installation instructions and do not require a professional to install it. You just need to make certain that you conceal the pump and hosing.

If you wish to make the fountain the focal point of your garden, get creative. Add some rocks or cut flowers to the water. Put some lights near it so it sparkles and to unleash those senses add some aromatherapy oil to the basin Your friends and family will admire your fountain as a masterpiece of sight, smell and sound.

You might be pondering whether to go for whimsical or an ornate design. Let me assure you that it does not matter. They will all sooth, ease your mind and stimulate the senses. This is a must for your summer pleasure.

We began our work by constructing a garden water fountain at the very end of a brand new swimming pool the Turner’s had just had installed. We built the basin in the shape of distorted figure-8 that bent to the left and right of what would ultimately become a walkway over the water. We used a gunite concrete substructure that would seal the basin and keep it waterproof, and then we concealed the top of the concrete with a decorative stone-clad overlay whose blue-gray color complimented that of the home. When we finished it looked like a small stone well filled with clear, running water that drained into the pool on one end. On the same side of this drain, we built a stone sculpture out of three stones planed into cubes. The cubes were piled one on top of the other, so that when the structure was complete, it looked like a sculpture made from boulders on some far Pacific island. The water rose out of the stone at the top and flowed down all four sides of the sculpture into the pool.

The new water fountain and surrounding basin now gave us an ideal center point around which to plant a flower garden replete with a number of species. On the left, we planted Mexican sedum to add a lime green contrast to the surrounding landscape, and we planted golden globe to provide flowering ground cover. To add a three dimensional element to the garden, we planted foxtail ferns to provide year-round greenery, and bird of paradise for its resplendent, seasonal blooms. Farther back from the fountain itself, we planted a river birch tree that framed the entire garden from the vantage point of the pool and added an additional aesthetic at night as a backdrop for up lighting. To emphasize the unique aspect of our water garden fountain we planted pink and red pentas on the right that drew the eye upward toward the stone sculpture, and we trained a vine to grow up the far wall of the home that would mirror its unique cubic design.

We then completed the project by building a walkway that led from the front of the property to the home. We constructed this walkway out of stepping pads that actually float on water. This allowed us to build the walkway straight over the water in the center of the garden. We deliberately used this design in order to blend regular material with irregular material. The stones move in a progression from asymmetry to symmetry the closer you get to the house. The very first stepping stone has only two straight sides, for example, and the second has three. Each stone that follows becomes increasingly square as it passes over the garden water fountain until it finally reaches the back patio of the home.

If you are thinking of doing a few upgrades to your garden, have you ever thought of getting a solar powered pump birdbath? In fact, why buy one, when you can make it?

So why would you want to make a solar powered pump birdbath?

The Advantages Are:

Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant The pump does not have to plugged into your power supply The pump runs on DC power, so no inverter is needed. It requires little power (about 6 volts) so you only need a few small solar panels. No batteries are required, since the pump only really needs to operate during the day when the sun is out and the birds are in the garden. You could learn to make your own solar panels, reducing the cost even further. The birdbath can be placed anywhere in your garden, without the need for unsightly wires.

And what does it take to make a solar powered pump birdbath?

The easiest way is to simply buy a birdbath with a pump and fountain already fitted. Then all you need to do is wire up some small solar panels.

The alternative is to, and more DIY approach is to buy a birdbath that is ready for a fountain pump to be installed (it has the right holes, and a place for the pump to be installed), and then add the various pump and power components.

If you go the DIY route, then you will need to get:

The Birdbath:

Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains, terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.

The Fountain Attachment:

This is optional, but it make the water spirt out the top, instead of just trickling out. It can be found at you rlocal nursery or hardware store.

Small DC Pump:

Depending your birdbath size, the volume of water to be pumped and how high you want to pump it, will help you decide on the voltage and size pump needed. For your average, medium-sized birdbath, a small 6 volt DC pump will suffice.

Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:

This what the water will flow through. It is best to ask your nursery about the various irrigation options. Otherwise, get ideas from finished pump powered fountains. As a rule of thumb, the PVC piping needs to be narrow to maintain enough water pressure.

Silicon Sealant:

This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from, and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been joined.

Solar Panels:

This is what sets this off-grid system apart from conventionally powered birdbath fountains. The pump will help determine how many solar panels you need. For a 6 volt DC pump, you will need at least a 6 volt solar panel, but rater double up on the solar panels for times when the sun is weak.

->To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:

1 : Buy a small expensive solar kit from Wallmart or Target or any other local supplier.

2 : The cheaper, DIY route and make the panel yourself. Luckily this is actually rather simple for anyone to learn to do. So if you want to learn to make your own, then carry on reading to the end…

To get the maximum sunlight, the solar panels need to be fixed in simple frame, and be south-facing (if you are in the northern hemisphere).

How easy is it to put it all together?

Once you have all the components and tools at your disposal, putting the system together shouldn’t take you more than 2 hours. And within an afternoon you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath.

A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you will need the following:

Deep cycle battery:

Since the system is small, a 12 volt battery should be enough. This will be wired up between the charge controller and the pump.

Solar charge controller:

This is not essential, but it prevents your battery from over-charging. So it can really extend the life of the battery. It will be wired up between the solar panels and the battery.

The nice thing about about building a solar powered pump birdbath yourself is that it is not only cheaper, but once you know how, you can make as many as you want. It could also make a great gift for an energy conscious friend or family member.

I do not have the time to take all the water out each time, scrub it and then replace the water.

I was wondering if adding a little bleach would help the green water issue but was not sure how it would effect the birds that frequent the ‘spa’ area of the back yard.

I don’t want clean or clean(ish) water with no birds but the birds don’t come after it gets nasty.

Any suggestions?