Easy DIY Tiered Patio Fountain with Flowers
Turn two mismatched planters into a tiered outdoor fountain, planted with flowers that will bloom all summer! You can make this affordable patio fountain in an afternoon!
Do you enjoy the sound of water burbling in a fountain? I find it so soothing,
and wanted to bring that sound to my patio in the most affordable way
possible! Keep reading to see how I created this double tier planted fountain
for just the cost of the flowers!
Simple DIY tiered patio fountain with flowers
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon
affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
My full disclosure policy can be found here. As always, please shop local for the best prices, Amazon links
included for your convenience.
When solar fountains were all the rage a couple years ago, we purchased one
and enjoyed the soothing sound on our patio. However, this year I wanted to do
something a little bit different. I wanted the fountain to be more of a focal
point in our yard, complete with flowers cascading down the sides.
I realized I had almost everything I would need, and finished painting and
planting our solar powdered fountain in just a couple hours. Follow the steps
below to see how to make your own, and don't miss my TIPS along the way!
Supplies
- 2 outdoor planters in graduated sizes (plastic ones are the most cost effective)*
- a sturdy ceramic or terracotta pot
- spray paint (I used THIS creamy white and blue - see similar HERE)
- bubble wrap, packing peanuts or other filler
- potting soil
- flowers
- solar fountain (we own THIS fountain)
*the plastic pots should be different sizes because the bottom of one has to
fit in the top of the largest
Picking the right planters
I was fortunate to already have two different sized large plastic planters
that weren't being used, as well as a ceramic flowerpot needed to hold the
large planter in place.
Tip: Before you continue making your fountain, do a dry test run to make sure the planters will work together. Flip over the heavy, ceramic flowerpot and make sure it will fit into the base of the largest plastic planter, as shown below. Set the top planter onto the ceramic flowerpot to ensure it fits, looks pleasing to the eye, and doesn't wobble.
Notice the 3-4" circumference along the perimeter when the planters are in
place. This is important because this is where we'll be planting flowers and
greenery, so you don't want this space too tight.
For reference, my largest plastic planter, used on the bottom, is 22" wide
and was purchased at Costco a couple years ago. The smaller planter is about
18" at the top width, we bought it at Walmart.
Painting the containers
I set up a couple cardboard boxes in the backyard, and gave each plastic
planter 2-3 coats of the creamy white spray paint. I recommend light coats to
avoid drips. With a coat of the same paint, the two mismatched pieces turned
into a matching pair!
Tip: spray the bottom and 3/4 of the way up inside of the top flowerpot with blue spray paint, which will give your fountain a brighter and cleaner look.
Holes in the planters
If your containers have holes at the bottom, simply set a small stone over the
top. The hole doesn't need to be completely blocked off, but at the same time,
you don't want water pouring out of it.
Assembling planters
Make sure the paint is dry before assembling your containers to form the
structure for your planted fountain! This is where the packing material
(bubble wrap, etc) comes in. Stack your planters in the configuration for the
fountain. I like to save money on potting soil by first filling the bottom 2/3
of the planter with any kind of plastic or Styrofoam filler you have on hand
(packing peanuts, the large bubble mailers, etc).
Tip: before adding the potting soil and planting flowers, FIRST fill the top planter with water. Why? The weight of the water will prevent the container from shifting as you're planting flowers around the perimeter!
You can see that I didn't follow my own advice, but as I was adding the
potting soil, I realized my mistake! When the top planter was filled with
water, it kept everything sturdy while I was working on planting the flowers.
Planting flowers and greenery
I bought a flat of purple petunias when they were on sale. I already had some creeping jenny growing in another flowerpot (I didn't realize it would come back this year!), and divided it to use between the petunias (I used my gardening trowel to cut straight down into the plant and separate it into sections).
Tip: pick a flower that grows easily and prolifically in your area, so it will bloom all summer! Petunias are a little messy, but they do love the sun and the heat.
I added the solar fountain and stood back to admire the beautiful and
inexpensive tiered patio fountain I created! We use straws in our solar
fountain to keep it somewhat centered, but the water does have a tendency to
splash out and needs to be topped off every week or so. The beauty of having
the flowers planted below the fountain is they can benefit from all that
splashing!
The fountain has a larger presence on our patio and really looks nice
surrounded by more potted flowers and herbs. I was working on a red, white and
blue theme on our patio and will share the full reveal next week. I realized
after taking pictures that my
vintage mason jar chandelier
wasn't in the shots. I had removed it because we had a big storm come through
and I didn't want the jars to break. I love the color it adds to our patio.
I really do enjoy sitting out here in the mornings, have my devotions and
coffee. The burbling sound of the fountain is soothing to my soul, and you can
never go wrong with flowers!
Hope you're enjoying your summer!
Pin to Save
bringing beauty to the ordinary,
This is such a cool idea. I think I will use an additional pot so that there are 2 levels to plant in. My favorite annual lantana would be perfect.
ReplyDelete