Building an outdoor fountain: a how-to

Anyone who can use a drill and a shovel can build a fountain in just one day.

"A small fountain in the background will create a tranquil setting anywhere you relax or dine in the yard," says Maria Cipriano of Cipriano Nursery and Florist in East Meadow, which sells parts for constructing your own fountain as well as premade ones.

While choosing which type of fountain fits your yard is a matter of taste, "right now glazed ceramics, specifically the blues and the greens, are popular, as are rustic styles," Cipriano says.

But you can turn most anything -- an old birdbath, an urn, several glazed pots, a collection of slate tiles, pavers or medium-sized stones -- into a cascading piece of outdoor art.

Choose a fountain style that complements the overall design of your outdoor space. "You want to make sure it fits into your existing garden as naturally as possible," says Jim Farabaugh, owner of JRF Landscape Construction in Northport.

Farabaugh's experience includes everything from basic fountains to a pond and waterfall adorned with flamethrowers that hurl fire 30 feet skyward. "But with any hardscape such as a fountain, you want to have plants and flowers around it to soften it up."

If you're thinking of going the eco-friendly route and purchasing a solar-powered pump, prepare for possible disappointment.

"The solar fountains that are available now are really limited, and it's a very small amount of water that they are able to move," says Maria Verderber of Verderber's Landscape Nursery and Garden Center in Aquebogue, which sells both ready-made fountains and parts. "I don't think the technology has come far enough yet."

Maintenance is as easy as making sure the basin stays filled with water at least 5 to 6 inches above the pump and placing mosquito dunks in the water to ward off the insects and kill any larvae (don't worry, doughnut-shaped pellets are safe for kids and animals) during times when the pump is off.

Come winter, Cipriano suggests either buying a cover or breaking the fountain down and bringing it inside. No matter which option you choose, it's important to drain all the water and remove the pump. Then, it's up to you to figure out how to relax until next summer.

The steps that follow describe the construction of a traditional fountain using an old birdbath; however, the basics are the same, no matter what the style.

a waterproof basin

a submersible pump rated 200 to 250 gallons an hour

5 to 6 feet of rubber tubing

mushroom sprayer attachment

small river stones

larger decorative stones or slates

drainage gravel

mosquito dunks

a mesh screen wide enough to cover the basin

waterproofed support beams

The basin should be 6 inches wider than the fountain's base and deep enough to allow for about 1 foot of water above the pump.

Next, place the pump in the center of the basin. Using a utility knife, cut a notch in the tub's rim for the power cord to exit, then lay the conduit in the trench and backfill over it.