How to Make an Outdoor Water Fountain or Water Garden

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/gardening/water-fountain.shtmlWhat You Will Need:

If you are going to make a water fountain feature, you need the following elements:

• a "bottom" where the pump where will be located and the water returns. This can be a large pot, an urn, a trough and so on.
• a "top" from which the water will emerge. This can be a small pot, a fanciful creature such as a frog, a conch shell, etc.
• a "middle" - the water course which will receive the water from the top and return it to the bottom. This can be pots, pebbles, shells, marbles, or even empty space, creating a freefall.
• a pump

Maximum Gallons per Hour and Maximum Lift

Give crucial attention to two features of the pump: maximum gallons per hour (gph) and maximum lift.
The gph can vary from 35 gph for a small battery-operated tabletop unit to over 600 gph for large garden fountains. Choose one appropriate to the size of your water feature - more is not necessarily better. A low gph will give you a gurgling effect in the same fountain that a higher gph pump would provide a steady stream - or even splash. It's strictly a personal preference within the range recommended for the fountain size.
The maximum lift figure tells you how high you can expect your "little pump that could" to push the water. A small pump that has a lift of "up to 2 feet", for example would not be appropriate for your 3-foot wall mounted lion's head.
You will also want to consider the length of the electrical cord if applicable, and whether the unit has an on/off switch, if that's important to you. Remember, though, that water left sitting will stagnate.
Pump kits are available that include pump and tubing but tubing is quite inexpensive and can be purchased at most garden centers. You can make a water fountain from something as simple as terracotta pots and pebbles.