DIY a Stunning Water Feature to Light Summer Evenings in the Garden – it’s so Quick and Easy With a Floating Solar Fountain
A cheap solar fountain with LED lights lets you create a striking garden feature without busting the budget. Here's everything you need to know for a great result.
We’re seeing a huge trend in container ponds this heatwave summer, and no wonder! Floating solar fountains have made it so cheap and easy to create a stylish water feature that brings cooling sound and movement to our too-hot gardens. And now, next-gen solar fountains lit with LEDs are allowing us to take DIY microponds to the next level, with illuminated cascades of water that will pretty-up any patio, looking beautiful at night as well as bringing a cooling soundscape by day.
Making your own micropond with a watertight container and floating fountain is so quick to do, yet the soundscape and soothing water movement can transform a garden, creating a focus to make small gardens feel bigger or adding a pleasing detail to a larger backyard. As container garden ideas go, it’s a winner for sure! Water features you can install yourself without calling in a plumber or electrician are so cost-effective, too. And there are lots of clever ways to get creative with a cheap floating solar fountain, so you can fashion a unique feature bespoke to your garden style.
Not all LED solar fountains are created equal, though, so it’s good to understand a few basics before you start to DIY your cooling cascade of water. Luckily, everything you need to know to get a great result is right here, so you can get cracking and DIY an illuminated water feature this weekend. I've included plenty of product links so you know exactly what I'm talking about, but do support your local retailers too. Here’s exactly what to do, if you want to make a stunning water feature this weekend…
1. Choose a Watertight Container
Any container will work for a DIY water feature, as long as it’s wide enough to contain most of the fountain splashes, though obviously the bigger it is, the less frequently you’ll have to top it up. Containers purpose-made for a garden micropond are often expensive, but there are plenty of more budget-friendly options to try.
Pots intended for succulents don’t usually have a drainage hole, and a wide bowl planter such as this from Amazon makes a stylish alternative at a fraction of the price. It's also worth looking at planters intended for both indoor and outdoor use such as this well-priced half-barrel from Lowes, as they often don't have drainage holes either.
If you’ve already got an old plastic, resin or metal planter then it’s a quick and easy job to seal the drainage hole with a marine silicone sealant like this from Amazon. The same goes for repairing patches of damage on a vintage vessel to make it watertight. Being able to seal drainage holes and seams also opens up the world of resin containers such as this amazing urn that's on sale at Target. Have a hunt around your local hardware store, too: this steel tub from Ace Hardware would make an awesome micropond, as would this utility bucket from Home Depot.
2. Work Out How Powerful Your Solar Water Fountain Needs to Be
A floating fountain is powered by its solar panels and there’s a huge range in terms of quality and capability. The amount of energy the solar panels are capable of generating is measured in watts, which you’ll find in product descriptions as ‘W’ and it’s important to match this, which governs the force and shape of the spray, to the size of the container you're using.
While you want to enjoy a decent water flow and fountain height, it’s also vital to also think about minimizing water loss so you’re not forever having to top up your micropond. Water loss happens when the spray pattern is wider than the container, but also because of wind, so is affected by the height of the fountain, too.
A 1W or 1.5W solar fountain is typically designed to operate in a birdbath so will produce a pretty gentle bubble. If that's what you want, great. But because there are LEDs as well as a water pump to power, an illuminated fountain rated around 3.5W or 4W is best for most patio-sized containers. You’ll also find fountains at 5.5W and 6.5W which suit a larger diameter vessel if you're making a sizeable water feature.
Look at what material the solar panels are made of too. Glass panels are far more efficient than plastic, so will still generate plenty of energy on a partially cloudy day.
Best Solar Fountains For a Great Light Show
This 3.5W fountain has 8 spray patterns from a gentle mist to a strong jet, and two rows of LEDs illuminate the water well.
All the LEDs on this 3.5W fountain are white for a more serene light show, and 7 nozzles offer a good variation of spray patterns.
With 60 LEDs and 8 spraying modes, this 4W fountain has a huge 4000mAh battery capacity to power all those lights after dark.
Most solar fountains come with a handful of interchangeable nozzles that create different spray patterns in varying heights and widths, too. By combining a powerful energy rating with a nozzle that gives a narrow spray, you can enjoy maximum water flow without too much water loss.
In a small or shallow container, it's also worth looking for a design with stabilising arms. These prevent the fountain floating close to the container rim, and so help to reduce water loss. While you're reading the small print, check the fountain has run-dry protection so it automatically shuts down if there’s insufficient water, and a filter to prevent debris from entering the pump.
3. Check the Fountain Has a Battery Before You Buy
Some solar fountains have a battery to store the energy generated by the solar panels so it can still operate when the sun isn’t shining, whether that’s because it’s nighttime or simply a cloudy day. Some fountains don’t, which means they’ll only operate when sunlight hits their solar panels. You would think that all illuminated solar fountains are fitted with a battery as they’re intended for use after dark, but that’s not the case.
So, do check the solar fountain has a battery, and that the battery's capacity is relevant to its wattage and number of lights, as this will dictate how long it will run for after dark. Depending on how many LEDs it has to power, a typical 3.5W fountain with a 2000mAh battery will likely run for around 3 hours after sundown, after a full charge on a sunny day. If you want a fountain with a lot of lights, or one that runs for a long time, look for a higher-capacity 3000mAh or 4000mAh battery.
Best Solar Fountains for Battery Capacity
This 4W fountain has a 4000mAh capacity battery to power its 60 LED lights for 4-6 hours once the sun goes down.
With a 3000mAh capacity battery, 8 light colors and a good nozzle selection, this 4W fountain will run for 5-6 hours after dark on a full charge.
While this 6.5W fountain is better for a larger container, its 3000mAh capacity battery and 7 LEDs mean it’ll run for 6-7 hours.
4. Position Your Water Feature Well
Depending on the size of your water feature, it’s a smart move to position the container before filling with water. You’ll need a fairly sunny spot to ensure the solar panels get fully charged, but most quality fountains with a battery fitted only need 4-6 hours of sun for a full charge.
Choosing a position which gets a little shade for part of the day will reduce evaporation and the frequency your water feature needs topping up. It’s also a good idea to position your feature away from overhanging trees or plants that may drop leaves into the water.
Consider other light sources, too, as the darker the area is, the more the illuminated water cascade will stand out.
5. Add Some Decor, if You Fancy
How you choose to pretty-up your water feature is entirely up to you – and honestly, a container with a floating fountain is simply lovely as it is. But you could add a compact water plant such as lesser spearwort (Ranunculus flammua) or water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides), both available from specialist supplier Pond Plants of America. How about adding a few rounded pebbles such as these from Amazon to the container itself, or around its base? And you’ll find all sorts of cute pond ornaments such as these floating faux water lilies from Amazon or this fishing tortoise figurine, also from Amazon, to add charm to your water feature.
A small wildlife ramp to ensure critters can climb out of your micropond, should they fall in, such as this from Amazon, is a must.
6. Fill With Water and Enjoy!
Now fill the container with water, pop the floating fountain in, and wait a few seconds for the sun to power it up. If you’re growing aquatic plants or want wildlife to use your micropond, it’s best to use harvested rainwater, otherwise tap water is fine. To enhance the reflections of the lights in the water, you can add a drop of black pond colorant like this from Amazon.
Then the only job left to do, once the sun starts to set, is to pour yourself a cooling drink, pull up your favorite patio chair, and enjoy your beautiful new garden water feature.
