If you want a water feature, but not a pond...

I realize this isn't the Water Gardens Forum, but in my experience I know there are a lot of gardeners who don't want to deal with the "bother" of a pond and standing water, but would love a water feature in their landscaping. Those gardeners might not normally check the Water Gardens Forum where I posted a thread of how to create a simple, relatively inexpensive (under $200) water feature that is enjoyable and good for birds and butterflies. They are commonly referred to as "bubblers" or "bubble rocks". I'm posting a photo of one I constructed in just a few hours over Thanksgiving, but the thread I posted earlier in the Water Gardens Forum shows the steps for anyone interested. Sorry, I don't know how to include the link (Perhaps someone interested could do this on this tread for me?) I used an existing rigid liner, but it can also be constructed easily with a rubber liner made for fish ponds.

I make these for clients on a regular basis, and they are always very popular and appreciated!

HoosierGreen, I'm very interested and is this the link you're talking about? I'll have to go over this more thoroughly after some sleep, I'm just tired from work right now. It looks pretty cool and I may do something like this, I have some big boulders and a fountain I need to do something with.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1058735/

Yes, Lynnie6868, that is the link to the thread I started showing instructions for installing a bubble rock. There are many variations to the look, but the basic "plumbing" is the same. I'd be glad to answer anyone's questions on how to modify it to their particular situation. I've even constructed some using just a pile of rocks without drilling any holes. They are so easy, and so effective and enjoyable in the garden. I love ponds (and have two), but bubble rocks are perfect for those wanting water, and the pleasing "white noise" that it creates, in their garden without the responsibilities of a pond.

Thanks for posting the link!

You're welcome, Hoosiergreen :) I'm very interested in the ones using the pile of rocks without drilling holes. I have some boulders and smaller rocks i need to figure out how to situate. I have pics on my desktop I'll post them.

The only difference between using a drilled rock and a pile of rocks is that, instead of the hole holding up the water hose, the pile holds it up. The hose always ends an inch or so beneath the opening of the drilled rock anyway, so all you have to do is prop up the hose in the pile of rocks and let the water spurt out the top of the pile.

here's my boulders.....

I almost made one from an old iron statue. Problem was I have no idea how I was going to drill a hole through it. It was a 3 ft lady holding a bowl over her head. Thrift shop wanted to get rid of her. Not rocks but for anyone looking for ideas you can use anything for a little fountian or bubbler.

Lynnie6868: Awesome rocks! They have the makings of a great water feature for your landscaping. I'm not sure how easy they are to move, but you look to have enough to use some for the feature and others to complement the surrounding area so it isn't just a pile of rocks! From your zone location, I assume that you're now "enjoying" winter weather and any plans will have to wait for spring. Lots of time to think about what you'd like.

CoreHHI: I agree that almost anything can be made into a little fountain or bubbler. I've seen old iron pieces made into water features, not by drilling any holes, but by using either black flexible tubing or copper tubing attached to the back side of the statue, and using it as the water line reaching to the top and spilling out. Once I saw a figurine statue that the line came out by the hand (holding a bouquet) and just spurting out from there. It was very effective.

Humm, this sounds interesting.
I've never done a water feature before though so sorry if this sounds dumb. But I was wondering, can you get something to "recycle" the water so as to not raise your water bill to much or do you have to leave a water/garden hose turned on for it to work?

Oh no, you have a catch basin to recycle the water. The only problem is you will lose some to evaporation so you will need to fill it up once in a while or run a hose to it that will fill when needed. Cheap idea, toilet filler value.you just have to get creative in some cases.

dixielol: If your reservoir is large enough, normal rainfall will keep the water full enough so that you won't have to worry about checking it unless you have a long, dry spell. Of course, if you live in an arid climate, you will need to "top it off" regularly. Actually, your question is the first one people ask. It fools most people who first look at a bubbler. They think there has to be a water line until they see how it's constructed. Check out the step-by-step instructions on this link and I'm sure you'll understand.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1058735/

This sounds so intriguing. I've been wanting one of those rocks drilled with a hole, but couldn't afford what I see in the gardening centers. I didn't ever think to go to the rock center first.

great idea -- battery operated pumps available ?

I'm not aware of any battery operated pumps on the market, but that certainly doesn't mean there aren't any! I'd check on line or at a pond supply place. Good luck!

There are solar pumps but I'm not sure if they involve a battery or anything. Probably to expensive but they have flexible solar panels for boats that will charge a deep cycle battery then you put in a timer or switch with the battery running the pump. Something like this. http://www.talcoelectronics.com/p-128-sunsei-se-170-26w-solar-powered-battery-trickle-charger.aspx I don't know that company or product but I have seen them in use. Not sure what size you would need to keep a battery charged up enough for a 12volt pump. I would think a small 12 volt pump doesn't use much electricity??

You could look around this site too for idea on the solar front. http://www.siliconsolar.com/solar-fountain-pumps.html

I've check into big systems but never really checked how to build a small scale solar water pumping project.

I've seen 'solar fountains' but not bought one yet, for 20 bucks, at Harbor freight tools.

Great thread, HoosierGreen. We've been contemplating putting in a water feature similar to this next summer. There is an irrigation canal running behind our house that feeds our pond. We were thinking of tapping into the feeder pipe and creating a bubble rock between the canal and the pond, using gravity as our energy source. Just curious if you've ever constructed such a configuration?

No, I haven't, but I've seen it done similarly and successfully next to a pond. You just have to figure a way to channel the overflow out of your feature. The one I saw had it start as a bubbler, then flow in a small stream back into the pond. They had to pump the water from the pond up to the bubbler to start though. If I understand you correctly, your situation sounds like you don't have to worry about mechanical pumping, but use the gravity to bring the water to your feature. You'd probably need to check the water pressure first to make sure it was enough for what you want it to look like coming out of your bubbler. Then, decide where the runoff is going to go since it'll be a continuous feed.

We did a little test last summer by attaching a small pipe to the end of the pond input, so we think there is enough pressure to do a bubbler. We'll either build a small streambed or more likely route the runoff back into the pipe to go into the pond from the bubbler. Thanks for sharing your step-by-step instructions - lots of good information.

Sounds like a plan. Be sure to post photos of your project if you can. Good luck!