Installing An Ornamental Fountain as Part of a Container Water Feature
Bronze Cast Heron Fountain
We purchased a large cast bronze heron fountain at Snug Harbor Farm Garden Center in Kennebunkport, Maine. Our life size bronze bird is about 5 feet tall, weighs about 30 lbs and the fountain shoots straight down through the beak of the heron. This particular feature of the heron fountain was appealing because it gave us the option of placing the large bird fountain in a small container or a larger water feature like a pond. While I’d love to have a large pond, at this juncture I decided to build a water feature for our porch. We have a grand staircase to our 2nd level ‘veranda’ with a wide platform step half way up the staircase which is where I decided to place the water feature.
I purchased an antique wash bucket with wooden handles at The Tannery Marketplace in Littleton, NH antique shop and because it was a bit rusty, I gave it a couple of coats of tin colored Rustoleum on the inside and on the bottom. It may help prolong the life of the wash bucket while serving its new usage as a container for our water feature.
Heron Fountain From Above
After some scouring of the internet for pond supplies, I decided to buy locally. Not the big box store, but a real water garden and pond supply place in Chester, NH. (Chester Hollow Water Gardens) It was an hour and a half drive south from where we live, but it turned out to be well worth the drive. I bought a 500 gal/hr pump (with a pre-filter) that is giving the fountain an nice steady stream, not a trickle. The sound it makes when it hits the water below is very soothing. I also bought a halogen submersible light which will give it a beautiful glow in the night landscape.
Heron Fountain Water Feature
I also purchased two aquatic plants which I will describe more in the article I’m going to post about Chester Hollow. I repotted the two plants into clay pots, added soil and topped off the soil with plenty of small stones to keep the dirt from floating away.
Tip: A good idea is to wet the soil completely before placing the pots into the water feature. Remember to top off the soil with small stones to keep the soil from floating to the surface.
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