When we went to Florida earlier this year, the house we stayed at had a patio with a pool right outside the back door. Each day I would work on the patio and listen to the sounds of the waterfall in the pool. It was so relaxing. I wanted to recreate the sound on our back patio but, unfortunately, we don’t currently have a pool with a waterfall. This is my solution.

I made a DIY fountain using a lightweight planter with no drainage hole and a solar fountain pump. Simply add water to the planter and place the fountain pump in the water. The pump automatically turns on as the sun rises and turns off as the sun goes down. No electricity required. It keeps the water moving which prohibits mosquitoes. The pump comes with six nozzles for a variety of fountain patterns. I specifically chose this pump because it has an auto-off if the planter were to run out of water. There is a risk of burning up the pump on models that do not have an auto-shutoff.

I admit, the sound isn’t as loud as the pool’s waterfall, but my little DIY fountain promotes a relaxing atmosphere on the back patio which is exactly what I was wanting. If a planter isn’t your style, the fountain pump can be used in a birdbath, as well. I’m going to try that next.

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