Add Serenity to Your Yard with a Bubbling Boulder Water Feature

If you’re up for a weekend landscaping project, creating a bubbling boulder water feature using a beautiful hardscape is a relatively easy job.  Fountains can create serene spaces for the family to relax and enjoy the outdoors.  Using natural stone blends the water feature into your environment.

Here’s a brief overview of what this boulder water feature project entails:

1. Choose the site for your fountain. The location must be accessible by electricity to run the pump.  Additionally, look for a site where you will easily be able to view and hear the bubbling water from your deck or through a window.  Fountains will have overspray even when the wind is non-existent so make sure your feature is placed far enough from fences or trees that could be damaged by the spray.
2. Decide if you want to use a pre-constructed base or build your own. Pre-constructed units come with a large water basin, a pump, hoses and connectors, and other supplies.  Alternatively, you could decide to build your own with a pond liner, aquablocks, PVC piping, a pump, etc.  There are many videos online to describe how each method works.  For this article, we’ll describe how to install a pre-constructed base.
3. Visit Hilton Landscape Supply to choose the boulder for your fountain as well as decorative rocks to place around its base. It’s best to be conservative and choose a boulder that you will be able to transport and manage to move around.  Also, be careful not to select a boulder that is too thick since a longer hole is more expensive and more difficult to drill.  If you are not already equipped with specialty tools to drill a hole in the boulder, we can help connect you to a professional who can do this for you.
4. Use spray paint to define an outline of your base on the ground where it will be placed and dig out the dirt deep enough to bury it. If your ground is dirt, dig an extra 3 inches and add compacted gravel to provide the base with good support.  The top of the water basin should be even with the ground and completely level so water doesn’t pool in a corner.  Backfill dirt around the outside of the base to give it a good, tight fit in the ground.
5. Install your pump, hoses, and other internal pieces according to the directions for the pre-constructed unit. Make sure your base is properly covered with grating or landscape material as the unit’s instructions direct.
6. Connect the piping through the boulder and place it where you want it to sit. Turn on your water to make sure everything works and adjust the water flow to your liking.  When you are happy with it, add decorative stones around the base.  Avoid putting bark mulch or dirt on top of the base as the material can fall through the landscaping material into your water supply and damage the pump.

Our professional team at Hilton Landscape Supply is here to help you create an outdoor environment your entire family will love.  Stop by or give us a call for landscaping advice and to select natural, durable products that will stand the test of time.