Repurposed Water Fountain

 

Our very first DIY/repurposed project is going to take us all the way back to the spring of 2011...O.K., I already know what you're thinking, and yes, we really didn't get started DIYing until then.  What can I say?  I guess it took us awhile to get on the whole DIY bandwagon...O.K. a long while, but we're here now and this is the project that started us in all this craziness!



Repurposed Water Fountain

This used to be a water fountain that belonged to our neighbors (sorry, no before pics were taken), which I'd always thought was gorgeous, so I was shocked to discover them one day loading it up into the back of their truck to take it to the dump.  Apparently the hose, which was really narrow, continually became clogged and they were tired of taking it apart and cleaning it - understandable, but to just throw it away?!  Uh, uh, no way!  How they could not see it's hidden potential, I have no idea, but boy was I a happy camper when they offered it to us for free!  They thought I was looney for wanting a fountain that didn't work properly and to them was just junk, but what they didn't know is that I had no intention of keeping it a fountain.  I wanted to turn it into a flower planter, and that's just what we did!  Doesn't it look gorgeous?!

Here's How We Did It:

Step 1 - pulled out all of the fountain components (tubing, pump, etc.).  This was actually rather easy because much of it was corroded and falling apart anyway and so it didn't require any cutting or sawing or anything like that.  (wish I had pics to show u :( , so sorry)
Step 2 - drilled five holes in the base for drainage.
Step 3 - sprayed it down with a pressure washer.
Step 4 - poored some gravel into the hollow middle column, mostly for stability (the bolts that once secured it to the base were long gone and broken), but also to help with drainage.
Step 5 - put a square planter into the top of the center collumn (we just happened to find one that just fit and didn't slide all the way down).
Step 6 - added dirt and perennial plants (I wish we would've given it a fresh coat of paint before doing so, but I guess this way gives it more of an old rustic look, which isn't so bad I suppose.)

And so there you have it - a DIY flower planter repurposed from a broken water fountain...here's some more pics and info just for your enjoyment :)




House Leeks

One of the perennials I chose to add to the planter is House Leeks.  They'e a hardy succulent that I knew absolutely nothing about at the time, but chose them for their coloring and rounded form.  As it turns out, this particular breed gets these gorgeous pink star-like blossoms!


House Leek Blossom



Flowering House Leek

They grow a tall shoot out of the center leek, upon which a ton of these beautiful flowers appear!  Unfortunately, they also continually grow new shoots, causing them to spread like wild fire - not the best choice for a restricted growing area such as a planter.  Lucky for me though, they also thin easily, which I do once a year, so now both of our neighbors have some too!


Over-Crowded House Leeks

 

Flowering Ground Cover
(name unknown)

The Greenery planted in the four points of the base is a ground cover that unfortunately I lost the tag too and can't remember the name of, but I just love how it's spread, flowing down over each side!  I love it so much that I cut out a part of each plant to plant in several more of my flower containers.  They all took nicely and have re-spread so you can't even tell!

 

 

Creeping Wire Vine

The plant I chose for the top of the center collumn is called Creeping Wire Vine, and though I love the way it grows and looks, I'm a bit disapointed in it's performance.  I've almost lost it multiple times now and it's supposed to get little white blossoms, which it's yet to do in the two years I've had it planted.





Original Fountain Topper

This way cool globe pictured to the left is what used to be on top of the water fountain.  We removed it so that we could add plants there and because we thought it'd make a fabulous landscape decoration, which of course in my biased opinion, it does.  We have it near a bird feeder, which you can't see in this photo, but the birds love to perch on this while waiting there turn to feed.


Flowering Annuals Added

The last photo to the right is a current pic taken just this morning.  I add flowering annuals to the planter every year about this time, and once they grow and fill in, the whole thing looks so pretty!  I change up the selections every year, but so far I've used Snapdragons, Petunias, and Salvia to spruce it up and give it some more color and flare.  Feel free to leave me your suggestions in the comment section for the future years flowering annuals, or to share pics of your completed repurposed DIY projects that were inspired by this blog!