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If you have ever wanted to put a fountain in your garden, you have probably already figured out that this can be an expensive and rather involved project. This is true whether you are going to go the DIY route or you have been thinking about purchasing a fountain which is already pre-made and ready to go.

But making a backyard fountain does not have to be all that expensive. There are actually techniques you can use which only require really basic supplies, and which you can easily customize to your needs.

There are essentially three key components to a working fountain:

• Water
• A pump which pushes that water through a plumbing system
• Some sort of sculpture

For the reservoir that holds the water underground, you can actually just utilize a plain old plastic storage tote. How large or small the plastic container for storage needs to be depends entirely on the size of the fountain, but in most cases, you will probably end up using a large plastic storage tub.

Inside this large plastic bin for storage, you will have your pump along with a threaded adapter, ball valve, and copper pipe. You will need to pour enough water into the bin to cover the pump completely. Underneath the bin you will have gravel. On top of it, you will place some form of screening and composite decking, on top of which will go your sculpture.

You will need to set up the electrical wiring for the system as well. The cord can be run from the pump through a PVC conduit to an exterior outlet on your house. All in all, this is not overly complicated. Even if you are a relative beginner with both electrical wiring and plumbing, you should be able to put this system together without too much trouble. Best of all, all of the basic components are quite cheap and easy to come by even at a basic hardware store.

As to customization, the sky is the limit. The sculpture you construct around your fountain pipe can be made of anything that will not be damaged by the water. That leaves you free to experiment with a wide variety of different materials and designs. If you are an artist, this will be the fun part. And if you are an engineer, you will enjoy every moment of this project from start to completion.

What is great is that once you have made your first backyard fountain, you will be able to easily replicate the process in the future. Your second fountain will be much faster and easier to construct than your first as a result.

So if you have been thinking that a backyard fountain is out of your price range, think again. With a basic plastic tub, some copper piping, and a few other basic parts, you can put together a functional system. You can then personalize the sculpture on top to your heart’s content, creating a unique look for your backyard which expresses your personality.