When you’re designing the landscape for your home, consider where you might add a water fountain. Water fountains have been a part of civilization since ancient Egypt. They’re found in every culture and usually have significant meaning to their communities.
Today, it can be a vibrant statue that welcomes visitors to your home, or it can be a quiet bubbling urn that creates serene white noise in a small garden.
We’ve found twenty-five water fountain landscaping ideas to help you decide what the best way is to add a water feature to your yard. There are ideas here for the do-it-yourself adventurers and ideas you can pass on to your landscape designer.
If you have a formal garden, a multi-tiered classic fountain may be right for you. If your garden has elements of a Zen garden, a Japanese bamboo fountain could be perfect. In many cases, you won’t even need to run plumbing.
Many water fountains today are self-contained, reusing the same water over and over again. You’ll also find that today’s water fountains come in every size imaginable. There are ideas here you can bring to the smallest yards.
1. Water Fountain Inspired by Zen Garden
A Japanese-inspired water fountain usually includes water flowing through bamboo into a pond or water basin.
In Japan, these fountains represent spiritual cleansing and physical renewal.
2. Two Tier Bird Bath and Fountain
Your fountain doesn’t have to stand as the center of attention. This two-tier fountain sits quietly in a garden area with the annuals and daylilies.
The small, low-flowing top basin is a welcome spot for neighborhood birds looking for a quick drink.
3. Classically Influenced Bronze Fountain
A classic two-tier fountain gives a simple patio a high-end look.
Today’s fountains come in a variety of colors, making it easy to find a match for your garden.
4. Two Tier Cascading Courtyard Fountain
A two-tier fountain stands as the centerpiece of this home’s entrance. The basins are shallow, allowing the water to cascade down like a downpour.
Strategic lighting keeps this courtyard entryway interesting in the evening.
5. Fountainscape Made From Cast Stone
Cast stone fountains are in demand these days.
This water fountain gets extra height by being built on a bed of smooth white river rocks.
6. Artistic Tiled Spanish Water Fountain
Beautiful ceramic tiles add old world elegance to this Spanish tiered fountain.
Building the fountain itself might be out of reach for the average weekend do-it-yourself enthusiast, but you can upgrade the outside of an existing base using ceramic tiles found at the hardware store.
7. Two Tier Fountain in Formal Garden
A formal tiered fountain stands proudly in the manicured boxwood hedges.
These types of fountains are now made of weather-resistant resins that will last for years.
8. White Water Fountain With Lion’s Head Motif
Four tiers create a large fountain with shallow bowls and decorative pedestals.
This fountain stands nearly six feet high and was hand-stained to achieve the white color.
9. Ground Level Fountain in a Corner Landscape
White brick and red flowers frame a self-contained fountain, giving the corner of this garden a color boost.
Informal gardens don’t need the fountain to be the center of attention, so you can put one anywhere that needs attention.
10. Cast Stone Courtyard Fountain
A Mediterranean style home gets a lift with this classic cast stone fountain.
11. Natural Fountain Disappears Into River Rocks
Fountains can be crafted to look like a natural part of the landscape. Water flowing from the top of this fountain looks like it just seeps into the ground.
These fall into the category of a pondless waterfall or pondless fountain. There’s a water basin and pump system built into the ground to recycle the water. It blends in as part of a small rock garden.
12. Surround Fountain With Edged Garden Bed
The addition of flowers is a popular garden fountain idea.
A raised garden bed was planned for this fountain. It adds color and keeps the surrounding area from looking barren.
13. Ground Level Fountain Is Subtle Focal Point
Even though it’s at the center of this garden, the fountain is a quiet feature in this formal English garden.
It works as a gentle focus by putting the basin below ground level. It functions more like a pond than a fountain.
14. Vessel Fountain Surrounded by Terracotta Hedge
A large basin that fills just high enough for water to escape through holes on its side. It’s perched on a pedestal surrounded by potted boxwoods.
Keep in mind that you’ll need a faster, more heavy-duty pump to fill larger basins quickly.
15. Lion’s Head Fountain Surrounded by Raised Garden
A classical look is achieved with a simple lion’s head fountain.
Instead of digging into the ground, the fountain was raised by building a foundation high enough to create a visual bookend with the seating area on the other side of the pool.
16. Unusually Shaped Marble Fountain
This fountain greets visitors in the front yard.
The angular shapes are an interesting change from standard round water features. Geraniums are hearty enough to plant around your fountain.
17. Classic Public Fountain
This painting of a two-tier outdoor fountain is a great example of types of fountains found in public spaces throughout Europe.
You can also find these types of fountains in Central and South America.
18. Fountain Raised on Bird Bath
You can set up a self-contained fountain like this one in your front yard.
Resin fountain kits are available at home improvement stores.
19. Pine Cone Fountain With Scalloped Rim Basins
A classic design with scalloped bowls and a pinecone at the top.
Pinecones represent the third eye and regeneration. They often have religious connotations that relate to the pinecone of the Vatican.
20. Water Fountain Made From an Urn
You can build your own version of this pot water fountain as a weekend project. Instead of a spout and cascade, the water bubbles up from the spigot.
It’s another self-contained fountain as the water is captured by a basin underneath the large river rocks.
21. Fountain Build From Stepping Stones
A stacked stone fountain can be made using stones you have from another project or purchased as a kit. The water feature shown here is made entirely of artificial stones.
This means you can make it as elaborate or as simple as you like.
22. Stone Fountain Surrounded by Bromeliads
Garden fountains featuring lion heads originated in ancient Egypt. They continued on with the ancient Greeks and Romans.
These days, you choose the color and size that suits your garden. This fountain gets a boost from a raised garden filled with Aechmea bromeliads.
23. Tall Ornamental Grasses Hide Fountain
Tall ornamental grasses and tall flowers surround a large three-tiered fountain.
Look at the overall height of the surroundings when working out your water fountain landscaping ideas. This fountain needs to be tall enough so as not to be dwarfed by the trees in the background.
24. Patio Fountains Surrounded by Flower Boxes
Consider adding a fountain to a large, unused patio area. The smooth base of this fountain contrasts with the rough stone of the two tiers.
Planter boxes full of flowers and delicate-looking foliage soften the look around the base.
25. Fountain From Urn and Brick Pond
This urn fountain is actually on a smaller scale for the above-ground basin, allowing it to function as a pond. Water Lilies can thrive in the water.
