DIY Solar Fountain With Planter

Luckily, I found two large flower pots on summer clearance at Lowe’s…Score! I picked up a large one for the base and a slightly smaller one to make the fountain.

First, punch out the round circles in the bottom of the larger pot to create drainage holes. I punched them out with a screw driver and a hammer. Do this just for the large bottom pot. We want the top one to hold water for the fountain!

Next, place the base in and check it is level. I had an old rubber storage container with ripped handles that I placed in upside down to use as the base to stack the pots. A five gallon bucket would work great for this purpose also!

Then, fill the surrounding empty space with potting soil and add flowers. I planted white petunias because they like full sun and trail out as they grow.

Next, place the top pot onto the base and fill it with water. We filled it to the top with our big watering can.

After I placed the solar fountain in the water, I saw it would keep the water level higher if it were stabilized in the middle to keep the water in.

I used a wire hanger I cut with wire cutters, thinking it would work find to keep the fountain centered. I inserted four straight pieces into the foam base of the fountain in a cross pattern to hold the fountain right in the center of the water.

Unfortunately, the wire hanger began rusting after a couple weeks. I was worried the rust in the water would shorten the life of the fountain. So, after awhile I tried sturdy bamboo skewer sticks inserted the same way, and that has been working perfectly!

Anchoring it in the middle really minimized water loss. However, on a windy day water will still blow out just like with any fountain. I add another watering can of water once in a while to keep it full.

When it’s filled to the tippy top, water spills out very easily. I find it loses water way less often when it is about three quarters full, since a lot of the splashing as the water lands or the wind blows will stay within the pot.

Even if there is a lower water level, this fountain still works great! It just shoots up lower, so less of the fountain action is visible. When the level is low, you stop losing water to the wind completely, so I have never had the fountain run dry.

The fountain also comes with a suction cup. This gives the option of anchoring the fountain to a more shallow basin like a birdfeeder. I am hoping to find the perfect bowl that will fit inside my top pot to try it out as a bird fountain!

This is the little diy solar fountain I purchased. It really works splendidly as long as there is some sun out.

It even has a backup battery that keeps it going for awhile after the sun disappears!

If you love the sound of splashing water like I do, or want to add a fun ornament to your garden on a budget, try out a diy solar fountain!

If you love solar yard projects, check out these solar dollar tree mason jar lanterns!