It is best to have the pond portion of the garden fountain placed where it will receive a lot of sunlight. Almost all aquatic plants, including water lilies need some direct sunlight, six hours of sun light would be ideal. Try to place your garden fountain or pond away from trees, especially those that lose their leaves in the fall. You can use a net to get leaves that have fallen in smaller ponds much easier than trying to get them out of a larger one. And a few leaves will not harm a healthy pond.

When choosing a garden fountain and its location, consider the accessibility to a water supply. You will need to give your water garden or pond regular watering to keep it full during the summer. If you are considering a garden fountain that needs electricity to function, make sure you know how you are going to get electricity to the fountain. Wiring electricity to a fountain can be expensive.

Be sure to think about the safety of children before you decide on a garden fountain or pond. Young children love water and can drowned in just a small amount. If you have young children or grandchildren you should consider their safety when choosing the type of garden fountain and placement of the fountain.

You can find a variety of different garden fountains that range in size, style and price at garden centers, home improvement centers and even online. Custom designed fountains are also available but at a much higher price. Be sure to purchase the materials needed for your garden fountain and/or pond, such as liners, pond pumps, and aquatic plants from a reliable retailer. Water fountains are available in several different kinds of material which include stone, wood, slate, fiberglass, ceramic, copper, resin and stainless steel. Fountains made from stone are generally available in pedestal styles, ground styles, and tabletop models and are very popular. However the most popular fountain material seems to be fiberglass. Fiberglass models are designed to look like authentic stone, slate, concrete, etc. Garden fountains made from stainless steel are often large. Some garden fountain models include slate among their materials, but generally slate fountains are freestanding ground styles.

If you plan on including a biological filtration unit, pond lights and/or UV lights, which are needed for algae control in many fish ponds, you will need an electrical supply. You will need a submersible pond pump that is able to pump half the volume of the pond through the filter every hour. The biological filter should be able to handle this capacity. There are new products and new designs constantly being developed, so be sure to check with your local aquatic store for the latest bio filtration technology. It is highly recommended that you have an electrician install the electrical system in your garden fountain or pond. If you are set on doing the electrical work yourself at least have an electrician check your installation.

Adding a fountain to your garden will take a lot of planning and design but well worth the effort.