Sunday Gardener: Tips for building water features at home to support flowers and local wildlife
LOOK HOW REFRESHING THIS IS. HEY, IT’S AVA MARIE! IT’S TIME FOR SUNDAY GARDENER AND WE’RE HERE AT VALLEY VIEW FARMS. I’M HERE WITH NICK, AND YOU’RE SAYING THAT YOU CAN BUILD THESE TINY LITTLE WATER FEATURES THAT CAN GO ON A PATIO? THIS LOOKS SO REFRESHING. AND THIS IS REALLY MEANT FOR THE WILDLIFE TO COME VISIT YOUR YARD. YEAH. SO THESE ARE ACTUALLY FUN LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO YOURSELF AT HOME. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT INTO CONTAINER GARDENS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY REUSE SOME OF THESE POTS IF YOU’RE NOT CURRENTLY USING THEM. SO A LOT OF POTS WILL HAVE HOLES IN THEM FOR DRAINAGE. SO YOUR PLANTS DON’T ACTUALLY DROWN THEMSELVES. SO WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE PAINTER’S TAPE. DON’T USE ANYTHING SUPER STICKY TO COVER UP THE HOLES. AND THEN IF YOU USE SOMETHING LIKE A SILICONE OR CAULK, YOU CAN ACTUALLY FILL UP THE HOLES AND MAKE A MUSHROOMING EFFECT SO THAT IT DOESN’T COME OUT THROUGH THE BOTTOM. ONCE YOU REMOVE THE TAPE, AFTER 24 HOURS OF DRYING. NICE. SO THAT’S A WAY TO MAYBE, LIKE YOU SAID, IF YOU HAD A POT THAT HAD GOOD DRAINAGE, BUT NOW YOU WANT IT TO HOLD WATER, YOU CAN FIX AN OLD POT. NOW THIS ONE HERE DOESN’T HAVE ANY HOLES. THAT’S HOW IT STARTED. SO WHAT’S THE FIRST STEP TO MAKING THIS LITTLE WATER FEATURE? SO REALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IS WHAT YOU’RE MAKING IT FOR. IF YOU HAVE IT SO THAT YOU’RE GOING TO HONESTLY, YOU CAN PUT WATER PLANTS IN IT, LIKE LOTUSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT IF YOU WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING FOR BIRDS AND POLLINATORS TO ACTUALLY COME OVER AND USE, YOU WOULD WANT TO USE ROCKS THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY STACK UP AND BUILD SO THEY CAN HAVE A PLACE TO LAND. BIRDS WILL BATHE IN KIND OF DEEP WATER, BUT NOT NOTHING SUPER DEEP, REALLY. YOUR BIRDBATH SHALLOWNESS GIVES THEM LIKE A LITTLE RESTING SPOT, LIKE A LITTLE ISLAND. AND THEN THEY CAN CLIMB DOWN, BATHE IN THERE, THEY CAN DRINK WATER, HONEY, BEES, BUTTERFLIES ALL DO THE SAME THING. THEY’RE ACTUALLY LAYING DOWN HERE AND GO DOWN AND DRINK. HAVING WATER THAT’S SPLASHING UP. IT’S EASIER FOR THEM TO COLLECT SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO FULLY LAND. AND THIS LITTLE GUY IS NICE BECAUSE IT’S A SOLAR POWERED PUMP. SO IF YOU ARE PUTTING IT IN YOUR GARDEN AROUND PLANTS THAT ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS AND YOU DON’T HAVE POWER THERE, YOU CAN PUT THIS DOWN AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. YEAH, I SEE, AND THE MOVING WATER IS KEY. I SEE MOVING WATER IN THIS ONE AS WELL. YES, MOVING WATER WILL PREVENT MOSQUITOES FROM BEING ABLE TO BREED. MOSQUITOES NEED STAGNANT OR STILL WATER IN ORDER TO BREED. SO THIS ONE HERE, I WENT A LITTLE BIT CRAZIER ACTUALLY. PUT A STACK UP OF ROCKS, PUT A PUMP IN THAT’S CREATING A NICE WATERFALL EFFECT. SO YOU ACTUALLY GET SOME OF THAT WATER SOUND, EVEN PUT A LITTLE FOG MACHINE IN HERE JUST FOR ESTHETICS. AND THEN THESE TWO PLANTS HERE, ONE IS AN IRIS BECAUSE IRIS IS THAT YOU PLANT THE GROUND. THERE ARE SOME SPECIES THAT CAN ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE WATER. AND THEN THIS IS A CANNA SAME KIND OF THING. BOTH OF THESE GUYS WILL ACTUALLY ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, BEES AND ALL THAT. SO THEY’RE GREAT FOR POLLINATORS. AND ALONG WITH THAT, YOU ALSO ATTRACT OTHER THINGS LIKE DRAGONFLIES AND EVEN TREE FROGS. SOMETIMES. AND THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS WE WANT TO ATTRACT. THEY’RE SO GOOD FOR NATURE AND THESE LOOK SO REFRESHING. I CAN SEE HOW YOU COULD JUST ADD SUCH PEACEFULNESS EVEN TO YOUR OWN YARD
Sunday Gardener: Tips for building water features at home to support flowers and local wildlife
Updated: 2:18 PM EDT Jun 21, 2026
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If you’ve always wanted a water feature to elevate your garden, Valley View Farms has advice to make one with basic tools around the home.
If you’ve always wanted a water feature to elevate your garden, Valley View Farms has advice to make one with basic tools around the home.
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