Transform a Fountain Into a Garden Planter

Can you envision trailing plants such as lantana or sweet potato vine cascading over some of the upper tiers of a fountain? Here are some other ideas for transforming an old, unused fountain into a focal part of your garden, filled with container plants.

When creating a garden with multiple levels, try choosing one or two types of the same plants that you will plant in each level. This helps the different levels to ‘flow’ together visually. Then you can add different plants to finishing out each level.

Psst! Here’s how to turn a birdbath into a mini fairy garden, and how to make a miniature succulent fairy garden, too.

Another idea to fill your fountain, is by using contrasting colors. Imagine the top level filled with purple, trailing flowers. Then fill the middle bowl with bright orange flowers (orange and purple are great examples of contrasting colors).  Finish off with adding purple flowering plants in the bottom level.  This creates a truly beautiful and striking color statement in your garden.

Try adding grass-like plants in the different levels, to mimic the shape of falling water.  Fortnight lily (Dietes bicolor) would work well planted in the center, surrounded by low-growing, flowering plants, such as Verbena, that would drape downward.

How about filling your fountain with herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme?  Just make sure not to over water them.

Want to attract hummingbirds or butterflies to your garden?  Fill your fountain with Lantana, Verbena, Salvia and other plants that are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

So, do you have an unused fountain? Don’t throw it away. Transform it into a beautiful, focal point in your garden—fill it with plants.

Check out the top 10 container plants that you can use in your fountain garden.