Several years ago, I read about bees needing to drink. I had no clue. So I go into the basement and looked through our abandoned craft supplies, find some shiny blue marbly things from Michael's and took them outside to the birdbath. I go back into the house to get more water, come back, and there were the bees! That all took place in under ten minutes! They seemed to have been waiting. This was in southeastern PA during 92 degree weather. Its is incredibly satisfying to watch bees drinking.

I had my very small townhouse front yard certified! My source of water uses a modestly-priced ($15) solar fountain and a small (maybe 3 feet diameter) rigid "pond" liner ($18) that I sank in the ground. I covered the edges of the rigid liner with pavers and rocks, stacked bricks and rocks inside the liner, topped them with a few pieces of flagstone, and ran tubing from the solar fountain through the stacked flagstone to create a small waterfall. Just at the surface of the water, I positioned a plant saucer (similar to your middle tier) that I filled up with gravel and a couple of flat rocks for the bees and butterflies to land on and drink from. Small birds drink from it, too! The whole set up cost less than $50 (including the price of 3 gorgeous flagstone pieces that I wanted to showcase) and has been going strong for 5 years.

@thatswhatisaid8908

Ай бұрын

It sounds beautiful! This is one of those posts which makes me wish we could post pictures in the comments!

@irairod5160

Ай бұрын

@thatswhatisaid8908 Thank you. It's a project that I feel very satisfied with, and your encouragement means a lot.

@anachen5128

Ай бұрын

I would’ve loved to have seen you put this together

@irairod5160

Ай бұрын

@@anachen5128 Awww, that's so nice for you to say . I don't have videos to post anywhere, but if it helps, the rigid liner is from Lowe's and the solar water fountain from either eBay or Amazon.

@susanhull7256

Ай бұрын

Good for you! I’m glad your townhouse association let you do it. ❤

I’m sure I sound ridiculous but it never occurred to me that bees drank water until I watched them landing on the side of my pool to drink. It helped me to feel less intimidated by them.

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

They're pretty mild little creatures, they just want to do their thing! I'm glad you found some peace with them!

@freedomofreligion3248

Ай бұрын

Guess what? Ducks either don't, or can't, swallow. To drink water, for instance, they have to tip their heads up and back. Cool, huh? 3rd grade. I'll never forget where + when I learned that lol.🪻📚🌼

@lilliannichols3871

Ай бұрын

Wasp are the same way, they just want to survive!

@lilliannichols3871

Ай бұрын

The humidity - think about that!

@conniewojahn6445

Ай бұрын

@@yardfarmerco Honey bees are perfect backyard visitors. They don't sting unless they feel their nest is threatened, so they usually leave people alone and tend to their hive business. I used to keep bees. Mason bees are also very polite. On the other hand, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are horrible and will sting just for the fun of it.

Are you planning to put anything in the larger bottom pot? It's a drowning hazard for little curious thirsty critters as there is no way out. Covering it with a larger platter will prevent this, or use larger rocks that will sit further up at the mouth of the pot to create those anchors for the critters to sit on, or bathing for the birds. Ensuring of course, that you leave sufficient gaps for the circulation of the water in the reservoir but no crevices that the critters can scurry through.

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

We did add more rocks to the bottom pot, we just didn't have enough when we recorded this video!

@l.b.5892

Ай бұрын

@@yardfarmerco I'm glad to hear that as it is quite distressing finding lifeless critters in the water. Thank you!

@melindapierce8234

Ай бұрын

Very true! Birds or small critters won't know the depth and can drown. Before I realized this,I had a little sparrow drown in a deep fountain.😢😢

@l.b.5892

Ай бұрын

@@melindapierce8234 That is so sad. I'm sorry to hear that. 💔

Daryl: I was born in Ogden at McKay Dee Hospital in 1952. We moved to Calif in 1959. Stayed, grew up, married, birthed oldest son, same hospital. Back w him to Calif., stayed and did Life + kids/marriage/career. Moved w my 15 yo, youngest son, to St George UT, in 1998. Still here, all 3 boys, wives, 3 of 5 grandkids, my 93 yo Mom + & my 60 yo little sister & hubby, all here now. Glad to find your channel. FABULOUS project.

@yardfarmerco

28 күн бұрын

Thank you for watching!

+1 vote for adding a pond to your yard.

@yardfarmerco

10 ай бұрын

The urge is real!

I plan to build a pond one day. But until my kiddo can swim and I feel comfortable letting her play near the pond, this will make an excellent water source! Thank you!

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

SO happy you enjoyed it! Have fun!

Thanks for showing us how to do it on a budget. We are all pinching pennies these days. Now we have more to share with our little garden critters! ❤

Because you aren’t seeing the one upside down (just for height) I’d for sure use something free at home as you’ll never see it.

Great ideas. However, I would silicone all of the inside pieces together to prevent any mishaps. They cam be lifted out as one to service the pump.

This is an awesome design - thankyou so much! I’ve been trying to work out how to do something very similar but with all the same criteria for wildlife! I live in the north of England in the UK, so we have cool winters, increasingly wetter and less snowy, with variable Spring/Summers which have occasional crazy moments (thx to climate change) which have been up to 31 degrees C, only a handful of times & still get occasional drops to about -10 degrees C with/out snow. So as long as I use frostproof pots (we can buy the exact same ones here) …or… I love zinc metal containers, some ex-agricultural, like 4’ x 18” drinking troughs from farmers’ fields (paid for obvs!) or fire buckets etc, these are mostly rustproof and look great. I’d need to include a doggo drinking fountain element to stop my two English Cocker Spaniels hoovering up bugs or wildlife with their drink! 🤦🏻‍♀️ And mine is a tiny garden but it has a beautiful part which has an original dry stone wall from a field boundary - perfect to run a pump to so that it comes through a gap in the stones and allows the water to flow in whatever design is required 😃🐶🐝🪲🐞👍🏻 So I’m sitting up in bed, two sleeping doggos next to me, with notebook and pencil, starting to sketch ideas using your terrific solution as a guide. Now, here’s the thing: … I’m a newish single woman, who happens to have MS, ME, Fibro, etc! … who was married for 30 years (I always did design/measure, he did heavy stuff!), so I’m trying to learn which things I can do by myself … which I’d much prefer obvs! (😁), as I have some personal (very annoying!!!) limitations to my capabilities … and which I have to sub out to *a man* (😡) … preferably without any *mansplaining* (🤬🤬🤬😂) I’m staying determined and will hopefully achieve my design without any major issues … I also have ADHD, so it would be great to achieve this in the next 12-24 months, rather than the usual purchasing without completion 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🥹😖😬 I shall try to report back 😬😳😁 xxx

Your fountain looks amazing! Thanks for sharing this! 💯 ❣️

Marvellous for wild life and especially critically endangered wildlife. All the creatures need water and food. Bush corridors. Thank you!

I just found your channel and subscribed, this wildlife fountain looks great and is such a cool project! I have one worry though, the main pot/reservoir could become a deadly trap for any wildlife if they get into it there would be no means of climbing out from the water. Hopefully birds won’t try to bathe inside the big pot and I guess most insects would go only to the trays? Otherwise it depends on what kind of small mammals or amfibians you have and wether they would be able to climb up to that ledge in the first place.

❤❤❤ I’m glad I found you channel, I mean.😊

The WHOLE pond!! Loved your video and I learned while laughing! 👏

@suehill6194

Ай бұрын

..and brilliant design on the watering feature! I definitely am putting one together!

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

I made a fountain out of an old birdbath a neighbor threw away. Sunk a round basin in the garden and put the entire birdbath base inside the basin. Put a piece of old pantyhose around the fountain so it wouldn’t get colony debris falling in. Added river rocks to the birdbath and ran the pump tubing up the middle of the birdbath pedestal. One the water was running I was able to grow moss I found in my back yard in the birdbath as well. We even had goldfish in the bottom basin (until raccoons caught them). It was wonderful listening to the water trickling, seeing birds and pollinators landing and drinking and one of my dogs decided it was her personal drinking fountain as well. Such a fun project!

As usual, great video. We’ve been using metal trash can lids found in the basement. I love watching the birds shake the water off acting as an automatic sprinkler for the plants near by.

@yardfarmerco

10 ай бұрын

Thank you! What a fantastic idea and a great way to repurpose something! I love it!

@dmariewalker6880

Ай бұрын

What a great idea! I think I will have to go trash picking! lol

Very nice! Celebration deserved!

Very nice. Perfect for the bee's. Hadn't thought about bees, but now I know what's getting set up very near my Russian Sage bed. They eat heavily in that flower. Smart!

I love this is turned out beautiful! I want a pond so bad too but I think this will be a lovely substitute. Love the water trickling sound.

I just found this video. TY!! I can’t wait to make my own. The ONLY change up I will do is drill a hole on the bottom pot towards the upper area adding a couple holes and allowing drainage for when it rains. Doing it this way, I won’t overload my pump from too much water from rain, allowing any water to remain the level I originally want it to be. Then no adjustments or removal of additional water is required.

No idea why youtube is pushing this video 9 months later but I’m so glad! I live in south Salt Lake County and I’m taking NOTES on this video. Love how approachable you made this project 💚

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much, we're so glad you found it! We also have NO IDEA why this video took off over the last few weeks, but we're happy to see it! Happy gardening to you!

Beautiful! Love it!!

How stinking cool is that!! Well done and such a great and pretty idea! Thank you so much for sharing this!

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Thanks so much! 😊

I love this, that is the perfect bubble flow and I am saving this one to do one too! Thank you!

love love love love this fountain! I'm going to save this video and use it to make one this summer! Thank you so much!

If you soak terra cotta for 24 hours it will help with the rate of absorbtion that the water can cause.

Great project. Thank you!!

This is my new favorite series. Please update soon!

Depending on origin of glazed pots. The Chinese are notorious for using lead and other heavy metals.

Las year there were two crows that were always trying to drink water from the pool but the could never drink, , because the water is to low for them to reach it.. And I felt so bad fir them and was thinking that it would be nice if I can find something like that for them... hopink that they'll come back this year😅

Beautiful! Very nice. Thanks!

really nice !! personally i would have left the bottom plate for the bees and such- maybe a wider plate come to think for that purpose, and left the top plate for birds: i have a soup plate on my balcony and besides drinking, they love to take baths !!!

Thanks for sharing!

It's a beautiful, adorable, effective water source; well done!! Seed milkweed; it'll take a couple-3 yrs to become what they need to be, for the butterflies. 💛💜❤️💚🌷

I am definitelt making One!!!

Great Idea, left you an Abo. Greetings from Germany 🙋‍♀️🌸

Beautiful, so inspirational ❤

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

First time viewer and I’m blown away! Awesome job with great ideas. Thanks!

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

This is so cool. I wish I could do this in so cal.

outstanding

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Thank you!

Loved your video, Ms. Yardfarmer! You're a natural in front of the camera. You remind me of a Travel KZreadr (can't think of her channel right now), but you girls have similar personalities and presentation style. It'll come to me. Anyway, good luck to you.

@monicamestas7566

28 күн бұрын

The channel I was thinking of is called Roaming Reckless. Oh, and I subscribed ;)

cool

Good day ! I am glad I have found your video I made one a couple of years with a nice pot but I may need ideas for polinisaters it’s good for birds but I may have to add a top can I send a picture to have ideas

i love this project! how has it fared in the heat---i sometimes have issues with algae in fountains...?

Question- how do any critters that fall into the big/ bottom pot get out before drowning?

The only thing I would worry about is lizards falling in the deep basin and getting stuck... Not sure how to fix that

Can I live next to you? Wow!

Love this. My only concern in the big pot at the bottom if small animals fall in & cant get out. Maybe a stick or two so they can crawl out.?

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Great point! We have made some revisions with a bit of mesh to cover the opening since this was published!

How do you keep the water clean? Even with my water pump keeping the water moving, it seems to get green and dirty.

I don’t see how you sealed the pump wiring the bottom of the pot . And why not use solar ?

Love this! You may have said and I missed it, but how often does something like this need to be cleaned? And when it's time do you just take it apart and give it a scrub with a cleaning brush or is there more to it?

@yardfarmerco

9 ай бұрын

Thank you! So far we've just filled it with water when it evaporates, it hasn't really had a chance to get stagnant in the Utah heat. But yeah, when that water gets a little less bright looking, take it apart, empty it out, and give it a good scrub with diluted vinegar! After that dries out you're good to go!

You buried the electrical cord in the bottom how’s it going to turn on unless it’s solar?

Is there anywhere you listed the items you used? I don’t see anything. Trying to see how many inches are showing of the second pot from the large pot

Was there just water in the biggest base pot?

water feature.. Irs one thing to build another to maintain properly or else the living things drinking from it can get seriously sick or die

How do you keep it clean?

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

The best way is vinegar and water, about 1 part vinegar to 9 parts water. Run that through the cycle, let it circulate a little, drain it off and let it dry before refilling.

@NoreenCasey-gg7kd

Ай бұрын

@@yardfarmerco Thank you yardfarmerco

Did you need to do anything to winterize it for your SLC winter temps? That’s always concern for our Colorado winters.

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

We just drained it and wrapped it up, worked wonderfully!

Where is the electrical cord coming out of the bottom pot ?

I’m not understanding how the pump is powered. ???

Does this run 24/7? Or do you turn it off at night?

What will silicone do over time to the birds, insects that drink from there?

@ratioetscientia

29 күн бұрын

shouldn’t do anything I would think. Silicone is used for surgeries, hygiene products and baking equipment because it doesn’t react to anything irrespective of moisture or temperature 🤷‍♀️

How many times does she have say that we can use things around the house?????

Oh my fucking God. They'll eat hornworms?!!?! My cats brought like 20 hummingbird moths in my house this year, I was expecting to need to hunt hornworms with a blacklight, like, daily to have ANY tomatoes. I haven't found a single one! All hail my new happy waspy best friends!

@yardfarmerco

7 ай бұрын

Yay!

Get a used kiddie pool free or real cheap and use that for a pond

But the prettiest pot is covered up.

Very nice fountain. Probably would have to be more sturdy if you have a "cat" pollinator.

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Yeah, it's pretty stable with water in it for sure, but something like a cat or raccoon is going to cause some issues! In that case I would recommend using a waterproof caulk to keep all the parts together, but that eliminates the ability to take it apart for troubleshooting.

You could always just move to China or Dubai

I love it but see one hitch. We have larger critters (mostly the raccoon variety) that come by for a drink also and they would knock that apart in no time so it would have to be immovable. 🥲

@yardfarmerco

Ай бұрын

Raccoons are DEFINITELY a design flaw for this! There are ways around it, but I'm pretty sure the raccoons would be taking notes and figure it out!