21 Backyard Fountain Ideas That Will Make a Splash

Backyard fountains add a soothing water element and a decorative feature or focal point to your outdoor space that will make it feel more enjoyable to use. Whether you choose to build a simple DIY fountain, install a water fountain sourced online, add an integrated fountain for your pool design, or source a vintage working or decorative fountain from an architectural salvage yard or garden store, adding a backyard fountain will elevate any outdoor space.

Check out these backyard fountain ideas in a range of styles, sizes, and settings that are worth splashing out on.

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Garden Floor Fountain

Liz Marie Blog

Blogger Liz Marie added a clean-lined square cascading fountain on the ground of her garden that is made from cement with a copper spigot, adding a mood-boosting and relaxing water element that is surrounded by plants.

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Backyard Patio Fountain

Manscapers

Manscapers created a seating area around a stone backyard fountain with a pair of runs holding topiaries on this calming backyard patio in the West Village that is a lush and cozy oasis in the middle of NYC.

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Integrated Pool Fountain

Kate Marker Interiors

Kate Marker Interiors outfitted the heated pool outside this renovated Michigan cottage with a hybrid water fountain and fire element that has a sculptural modern look.

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Water Fountain With Hedges

Fantastic Frank

This Swedish country house from Fantastic Frank creates a focal point on the vast lawn that is visible from the indoors, anchored by a classical tiered fountain that is surrounded by a low circle of hedges.

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Modern Backyard Fountain

Thistlewood Farms

Thistlewood Farms added a simple and affordable freestanding fountain to the floor of this outdoor patio seating area that is easy to install and is customized with vibrant flowering plants.

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Patterned Tile Fountain

Fantastic Frank

This staggered backyard fountain from Fantastic Frank is covered in patterned tiles against a wall of ivy, anchoring a small seating area furnished with antique garden chairs that give it a timeless feel.

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Bamboo Fountain

Thistlewood Farms

This simple fountain from Thistlewood Farms has a bamboo spigot in the corner that leaves room for plants to take center stage.

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Vintage Fountain

Hotel Henriette

A vintage French outdoor fountain on this Parisian patio at the Hotel Henriette can be used as a planter or a bird bath, adding charm to spaces big or small.

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Minimalist Pool Fountain

Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Photo by Spacecrafting

Two small fountain spigots spilling water into the pool and a giant floating blow-up swan soften this minimalist backyard pool space in Minneapolis, MN from Martha O'Hara Interiors.

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Focal Point Fountain

Design by Crisp Architects / Photo by Rob Karosis

This outdoor fountain from Crisp Architects has simple lines and an elegant feel, surrounded by well manicured landscaping that give it pride of place and provides a pleasing view from the adjacent screen porch.

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Minimalist Backyard Pool Fountain

Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Photo by Spacecrafting

A minimalist backyard pool fountain adds visual interest and movement that is visible from the living room from Martha O’Hara Interiors.

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Lion Head Fountain

Design by Emily Henderson / Styling by Emily Bowser / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp and Veronica Crawford

A classical lion head fountain mounted on a wall of vines and French bistro-style seating gives this backyard stone patio from Emily Henderson Design a timeless feel.

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Tiered Fountain

Thistlewood Farms

A multi-tiered fountain landscaped with fluffy grass creates a central roundabout for a series of paved walkways in this backyard lawn while adding a focal point to the wide open space from Thistlewood Farms.

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French Renaissance-Style Fountain

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

If you have more front yard than backyard, there's nothing stopping you from placing your fountain outside your entry to up your curb appeal. Interior designer Emily Henderson added a multi-tiered French Renaissance-style fountain to the front yard of her home and landscaped the base with a generous mix of plants and flowers to create a welcoming and timeless feel.

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Zen Backyard Fountain

LeeYiuTung / Getty Images

You can add a zen garden vibe to your backyard by adding a minimalist Japanese-style bamboo and stone fountain in a quiet corner of your outdoor space that will calm and center you.

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Backyard Garden Fountain

Liz Marie Blog

Blogger Liz Marie added a stacked stone base and a scalloped white wire fence around this tiered garden fountain set on a patch of gravel filled with raised garden beds in the backyard next to her farmhouse greenhouse.

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Contemporary Concrete Fountain

Kendall Wilkinson Design

This streamlined concrete fountain from Kendall Wilkinson Design is built along one side of the stairs, offering guests the sound of trickling water as they make the trek to the door.

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Contemporary Backyard Pool Fountain

Maite Granda

A rectangular tiled fountain at the far end of this backyard Florida pool from interior designer Maite Granda adds a water feature that blends in with the contemporary pool area.

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Decorative Fountain

Liz Marie Blog

A purely decorative non-working fountain mounted to the side of the greenhouse in this backyard garden from blogger Liz Marie adds vintage farmhouse charm, leaving the water supply to nourish the growing garden below.

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Modern Backyard Fountain

Mindy Gayer Design Co. / Photo by Lane Dittoe

Mindy Gayer Design Co. included a small stone-edged single spigot fountain surrounded by plants on the edge of this modern Newport Coast backyard.

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Hedge Maze Fountain

Fantastic Frank

And because it's fun to dream, here's a 19th-century villa in Hamburg, Germany from Fantastic Frank that includes a landscaped hedge maze that is anchored by a fountain in a corner of the vast green grounds that adds grandeur and an elegant whimsical element to this large sloping backyard lawn.

Where should you put my water fountain in a backyard?

You can place a water fountain in a central area of your backyard (or front yard) to create a focal point, adding hedges, a decorative base, a patch of gravel, or other landscaping and hardscaping. Just be sure that your water fountain doesn’t block flow and is proportionate to the rest of the outdoor space. A water fountain can be incorporated into a backyard pool design, or you can use a small outdoor fountain to anchor a patio, seating area, or quiet corner of the garden.

How do you keep an outdoor fountain water clean naturally?

Use natural products to clean your outdoor fountain that won’t harm it or the environment. A solution of one part white vinegar and one part water and a scrub brush will help chase unsightly algae away. And be sure to clean your fountain and water pump regularly to keep water clean and clear.