If it’s already feeling too hot in your backyard with summer barely started, a garden water feature will bring the cooling sound of a babbling stream to your yard. Our brains are deeply encoded with the love of moving water because, once upon a time, we humans depended on it for survival. So hearing that trickling noise instantly makes us feel safe, and we relax. Research proves that the sound of moving water makes us feel calm, lowering heart rate and reducing blood pressure – which makes us feel cooler.

So if you're looking for ideas to turn your patio or deck into a comfy outdoor living area without spending a fortune this summer, a water feature is a great place to start.

There are now many different types of water feature you can easily install yourself, without the expense of calling in a landscaper or plumber. Some barely take five minutes to set up, while other let you get creative and put your DIY skills to good use.

I’ve broken down the various water feature options that you can easily install yourself, both powered by electricity and solar power, so you can decide which will work best for you. There are four types to choose from, catering for all budgets and backyards, as prices have plummeted as these soothing garden features have become more popular. So, by next weekend, you can test out that research for yourself, relaxing beside your new water feature.

Which Water Feature is Best For Your Garden?

The exact right type of water feature for your garden will depend on your budget, and how handy you are. But don’t fret: Even if your budget is $20 and you’re a rookie when it comes to DIY, you can enjoy the sound of babbling water in your backyard.

1. Solar-Powered Microponds

Petite DIY water features made with a container and a solar-powered floating fountain are a huge trend this summer, and no wonder. Making a solar-powered micropond is cheap and easy to achieve, yet can be an absolutely magical garden addition. You simply need a watertight container, and using a marine sealant such as this from Amazon means you can plug the drainage hole in an old planter or fix a damaged vintage vessel, opening up a world of creative possibilities. Fill with water, add a floating solar fountain, and you’re done!

You can dream up all sorts of clever ways to incorporate a solar-powered micropond into your garden, from a sizeable mid-border water feature to a fresh drinking fountain for your dog. Or how about fashioning a splash-park for your garden birds?

2. Plug And Go Water Features

Your second option for a near-instant water feature is to buy a plug-and-go design. You'll need an outdoor plug socket as they're powered by electricity, but then all you need do is fill it with water and switch it on. A plug-and-go water feature can be placed in sun or shade, and be switched on and off as you wish.

If you don’t already have an outside electricity socket, this is a relatively cheap job for an electrician, especially if it's positioned on the other side of a wall to an indoors socket.

Do check the length of the cable before you buy, and ensure it allows you to position the water feature where you want it.

3. Standalone Solar Water Pumps

If you like a little DIY project and fancy creating a one-off water feature, unique to you, then a standalone solar water pump allows you to magic up all sorts of ideas. All you need is some sort of watertight container and your imagination! Standalone solar water pumps typically come with a separate solar panel which needs to be positioned to absorb maximum sunshine, a pump, tubing and a fountain head with various nozzles.

It’s important to choose the right level of power to suit the size of your water feature, and solar pumps range from around 12W to well over a whopping 55W. Most of these pumps don’t have a battery back-up, so water only flows when sunlight is hitting the solar panel.

The large solar panel creates more energy for a higher water flow, so you can use these pumps as fountains or water bubblers in larger containers such as these corten steel troughs.

The separate parts and length of tubing also allows you to create more complex water features. Put simply, this type of pump allows you to move water from one place to another. Armed with a drill and the right bit (a diamond tile-cutting bit such as this from Amazon is best for drilling ceramic) and marine sealant like this from Amazon, you can create all sorts of water features where one vessel empties into another.

How about using reclaimed materials with a pipe emptying into a metal trough, like this?

Perhaps you could utilise a slope and a pond liner and pebbles to make a natural stream-like feature, pumping water from a small pond made from a sunken tub back to the top.

The other benefit to having the fountain head separate to the solar panel is that you can position a water feature in a shady area, with shade-loving plants.

You can also sink a base container so it's flush with the ground, for a sleek look.

If you choose a solar fountain without a battery that only works when the sun's out, a neat tip is to add a drop of black pond colorant such as this from Amazon. The harmless dye makes the water surface far more reflective, creating appealing images of reflected cloudscapes or overhanging foliage. The darker color will make the ripples more obvious when the pump is running, too.

4. Plug-In Water Pumps

If you want to make your own water feature but don’t want to rely on the sun being out for it to work, an electric pump is a better choice. There are all sorts to choose from, starting with basic water pumps which simply suck water in and power it up through a spray nozzle to create a fountain, such as this from Amazon. There there are more complex pumps such as this, also from Amazon, with tubing that enables you to move water from one vessel into another.

Whatever you choose, make sure the pump is for outdoor use, as many designs are for indoor aquariums. Do check the length of the cable, too, as this will dictate how far away from an outside plug socket you can position the feature.

You'll also find lots of plug-in kits that provide the pump and fountain parts to be used with a container of your choice. This is a great half-way house, letting you add a customized water feature to your yard with hardly any DIY.