How a Scrap Built Fountain Turned My Garden Into a Wildlife Haven

Built From Bits & Pieces: How a Scrap Fountain Brought My Garden to Life”

There are days when I genuinely stand back and think… how did we even get all that done?

Working at Hedgie Wilder, the list never ends. Every day just adds another line. Another job. Another idea. Another “I’ll do that when I get time.”

But this, this little project was different.

This wasn’t work.
This was just me, a hot day, and a bit of stubborn determination.

It Started With the Heat… and an Idea

June 2024.
Kurtovo Konare.
Absolutely roasting.

I’d just finished a long day, came home, sat in the garden… and honestly, it was too hot to even think straight. The kind of heat that presses down on everything, the plants, animals, people alike.

And that’s when it hit me.

I’d always wanted a water feature. Nothing fancy, well, maybe a bit fancy in my head. Something like the fountains you see in Plovdiv parks, or up by Krichim Palace. Proper, peaceful, flowing water.

But in reality?
No time. No budget. No chance.

Still… the idea wouldn’t leave.

The 15-Minute “That’ll Do” Fountain

So I did what I usually do.

I looked around at what I already had.

Two old car tyres.
One battered satellite dish.

That was it.

Stacked the tyres.
Dropped the dish on top.
Sealed the bolt holes with silicone.
Filled it with water.

Job done.

And yes… it looked exactly how you’re imagining. Tyres. Satellite dish. Plonked in the garden.

Beautiful? Not even close.
Did I care? Not at all.

Because within 15 minutes, I had something that mattered more, it held water and that meant life.

I added a cheap little solar fountain pump… and suddenly, it wasn’t just a bowl of water. It moved. It shimmered. It made sound.

And just like that, the garden felt different.

From Scrap Pile to “Let’s Do This Properly”

Now, I’ll admit, I couldn’t leave it there. Because once you start something like this, your brain runs away with it.

I had more “useful junk” lying around:

• old satellite dishes

• a pile of rocks

• an old pig trough (dated 1947, no less)

• leftover wooden beams

• bits of concrete fence posts

Basically… a garden full of “I might need that one day.”

Well, that day had come.

No Cement, No Rules, Just Gaps and Life

One thing I didn’t do was cement anything together.

At the time, it was practical as I just wanted to be able to take it apart one day and build something “better.”

But that decision turned out to be one of the best parts.

All those gaps, cracks, and spaces?

They became homes.

Frogs.
Lizards.
Insects.
Snails.

A whole little ecosystem, just… moved in.

Then Came the Waiting Game

At that point, I still didn’t have a proper pump.

And I’ll be honest, I didn’t trust most of what I saw online or in shops. Cheap pumps fail. Expensive ones often aren’t much better.

So I waited.

Filled the base with water… and just watched.

And within minutes, the first visitors arrived.

Birds.
Insects.
Even the neighbour’s cats.

Day after day, more came.

Sitting on the terrace, just watching the movement… it was already worth it. Very Peaceful.

The Pump I Didn’t Want (But Bought Anyway)

A few days later, I walked into one of my favourite shops, they had my favourite sale “20% off everything” for the weekend. Dangerous.

I was there for plug sockets and paint… but somehow ended up in the pump aisle.

There was no real choice. Just one cheap brand.

I stood there thinking: “Do I really want to buy this… knowing it might not last?”

In the end… I gave in.

Well that is have a sale €37.50 minus 20%., was easier to swallow. “Good enough for now,” I told myself.

Bringing It to Life

When I got home. Didn’t even unpack the car.I headed straight to the garden.

Setting up the pump. Connected everything. Dropped it into the base dish. Plugged it in.

And…

It worked.

Better than expected, actually.

Water flowing from the top trough… spilling over… trickling through the dishes… back down into the base.

I tweaked the flow, adjusted the stones, added a bit of turbulence for sound.

Then stepped back.

Beer in hand.

And just watched.

And Then… the Storks Arrived

This was the moment I didn’t expect.

At first, it was just birds coming to drink and wash.

Then one day… storks.

Not just passing through, but staying.

Walking through the garden.
Picking through the grass.
Drinking from the fountain.

Proper, full-sized storks… using something I built out of scrap.

That’s when it really hit me.

This wasn’t just a “feature.”
It had become part of the local wildlife.

If you would like to see more clips please checkout our channel at Hedgiewilder YouTube

Capturing What I Couldn’t See

Of course, I couldn’t watch it all day.

So I borrowed a wildlife camera from my parents (they’re just as into nature aswell).

I set it up facing the fountain.

And what it captured… well, you can see for yourself.

More Than Just a Fountain

This whole thing started as a quick idea on a hot day.

No plan.
No budget.
No perfection.

Just… doing something.

And in the end, it became:

• a water source for wildlife

• a place of calm

• a small ecosystem

• something I genuinely enjoy sitting beside

Not bad for a pile of odds and ends.

If You’ve Got the Space, Do Something With It

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

And it definitely doesn’t have to look like something out of a magazine.

Sometimes, the best things come from just… starting.

If you enjoy seeing how nature finds its way into everyday spaces, follow along—I’ll be sharing more moments like this.

Or head over to our main page to see what we do day to day.