Fountain landscaping in Boise, Idaho

A lot of fountain landscaping in Boise starts with a homeowner telling me, "The fountain works fine. It just looks like somebody set it on the lawn and walked away." That's a landscaping problem, not a fountain problem. Fountain landscaping is everything around the fountain: the rock, the plants, the edging, the watering and the light. Done well, it makes the fountain look like it grew there, and it keeps the water cleaner too.

I'm Kabe Hockema. I've been landscaping in the Treasure Valley since 2012, and I'm on every job myself. I build fountains with Aquascape components and plan the planting around them at the same time. For all my fountain work, start at my fountain contractor page.

What fountain landscaping covers

• The rock and gravel right around the fountain.
• An edge that keeps soil and mulch out of the gravel.
• Plants that frame the fountain and handle our heat.
• Watering that doesn't soak the stone.
• A stepping stone or short path to reach the pump.
• Lighting, and maybe a bench or a pair of chairs.

Rock and stone around the basin

The gravel over the basin catches the water, so it has to stay clean and open. I use washed river rock in mixed sizes, with a few larger stones to break up the edge so it doesn't look like a perfect circle. Past the catch area, the rock can blend into a bed of cobble or bigger boulders. A flat stepping stone near the pump access gives you a dry place to stand when you clean it. A clean edge between rock and soil keeps dirt from washing in after a storm.

Plants that do well near a fountain in Boise

Our summers are hot and dry, and our soil tends to be clay and alkaline. Plants near a fountain need to handle all of that, plus the odd splash. A few that work well here:

• Ornamental grasses, like feather reed grass or blue grama, that move in the wind and echo the water.
• Low groundcovers, like creeping thyme or sedum, tucked between stones.
• Perennials like penstemon, yarrow and catmint for color without much water.
• In shade, hostas or Japanese forest grass near the splash.

Keep big, floppy plants back from the water so they don't hang into the catch area. I pick plants for your sun, soil and style. My softscapes and planting page covers planting work in more detail.

Keep bark mulch and leaves out of the water

Bark mulch floats. One windy day or one heavy sprinkler cycle can wash it into the gravel, where it clogs the pump and stains the water. I use rock mulch near the fountain and keep bark farther out. Trees matter too. Maples, ash and cottonwoods drop leaves, seeds and fluff that end up on the pump screen. If your fountain sits under one, plan on cleaning it more often in spring and fall.

Watering near a fountain

Sprinkler spray that hits the fountain stone leaves white hard water spots. I switch nearby beds to drip irrigation, which puts water at the roots and keeps the stone dry. In Canyon County, many yards water from irrigation district canals or ditches. That water is fine for plants, but it can carry silt and weed seeds, so I don't use it to top off a fountain. House water keeps the basin cleaner.

Light it and give it a seat

A fountain you only see in daylight is only doing half its job. A low light aimed at the water makes it glow in the evening. A bench, a pair of chairs or a short path out to it gives you a reason to sit and listen.

Landscaping a new or existing fountain

If the fountain is new, I plan the landscaping and the fountain together. My page on landscape fountain design covers how I place a fountain within the whole yard. If you're adding one out back, see backyard fountain installation. If you already have a fountain that looks dropped in, I can rework the rock, planting and edging around it.

What drives the cost

The cost depends on the size of the area, the amount of rock and stone, the number and size of plants, any changes to irrigation, and lighting. A small bed around a single urn is a much smaller job than a full garden around a fountain. I'll price it once I've seen the space.

Where I do fountain landscaping

I do fountain landscaping in Boise, Garden City, Eagle, Meridian, Star, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell and Middleton, and in Hidden Springs, Sun Valley and Ketchum. Canyon County yards on ditch water often need the irrigation changes above.

Give your fountain a proper setting

If your fountain needs a setting that fits, schedule a consultation for fountain landscaping in Boise. I'll plan the rock, plants and watering so it looks right and stays easy to care for.