Caring For Your Water Feature during the Cold Winter Months

Autumn brings many new colours, birds, and flowers to your garden at home, along with some new chores like raking leaves and preparing your water feature for the winter. An important thing to remember about your water feature is that you can't just leave it all winter, unless you happen to live in a very warm climate all year long.

If you have a concrete or any type of stone fountain, the best advice for the cold winter months is to empty the fountain out completely and bring it indoors before the first winter frost. Simply emptying the fountain may not be enough, as stone tends to expand and contract with varying temperatures. This could cause the fountain to crack, especially if there is still water in it. Adding antifreeze to your fountain may seem like a quick fix, but that is dangerous to pets and wildlife.

If the fountain is too big or you simply don't have room for it inside, then still protect it by emptying it out, removing all pumps and hoses, and putting a cover over it. You might also want to check it from time to time to ensure no water has leaked into it.

If you follow these basic instructions, you can be sure your fountain will be in good shape when it's time to use it again, and you'll get years of enjoyment out of your outdoor water feature.