One of my absolute favourite things about my house has been the fountains in the courtyard and backyard. They brought birds and movement and play of sound and light, and confirmed my belief that every garden, no matter how small or urban, ought to have a water feature.

Alas, the fountains did not survive my years in London. The property manager who let my rooftop garden wither also left the fountains to dry up and burn out. Now that my rooftop is thriving, the fountains have been on my mind—can I fix them too?

Turns out, yes! On Saturday I dismantled the one in the courtyard, diagnosed the problem, and ordered replacement parts.

The parts arrived today, and it was only a matter of minutes before I had geysered a load of leaves and slugs out of the plumbing and had it running as smooth as could be.

Fingers crossed the one in the backyard will be as easy!