Garden Fountains and Stuff

My experience with Jerry was wonderful. We wanted a very simple design. So simple that he didn’t even offer it on his website. He custom made the pieces, delivered and installed it for much less than other companies. With the water restrictions, we’ve converted our fountain to a succulent garden that looks amazing. Have also ordered a couple of other decorative items that look great in our garden. Will definitely use again.

I wanted to love my fountain from Jerry. But, it has been a huge hassle that still isn’t over. I have learned the hard way that friendly is not a measure of quality or integrity. In January I bought a small 3-​tier fountain from Garden Fountains and Stuff for $ 300. Their prices are reasonable and the fountain I choose was exactly what I was picturing. We made the effort to drive from Oceanside to Escondido to choose the color — what was online is definitely not the same as in person. We ordered later that day and our fountain arrived in a timely manner. We picked it up to save the delivery charge. There are 8 or 9 HEAVY pieces so a good vehicle and strong help is a must. I noticed some white residue on the bottom pedestal of the fountain, but figured it was nothing. When we asked Jerry about how to assemble the fountain, his advice was «don’t use a level to get it level, but fill it with water to see if it’s even. And get a 500 gph pump from Home Depot. and use grout between the pieces to hold them in place. Well, we have never assembled a 600 pound fountain. There was so much more that we learned the hard way or didn’t do correctly. When I called with some questions, he gave a few more tips. I suggested he put together installation instructions to include since I am sure it is easy for him to do. DON’T get your fountain here unless you are an expert at installation. Prepping the area, plugging holes, leveling, and adjusting pump, electrical, etc is all very daunting to a novice. I don’t think we got anything right the first time. And my engineer husband is usually very capable at these kind of things.
I was totally wrong about the white residue! It was lime leeching from the concrete. It continued to grow and get worse. Some days it was all over the base and others it was just in parts. Then it started to appear on the bottom tier of the our 3-​tier fountain. Jerry said it was unusual and give it a couple weeks. No improvement at all. So, Jerry came and sealed the bottom 2 pieces. This helped, especially with the pedestal, but the bottom tier continued to have large patches, especially in the afternoon. We bought the fountain in January and the first time we were able to finally use it was April. When we filled it with water and turned it on (after major adjustments because the 500 gph pump shot water high into the air!), it was lovely. UNTIL, water started leaking through the bottom tier. The fountain is made of concrete (in Mexico) and obviously something was wrong with this batch. Jerry said this wasn’t normal and would replace the bottom 2 pieces. Now it is May and, after much persistence on my part, he replaced the bottom 2 pieces. And I paid him $ 120 to properly install the fountain while we were away this weekend. My husband is totally over this project and frustrated with me for choosing this business. I am writing this review because I have now spent more than an hour trying to clean off all the grout that was slopped all over. Not reside, but grout is thick and extends more than 2 inches below each seam, obscuring detail on the fountain. Not to mention, it is not the same color as the fountain. I have barely made a dent in the mess.
I am so disappointed. I wanted to add pictures, but I don’t review often so can’t figure it out.