The Antique Showstopper Joanna Gaines Had To Have In Her Garden

Joanna Gaines' impeccable taste and design talent have made her a staple in the home and garden industry. She doesn't just design for others on HGTV's Fixer Upper; she also has a stunning home and garden of her own. On Season 5 Episode 12 of Fixer Upper, "Chip and Jo's Family Garden Project", Gaines shows her own yard and the improvements the family is making. While it's all beautiful, one of the most showstopping features is the gorgeous antique water pump.

The Gaines' water pump is part of their water catchment system and is connected to a rainwater reservoir that collects water from the gutters of their garden shed. Even without its functionality and practicality, though, it's still a unique statement piece in the yard. And with water pumps often available in antique shops and online markets, you could add one to your own yard for a few hundred dollars or less, depending on the style. 

Hooking it up to a water catchment system might prove challenging, but these pumps make interesting garden art, and smaller climbing plants could be trained to climb them, so there's no need to use yours for its intended function. You could even just use the top of the pump as a small planter for flowers.

Rainwater catchment systems are an amazing way to be more self-sufficient and waste less water. By catching rainwater from gutters and storing it in a tank or rain barrel, you have a free, on-demand water supply for all your garden plants. You can put a basin or barrel under the pump to catch the water and use it as an unconventional flowerpot or container garden if you want to implement an easy, small-scale water catchment system. While the Gaineses used their antique pump as a beautiful and practical way to dispense their saved water, you don't have to forgo the beauty of an antique pump just because you're not able to set up a water catchment system. 

An antique water pump is perfect if you want something a little different, like an elegant garden statue to add interest to a yard or flower bed. They can evoke the feeling of a charming, ramshackle home — something like what Mei and Satsuki lived in in the classic film 'My Neighbor Totoro'. Their rustic form and often literal rust can help give your cottage garden a sense of history and whimsy. Surround it with delicate and eye-catching flowers like love-in-a-mist and cosmos to provide a soft contrast against the metal pump.