Select from Any Number of Outdoor Wall Fountain Designs

Depending on your wishes, you can choose from mounted or freestanding models. Small, self-contained versions can be placed on a wall are called mounted wall fountains. Fountains of this kind need to be light, therefore, they are usually fabricated from resin (resembling stone) or fiberglass. In large free-standing fountains, otherwise referred to as wall fountains, the basin is situated on the ground with the flat side positioned against a wall. Typically made of cast stone, these water features have no weight restrictions.

It is a good idea to incorporate a custom-made fountain into a new or existing wall, something often suggested by landscape experts. The basin and all the necessary plumbing are best installed by a qualified mason. It is also necessary to add a spout or fountain mask to build it into the wall. The unified look provided by customized wall fountains make them appear to be part of the landscape instead of an afterthought.

Contemporary Garden Decor: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings

The central purpose of a fountain was originally strictly functional. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to provide them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late 19th century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and more elevated than the fountain so that gravity could make the water flow downwards or shoot high into the air. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and celebrate the designer. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to demonstrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to exalt the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.

The end of the 19th century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to supply drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to purely decorative elements. Gravity was substituted by mechanical pumps in order to permit fountains to bring in clean water and allow for beautiful water displays.

These days, fountains adorn public spaces and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.