The Many Construction Materials of Landscape Fountains

Today, a lot of people choose copper for their sculptural garden fountains. Copper is appropriate for many fountain styles, including tabletop and cascade water fountains, and can be put either inside or outside - making it a great option. Another advantage of copper fountains is they are flexible and come in a wide assortment of styles.

Brass water fountains are also common, though they tend to have a more classic look than copper ones. Brass fountains are often designed with interesting artwork, so they are popular even if they are a bit conventional.

Of all the metals, stainless steel is seen as the most modern -looking. Adding a modern-looking steel design will immediately add value to your garden and enhance the overall ambiance. As with all fountains, you can get any size you choose.

Fiberglass is a common material for fountains because you can get the look and feel of metal at a much lower price, and it is lighter weight and easier to move than metal. The upkeep of fiberglass water fountains is quite simple, so they have many benefits that people appreciate.

Contemporary Garden Decoration: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Beginnings

Pure practicality was the original role of fountains. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs nearby. Until the late 19th, century most water fountains operated using gravity to allow water to flow or jet into the air, therefore, they needed a supply of water such as a reservoir or aqueduct located higher than the fountain. Fountains were an optimal source of water, and also served to adorn living areas and celebrate the artist. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish landscaping designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller versions of the gardens of paradise. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. Seventeen and 18 century Popes sought to exalt their positions by including beautiful baroque-style fountains at the point where restored Roman aqueducts arrived into the city.

Since indoor plumbing became the standard of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create unique water effects.

Embellishing city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the functions of modern-day fountains.