The Origins Of Garden Fountains

From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply meant to serve as functional elements. Water fountains were linked to a spring or aqueduct to provide potable water as well as bathing water for cities, townships and villages. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Designers thought of fountains as amazing additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to provide clean water and honor the artist responsible for creating it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often used by Romans to beautify their fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his superiority over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains constructed to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.

The end of the nineteenth century saw the increase in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity allowed fountains to provide recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.

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

Choose from all Sorts of Outdoor Water Features

A dramatic impact is made when a spouting fountain sends a shooting stream of water up into the air. Large, existing ponds can have one of these built-in without much difficulty. You may have seen one of these in a recreation area or an old estate.

Wall fountains are an great illustration of outdoor wall features. These types of water features make for a great addition to your yard even if it is small. While spouting fountains leave behind an impressive effect, wall fountains are rather understated water features. In this straightforward process, water is ejected from a little spout, goes down a beautifully textured wall, before being recovered at the bottom and returned to the top once again.

Installing a fountain with a theme depends completely on the style of your garden. A cherub holding a spout is one of the possible types of classical-styled statues you can use if you want your fountain to fit a rustically themed cottage or garden. On the other hand, a more contemporary garden can include more of a bold design. Let your imagination run free to decide on the best option.

The primary trait of a multi-tiered fountain is that water flows from a number of different levels. Water flows down numerous tiers in a cascading fountain.

A significant amount of space is needed for an outdoor fountain, so another alternative is to install a wall fountain or a pondless fountain. Put in one of these fountains if your space is limited since their reservoirs are concealed from sight below ground.

If you seek a feeling of peacefulness and calmness, put in a Japanese fountain as these are thought to bring about such sensations. The water passes through bamboo sticks in this kind of water feature. A rustic bucket or shaped stone is placed at the bottom of this feature to collect the flowing water only to have the cycle repeated over and over again.

One of the many designs of fountain around is the glass fountain. Featuring shaped metalwork, trellis-style fountains of this type have a more traditional aspect. Water features of this type are a perfect option for gardens with many sharp edges along with contemporary forms and design. As the water streams over the surface of the glass it produces a dazzling impact. Colored LED lights are also included in some fountains to illuminate the water as it progresses down the sheet of glass. With water softly running down its surface, rock waterfall fountains, often made of fake rock, are a viable solution for your garden.

Bubbling rock fountains are large stones drilled with holes which are then filled with tubes in the middle. In this type of fountain, water is pushed upwards at low pressure to cause it to bubble and gurgle at the top. Downward flowing water appears as soft trickle as it moves down the sides of the rock to return to its base. This is yet another option for gardens with limited space. This sort of fountain, which uses low pressure to move water, is suitable because it stops water from being sprayed around in windy weather.

Powered by sunlight, solar fountains are becoming increasingly trendy. The advantages of using this type of solar powered fountain is the lack of cables, lowered difficulty in installing them, the decrease in electricity bills, and the beneficial effects they have on our ecosystem. Outdoor solar-powered fountains are available in countless different styles, therefore, you will not have to settle on which one to buy.