Contemporary Garden Decor: Large Outdoor Water Fountains and their Roots

From the beginning, outdoor fountains were simply there to serve as functional elements. Cities, towns and villages made use of nearby aqueducts or springs to supply them with potable water as well as water where they could bathe or wash. Up to the late nineteenth century, water fountains had to be near an aqueduct or reservoir and higher than the fountain so that gravity could make the water move downwards or jet high into the air. Fountains were an excellent source of water, and also served to decorate living areas and memorialize the designer. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. Muslims and Moorish garden designers of the Middle Ages included fountains to re-create smaller models of the gardens of paradise. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.

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

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

Outdoor Wall Fountains: The Many Designs on the Market

The two kinds of fountains available to you are mounted and stand-alone models. You can place a mounted wall fountain because they are little and self-contained. Fountains of this type need to be light, therefore, they are typically made of resin (resembling stone) or fiberglass. Floor fountains are freestanding, large, and also have a basin on the floor as well as a flat side against the wall. Generally constructed of cast stone, this style of water feature is not restricted in weight.

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