Modern Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Beginnings
Modern Garden Decor: Garden Fountains and their Beginnings A fountain, an amazing piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also propel water high into the air for an extraordinary effect.
The main purpose of a fountain was originally strictly practical. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, via aqueducts or springs in the area. Used until the 19th 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. Acting as an element of adornment and celebration, fountains also supplied clean, fresh drinking water. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to beautify their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller depictions 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 glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered 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. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by replacing the force of gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains adorn public areas and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
Wall fountains: An Ideal Decor Accessory to Find Tranquility
Wall fountains: An Ideal Decor Accessory to Find Tranquility You can find peace and tranquility by simply having water in your garden. The trickling sounds emerging from your fountain can be helpful in masking any unpleasant sounds in your surroundings. This is a great spot to relax and experience the natural world near you. Considered a great rehabilitation element, many water treatments use big bodies of water such as seas, oceans and rivers in their treatments. If what you seek out is a calming place where you can take your body and your mind to a faraway place, install a pond or fountain in your garden.Keeping Your Garden Wall Fountain Clean
Keeping Your Garden Wall Fountain Clean Adequate care and regular maintenance are important to the longevity of water fountains. It is easy for foreign objects to find their way into open-air fountains, so keeping it clean is important.
On top of that, algae can be a problem, because sun hitting the water enables it to form quickly. In order to avoid this, there are some simple ingredients that can be mixed into the water, such as vinegar, sea salt, or hydrogen peroxide. Bleach can also be mixed into the water, but this is not an ideal option as it can hurt birds or other animals. A thorough cleaning every 3-4 months is best for garden fountains. The initial step is to get rid of all of the water. As soon as it is empty, wash inside the reservoir with a gentle cleanser. A good tip is to use a toothbrush if there are tiny hard-to-reach spots. Be sure to carefully rinse the inner surface of the fountain to make sure all the soap is gone.
Numerous organisms and calcium deposits may get inside the pump, so it is best to take it apart and clean it completely. To make it less challenging, soak it in vinegar for several hours before cleaning. If you want to remove build-up in your fountain, use rain water or mineral water rather than tap water, as these don’t contain any ingredients that will stick to the inside of the pump.
One final trick for keeping your fountain in top working shape is to check the water level every day and make sure it is full. Allowing the water to drop below the pump’s intake level, can cause severe damage and even make the pump burn out - an undesired outcome!