The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
The Genesis Of Wall Fountains
A fountain, an incredible piece of engineering, not only supplies drinking water as it pours into a basin, it can also launch water high into the air for an extraordinary effect. From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley there 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. Up to the late nineteenth 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 down or jet high into the air. Acting as an element of decoration and celebration, fountains also generated clean, fresh drinking water. Roman fountains usually depicted images of animals or heroes made of metal or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners incorporated fountains to create smaller variations of the gardens of paradise. The fountains seen in the Gardens of Versailles were meant to show the power over nature held by King Louis XIV of France. 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.
The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise in usage of indoor plumbing to provide drinking water, so urban fountains were relegated to strictly decorative elements. The creation of special water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by replacing gravity with mechanical pumps.
These days, fountains decorate public spaces and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
The Various Construction Materials of Outdoor Fountains
The Various Construction Materials of Outdoor Fountains
While today’s garden fountains are made in a variety of materials, the majority are crafted from metal. Metallic fountains, with their clean lines and sculptural accents, come in in a variety of metals and can accommodate any style or budget. Your landscaping should complement the style of your residence. A popular choice today is copper, and it is used in the making of many sculptural garden fountains. Copper fountains are the best option because they are perfect for the inside and outside. Another advantage of copper fountains is they are versatile and come in a wide variety of styles.
Brass water fountains are also popular, though they tend to have a more traditional look than copper ones. Although it is not the most stylish, the creatures and sculptural features you find on fountains are commonly made of brass, thus making them very popular.
Of all the metals, stainless steel is recognized as the most contemporary-looking. For an instantaneous increase in the value and comfort of your garden, get one of the contemporary steel designs. Like other water features, they come in an array of sizes.
Fiberglass is a popular material for fountains because you can get the look and feel of metal at a much lower price, and it is lighter and easier to move than metal. The maintenance of fiberglass water fountains is quite simple, so they have many benefits that people appreciate.
The Effect of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Garden Design
The Effect of the Norman Invasion on Anglo Saxon Garden Design The Anglo-Saxon way of life was significantly changed by the arrival of the Normans in the later eleventh century. The Normans were much better than the Anglo-Saxons at architecture and horticulture when they came into power. Nonetheless the Normans had to pacify the overall territory before they could focus on home life, domestic architecture, and decoration. Because of this, castles were cruder structures than monasteries: Monasteries were usually immense stone buildings set in the biggest and most fecund valleys, while castles were erected on windy crests where their inhabitants devoted time and space to projects for offense and defense. The sterile fortresses did not provide for the quiet avocation of gardening. The purest specimen of the early Anglo-Norman style of architecture existent presently is Berkeley Castle. The keep is rumored to have been developed during the time of William the Conqueror. As a method of deterring assailants from tunneling beneath the walls, an immense terrace encompasses the building. A scenic bowling green, covered in grass and surrounded by battlements clipped out of an ancient yew hedge, makes one of the terraces.