Contemporary Garden Decoration: Outdoor Fountains and their Beginnings

Originally, fountains only served a functional purpose. Inhabitants of urban areas, townships and small towns used them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had to be connected to nearby aqueduct or spring. Up until the 19th century, fountains had to be more elevated and closer to a water supply, including aqueducts and reservoirs, in order to benefit from gravity which fed the fountains. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the designer who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. To depict the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages added fountains to their designs. The fountains found in the Gardens of Versailles were intended 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 spot where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.
Indoor plumbing became the main source of water by the end of the 19th century thereby restricting urban fountains to mere decorative elements. The introduction of unique water effects and the recycling of water were two things made possible by swapping gravity with mechanical pumps.
Nowadays, fountains decorate public areas and are used to recognize individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.
Backyard Elegance: Fountains
Backyard Elegance: Fountains These days you can just put your garden water fountain close to a wall since they no longer need to be connected to a pond. Nowadays, you can do away with excavations, complicated installations and cleaning the pond. Due to its self-contained quality, this fountain no longer requires plumbing work. Remember, however, to put in water at regular intervals.
Outdoor wall features come in lots of different materials, but they are normally made of stone and metal. The most appropriate material for your fountain depends completely on the style you choose. The best styles for your garden wall fountain are those which are hand-crafted, simple to put up and not too heavy to hang. The water feature you buy must be easy to maintain as well. Generally, most installations are straight forward because the only pieces which may require examination are the re-circulating pump and the hanging hardware whereas other kinds of setups can be a little more difficult. You can easily perk up your garden with these types of fountains.