Garden-Fountains May Be Provocative and Soothing

Garden-fountains are provocative. They can be as noisy as a cascading waterfall or as serene as a water lily sitting on its surface. It might be a playfully bubbling garden-fountain or a mysterious black pool reflecting the silver moon. Its moods are elusive as it ripples, rushes, gurgles, splashes, drips, leaps, babbles, trickles, roars or just lies still and quiet.

Some admirers think water is as compelling as fire and a great deal Zwembad plaatsen tuin more straightforward to control. Water can be introduced into the garden in a variety of ways, ranging from simple birdbaths and small fishponds to lavish garden-fountains and ambitious manmade waterfalls.

Getting Started Planning a Stunning Garden-Fountain

The quickest way to introduce the garden-fountain into the landscape is to set out a simple concrete birdbath. This immediately brings a bit of reflection to the landscape, and it adds action and life as birds begin splashing and flickering around their newly found source of fresh water. That is especially so during dry periods, when birds are desperately buying drink. A tiny pump may be added to produce the garden-fountain effect.

The next phase up might be a small, wall-hung fountain of manmade materials that mimic lead or stone, or the genuine article at a considerably higher price. These might take the shape of a lion's head or a gargoyle that spouts water out of its mouth in to a basin below.

Small Pools Offer Charm as a Garden-Fountain

Sooner or later, almost every gardener hankers for a tiny garden-fountain pool. There are several approaches to go. Those with a restricted budget or very small space can try a half whiskey barrel. Fill it with water and add one small water lily, one small bog plant, a number of submerged grasses to keep the algae down therefore the water will remain clear, and a couple of fantail fish to help keep the water moving and free of insects. A garden fountain can be installed to the pool for added drama.

Ideally a garden-fountain should really be located in the sun. Shade tends to cause moss and algae on stone, cement, and bricks, and nearby trees drop their leaves into the pond every fall. Rocks and plants placed randomly around the edge of a garden-fountain create a naturalistic coping for gardens which have a woodsy, informal look. Bricks or fieldstones laid in a pattern offer a more formal effect.

Some individuals keep their small pools simple and unadorned. Others add motion with a tiny jet garden-fountain placed on underneath to spurt water into the air anywhere from several inches to numerous feet. A tiny "bubbler fountain" might take the shape of a lead water lily with a hidden jet that bubbles the water within the leaf and into the basin or pool. Water lilies, some powerfully scented, others with huge fanciful leaves, add floral interest. Fish add color and keep the water clean, while statues and underwater lights increase the pool's beauty.

Installing a stone garden with a tiny garden fountain and waterfall or possibly a small, trickling stream is a huge project. The most common mistake is to attempt to set the waterfall in the midst of a flat lawn. The effect usually seems like a guard tower at the local prison. A two foot gradual slope is a more natural solution.

It can also be difficult to obtain a man-made stream to check natural. Rocks that induce rivulets and hide any necessary pumps must certanly be strategically but naturally placed, a difficult balance to locate and difficult to alter when the heavy rocks are placed. In some instances contractors have to bring in rocks by crane.

Different Designs of Water Pools and Garden-Fountains

The design of any water feature should echo the overall theme of the garden. Gardens with a Spanish or Middle Eastern look lend themselves to a long, straight tile-lined channel of water several inches deep that ends in a tiny fountain jet or a bit of statuary. Informal gardens call for naturalistic features, such as an irregularly shaped pool in the midst of a fern glade or a water bog for plants that thrive in wetlands. Formal gardens look best with lead or concrete garden-fountains and symmetrical pools. Japanese gardens are a natural setting for streams, reflecting pools, small lakes (depending on how big the property) and "dry water" features such as "streams" of river rocks or gravel raked in patterns to simulate waves.