Garden fountains - a charm to any garden
A fountain can add charm to any garden, large or small. The sight and sound of running water pleases the senses and calms the nerves.
In cities, a fountain can help shut out the noises of people and traffic, and fountains tend to attract birds, further adding to the pleasures of your garden.
All shapes and styles
The word ‘fountain’ may conjure images of massive stone installations suitable only for wealthy homes, with heroic statues and jets of water spraying everywhere, but fountains come in all kinds of shapes and sizes to fit any garden. If space is tight, you can get an attractive wall fountain, or even one that fits on a tabletop. And your fountain doesn’t have to look like something plucked out of a Roman ruin. Whether your taste runs to sleek and geometric, organic and natural, Asian style or unusual and eye-catching, you can now find a fountain to match.
Garden fountains come in many different materials and styles that will match any existing themes. Stone or concrete are of course traditional for fountains, but you have other options. Fibreglass can be almost indistinguishable from stone to the eye, and much cheaper and easier to handle. Copper fountains can look stunning, especially as they weather.
Location advice
Locating a fountain does require some study and research before you proceed. Look round your garden and see if you can find a spot that gets some sunshine (but not too much), is not directly beneath a tree (no one wants a fountain clogged with leaves), and has level ground (or at least ground you can make level with added soil and sand). And of course you want a spot where the fountain will be easily seen and will help enhance the look of your garden.
Installation
You might need to seek professional help if your fountain is not self-contained and requires an outside water supply, or if you need to install a new power line to run its pump. However, a fountain with a recirculating water supply and an integrated pump can be extremely simple to install – you need only put the fountain in place, make sure it is stable, connect the pump to the power and fill it with water to begin enjoying it.
