Modern Garden Decoration: Fountains and their Beginnings

From the beginning, outdoor fountains were soley meant to serve as functional elements. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from 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 the power of gravity. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to decorate homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often times used by Romans to decorate their fountains. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create smaller variations of the gardens of paradise. King Louis XIV of France wanted to illustrate his dominion over nature by including fountains in the Gardens of Versailles. The Popes of the 17th and 18th centuries were extolled with baroque style fountains made to mark the place of entry of Roman aqueducts.

Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity helped fountains to deliver recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.

Nowadays, fountains adorn public areas and are used to pay tribute to individuals or events and fill recreational and entertainment needs.

The Many Construction Materials of Garden Water fountains

Today, a lot of people elect copper for their sculptural garden fountains. Copper is used in cascade and tabletop water fountains as well as many other styles, making it versatile enough for inside and outside fountains. Another benefit of copper fountains is they are flexible and come in a wide assortment of styles.

If your style is more old-fashioned, a brass water fountain might work for you. You will see a lot of brass fountains, as their intriguing artwork makes them trendy even if they are on the more traditional side.

Of all the metals, stainless steel is seen as the most modern -looking. For an instantaneous increase in the value and peacefulness of your garden, get one of the contemporary steel designs. Just like other water features, they come in a variety of sizes.

Fiberglass fountains are well liked because they look similar to metal but are more affordable and much easier to move around. Keeping a fiberglass water fountain clean and working well is quite easy, another aspect consumers love.