3 Tips For Setting Up A Garden Fountain

Does it seem that your front or backyard garden might be missing something?  Maybe, a few tulips, but you feel that it’s more than just flowers. Probably, a grapevine to crawl up the fence, but that’s not exactly it. You want something that makes a garden a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life just by looking and listening to it.

In that case, you’re probably missing a garden fountain.

The mere sight and sound of water endlessly flowing from pond to pipe is a great way to add some ‘oomph’ to your home. You can have one indoors, but placing it in your outdoor garden allows you to unwind better. And, regardless of what everyone else thinks, fountains aren’t necessarily a waste of water.

Before you go and buy your fountain, you must understand a few things first. Setting up a fountain requires a bit of scrutiny on your part, from considering the size of your garden to the type of pump needed to ensure steady water flow.

Here are a few tips on making sure your fountain works to the benefit of your garden and, more importantly, your well-being:

  1. How Do You Like The Water To Fall?

This factor determines basically everything you want in a fountain, namely the design and type of water pump. There are five ways water flows in fountains. These include:

  • Running – The water flows while hugging the smooth fountain surface (e.g., urn or wall). It loses less water to splashing, but more water to evaporation due to the thin flowing layer.
  • Bubbling – The water flows out of the basin’s center, creating a water column high enough to generate a puddle. It loses less water to splashing, but it may be too quiet for noisy areas.
  • Raining – The water drops from holes on the top, creating a veil of falling water. The sound gets louder with the fall height, but also loses more water to splashing.
  • Pouring – The water leapfrogs from basin to basin, adding to the sound with each landing. Fountains that allow water to flow like this can either be soothing or distracting to people. 
  • Cascading – The water is allowed to spill over from basin to basin. The splashes it generates are loud enough, but forces more water to splash.

Once you’ve determined how you want the water to fall, you can find out more about the rest, such as the type of water pump suitable for the task. The types of pumps available range from external pumps to solar-powered ones.

  1. Consider Local Noise

You’d want to hear your fountain at home despite all the noise outside. In most situations, choosing how the water flows won’t be enough. If you need your fountain to be quiet since refilling them is too tedious, the garden surrounding it will have to absorb outside noise.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an average residential area maintains between 45 and 55 decibels, with 70 decibels being the threshold for a person’s well-being. Of course, this isn’t always the case as the neighborhood also has its share of rowdy parties, passing police sirens, and occasional roadworks.

Soundproofing a garden is all about redirecting or absorbing sound waves. One common solution involves fencing the garden with stone masonry, hedges, or acoustic materials. With the right water flow, the fountain can mask any noise that does make it through.

  1. Splashing Isn’t The Only Problem

A properly-built garden fountain can reduce water loss due to splashing, but that isn’t much of an issue. There’s no way to prevent the fountain from losing water because evaporation is a thing, so it’s better to focus on other problems.

Choosing the right location brings good fortune to the household and also mitigates problems that may arise. For example, placing the fountain under the shade prevents algae from growing (algae requires sunlight to thrive). However, this way, the fountain is at risk of falling leaves and debris that can clog the system.

A clogged pipe or pump is unavoidable (although not as inevitable as evaporation), as it will collect debris over time. The fountain should come with tools to help you maintain it when needed. Have a skimmer ready to remove floating leaves and branches.

Conclusion

Imagine going home after a hard day at work to the soothing welcome of trickling water. A garden fountain can be a boon to you and your family, given proper planning and setup. It can also be a lovely addition to your plethora of plants.

Speak Your Mind

*