Fountains of Refreshment

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 by: Debbie Rodgers

When hot, sticky days hit, try to use all your senses to
keep cool. Sight and sound have amazing psychological effects, even
when the thermometer soars.

One of the most cooling and relaxing sounds I know is
that of a trickling spring. It relaxes my mind and helps my body
unwind. In the city, it can drown out the sounds of the daily hustle
and bustle of life, calming and refreshing the spirit. I also love the
glinting, reflective surface of water. You can have the soothing
coolness of water without a huge space so why not recreate this in your
outdoor living area?

Some small water features have still water and aquatic
plants but with the fight to remove stagnant water where mosquitoes can
breed, many people now prefer items with moving water.

The most popular "moving water" items are tabletop
fountains, statuary fountains and spitting creatures. All rely on a
pump to circulate water through the feature. The water is pumped up
through plastic tubing and released into the fountain, returning to the
bottom where it is pumped up the tubing again. Most pumps run on an
electrical connection but some smaller tabletop fountains have
batteries. There are also solar units available that require no
electrical hook-up.

Simple or elaborate, all fountain features have the following elements:

• a "bottom" where the pump where will be located and the water returns. This can be a large pot, an urn, a trough and so on.
  

• a "top" from which the water will emerge. This can be a small pot, a fanciful creature such as a frog, a conch shell, etc.
  

• a "middle" – the water course which will
  receive the water from the top and return it to the bottom. This can be
  pots, pebbles, shells, marbles, or even empty space, creating a
  freefall.
  

• a pump. Give crucial attention to two features of the pump: maximum gallons per hour (gph) and maximum lift.
  

The gph can vary from 35 gph for a small battery-operated
tabletop unit to over 600 gph for large garden fountains. Choose one
appropriate to the size of your water feature – more is not necessarily
better. A low gph will give you a gurgling effect in the same fountain
that a higher gph pump would provide a steady stream – or even splash.
It’s strictly a personal preference within the range recommended for
the fountain size.

The maximum lift figure tells you how high you can
expect your "little pump that could" to push the water. A small pump
that has a lift of "up to 2 feet", for example would not be appropriate
for your 3-foot wall mounted lion’s head.

You will also want to consider the length of the
electrical cord if applicable, and whether the unit has an on/off
switch, if that’s important to you. Remember, though, that water left
sitting will stagnate.

If you are making your own fountain, the pump is the
most important part. Pump kits are available that include pump and
tubing but tubing is quite inexpensive (about 60˘ per foot) and can be
purchased at most garden centers.

You can make a fountain from something as simple as
terracotta pots and pebbles. For instructions, visit
www.paradiseporch.com/fountain.php

So soothe your senses with the calming sounds of moving water and keep cool in your outdoor space!

About the Author

Debbie Rodgers owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Visit her on the web at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on “Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space”. Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com

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