Fountains of Refreshment
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.
“ Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space ”
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.
If you are putting together your own fountain feature, you need 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" v 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 v 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 v
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.
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!
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@...
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