Elegant Planning to Buy a Floating Pond Fountain

Floating pond fountains can enhance the looks of your garden pond to a considerable extent.  If you simply look at it then it is very relaxing and also very soothing to your mind and soul. The pond feature which could otherwise go unnoticed in your summer garden parties can become the point of admiration with these fountains which also have lights.

When deciding on which kind of floating pond fountain to buy take on board the size of pond you have in mind. You could also consider the option of solar pond fountains in this regard because they don’t require electric power or cabling. If you are planning to buy a floating pond fountain then visit different garden centres and have a look or get it online and save your time and energy.

Floating pond fountains look great if there are fishes swimming in it.  If you add fishes, choose bright colored species, the fountain will keep the water aerated. You can add some flowering water plants like water lilies, Dwarf Bluebell etc. The floating pond fountains are not very pricey.  It can be beneficial to shop around first to ensure you get the fountain that you want. A floating pond fountain is just $ 50 but before that you have to decide the style, designs and the size of the pond where you are installing. The floating pond fountains are becoming so popular because of the fact that most of the people apply it as the finishing touch to their gardens.

What about maintenance?

If you think that running a floating pond fountain is expensive then try for the solar floating fountain which needs solar energy in the day to run. You do not have to spend much time in cleaning the floating pond fountain; you can just add the cleaning solution to the pond.  When you are buying the fountain and are aware of the low maintenance then that gives you relief.

All in all, a floating pond fountain is an excellent choice for even the smallest of garden ponds, and can make a very beautiful talking point at a party or gathering.

Inspirational European Influences on Water Fountain Development

In previous articles I've covered the Ancient Roman, Middle-Eastern, and Chinese contributions to water fountain use, design and technology. This article covers some of the European adaptations. The trade routes between countries and cultures in the known world allowed for the advancement of the use of water, practical and aesthetic, and for the technology that allowed advancement. As each region/ culture encountered new water fountain technology, it incorporated and adopted methods that reflected local resources, values and aesthetics. These different perspectives were, in turn, exported out of the area to re-influence new ideas and adaptations.

The European concept of water use was born in ancient Rome during the Imperial period. Villas of the wealthy prominently featured water displays that ranged from still-water reflecting pools to hydraulically-powered jet fountains. As the Roman political influence waned, its aesthetic approaches to the use of water remained. Technology and its application to water use within different cultures advanced and was shared or copied over the centuries, so that by 1500 AD the European aesthetic and practice of water fountain technology had developed to the point of a unique expression. Playfulness.

This all seemed to come together at the Versailles Chateau where, at the peak of its water fountain use, over 1400 fountains were operating within the expansive grounds. The back story as to how this came about is fascinating and grist for a different article, but for now - decades of labor at a cost of millions of lives, and staggering amounts of money went into converting what had been a relatively dry area into a water-fed playground for royalty. Much of that grandeur remains today, and the existing water fountains created by artists of that period remain as impressive multi-spouted works of art and engineering. At one point, before full completion of the water supply lines, guests at the Chateau were limited to one bowl of water daily for personal use, while the water features went through more water each day than did the entire city of Paris! Such was the priority of water use.

Middle Eastern water robotics which were both artistic in design, and practical in application, were adapted to the European mind-set, and the outcome was water powered robotics designed purely for human amusement. This peaked throughout Europe in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Hydraulically powered figures and trick fountains were the rage of the wealthy. Entire miniature villages, its inhabitants carrying on their routine chores, were created for the pleasure of wealthy aristocrats. Trick fountains were set up to soak unsuspecting guests who, when seated, would trigger a water jet in the seat of the chair or bench, or when stepping on a stair or floor tile or walking through a gate would trigger a similar drenching experience.

There are precious few of these playful displays still to be found today. A sixteenth century English tree fountain, randomly spouting water, is still functioning and popular, and there are other scattered examples that remain as mere shadows of the original displays. However, the best preserved fully functional display remains intact at the Hellbrunn Palace near Salzburg, Austria. If you find yourself anywhere near that part of the world, it is worth a stop to experience a water display pretty much the as it amazed and amused guests in the 1700's.

This playful use of water is reflected in the designs of many contemporary water fountains -- from the complex computer-controlled Appearing Rooms Fountain that creates walls of water allowing an interactive walk-thru and that change randomly, to the small, personal indoor water fountains in homes that feature urinating children, a classic Italian design, to spouting frogs. As you choose your own indoor or garden water fountain today, you have a wide variety of designs, materials and presentations that are the culmination of influences traded and improved upon over more than two thousand years.