Plant Gardens 101

Classical Chinese gardens and fountains are more than collections of beautiful plants, trees and water. They are representations of nature, providing insight into the philosophical and spiritual mind of past Chinese artisans and high-ranking citizens.

The principles of classical Chinese gardening can be useful and insightful to garden lovers living anywhere in the world. Chinese design objectives can inspire American home gardeners to try something new such as a garden fountain and encourage the expression of culture and philosophy through gardening.

In the 2,000 years since the imperial family first set aside natural areas for hunting, traditional gardens in China have developed into an art form equal in rank to painting, calligraphy and poetry. Several of the finest gardens, built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912), have survived the ravages of time and politics.
Suzhou, about 50 miles west of Shanghai, is known as “the city of gardens.” For generations, rich officials, merchants, landowners, scholars, garden designers and garden crafters settled in Suzhou to enhance its fame. The principles of classical Chinese gardens were well represented in their gardens. Visitors come to learn their secrets and experience their magic. (more…)

Remodeling and landscaping have become more popular projects than ever before, as people want to create a living space inside and out that is unique and complementary to their personalities– but it is also a pricey endeavor.

As the economy continues to affect pocketbooks, people have had to be even more creative with their patio and backyard revamping by choosing key pieces to make their space more inviting. Often times even a simple garden fountain can change the mood.
Garden fountains and waterfalls are made from a variety of materials such as stone, fiber glass, wood, copper, porcelain, ceramic and concrete.

Water fountains were first used in the Middle East as hieroglyphics on ancient Egyptian tombs have shown researchers. These pictures showed the use of garden fountains in home courtyards. The Mesopotamians used many fountains to decorate their formal gardens. (more…)

Fountains are becoming extremely popular these days. One of the reasons is the unlimited possibilities that fountains provide in creating a style that is both unique and enviable for our own homes and gardens. Whether it is an outdoor or indoor fountain, floor or tabletop fountain or one of those incredibly soothing wall mounted or hanging wall fountains, there is no question that people would grab at that chance to have one, if they can.

Outdoor fountains will surely liven up a garden, driveway, patio and just about any outdoor place while exuding an over-all sense of relaxation and tranquility. It serves as a centerpiece especially in outdoor areas where entertaining and socializing is often done. Both visually appealing and pleasant to the ears, the resulting calm setting is an invitation to guests to feel welcome and enjoy themselves. Hundreds of different styles of Water fountains are available, with some suppliers having the ability to custom design a fountain according to their clients’ requirements. (more…)

Garden fountains come in a huge variety of decorative styles, from ornately carved wall fountains to floating pond fountains. If you’re looking for a way to bring a soothing ambiance to the sanctuary of your backyard or patio, then a water fountain can be a wonderful feature. The sight and sound of flowing water can have a lovely soothing effect, helping to wash away the stresses and strains of daily life. An outdoor fountain can become a stunning focal point of your garden design. The gentle trickling sound can help drown out the sound of the city and create a peaceful and inspiring environment.

Outdoor water fountains run on either an electric pump or solar power. They come in a range of sizes and styles, to suit all kinds of garden themes. Tiered cascades, birdbaths, wall mounted and traditional pedestal designs are some of the many options available. Designs based on mythical figures, animals and cherubs are popular, as are more contemporary designs. Having a pond fountain not only adds to the atmosphere of relaxation and calm, but also helps keep the water circulating and prevents it from becoming stagnant. (more…)

Rarely is an indoor fountain one of the first things people consider when designing their homes. This is because they carry connotations of luxury and opulence, and as such quickly dismissed as being too expensive. However, buying just one can serve as a wonderful indoor accent that can add that special touch to your home.

Such fountains can take the form of many designs. A tabletop water fountain commands attention, making it a great centerpiece to any room, while a floor fountain can lend a sense of glamor to your home’s receiving room. Wall fountains are in a class all their own, as they can really say a lot about your sense of style and refined taste.

Since the age of antiquity, when fountains were seen as the mark of prestige, fountain technology has advanced significantly. With indoor plumbing now being commonplace, no longer are fountains the exclusive province of the wealthy, who previously had the exclusive means to use them to luxurious ends. (more…)

Fountains are one of the many convenient and very pretty elements found in garden design. Every time you think of a garden that you have seen and been impressed by, Fountion almost certainly will include some sort of garden fountain or other water element. Whether it is in german, usa, england or any other world country, everyone around the world understands the need for a pretty garden to also be a place of release our tension and give happy. The Japanese, remarkable, seem to have a deep knowledge of how important water elements are because they hormonize it so magically with the calm of their pretty and tranquil gardens. They rapidly bring to mind Koi ponds and the art of Feng Shui. (more…)

Stress has become a commonplace word in today’s life. With the poor global economy, everybody is leading hectic lifestyles just to be able to get a break. The daily toll of the everyday rat race usually accumulates to a lot of stress and a very tired person.

If afflicted with stress, it becomes increasingly difficult to focus one’s mind; we tend to lose our concentration and are less productive. Worse we become prone to fits of anger that would not be a problem otherwise. Eliminating stress can be hard as well; spas can be prohibitively expensive, and you can only binge on food so much.

Soothing your mind and body is the best way to rid yourself of all the accumulated stresses from your daily grind. And a simple way to get really refreshed is with the help of fountains. Fountains such as Indoor water fountain and other wall water features can really help you get some well deserved rest and relaxation. Getting some sleep might help reduce your stress, but in order to really get stress free, you have to improve your quality of rest. By using a fountain in your resting space, you effectively help keep the air cool and fresh. This clean air will help you achieve better degrees of rest, and the cool environment can keep you comfortable ensuring a relaxing and restful state. (more…)

Companies and individuals are always trying to find ways to better their mental well being. Whether it be a healthier lifestyle, more exercise, quitting smoking, more peaceful sleep, less stress etc. More and more we are seeing companies come up with wellness programs and individuals seeking ways they can incorporate a healthier style of living at home. Stress plays a very large part in negating a healthy lifestyle. If your goal is to eat healthier or quit smoking for example, being stressed can lead to overeating or smoking more, thus not allowing you to accomplish your goals. There are some natural ways to reduce stress and get to the bottom of learning how to let it go and relax so you can accomplish your health and wellness goals both at work and home. (more…)

If your garden or patio is in need of a makeover, you may want to consider adding an outdoor fountain to instantly improve the look and feel of the space. Garden fountains can be incorporated into practically any garden design, and the sight and sound of moving water they produce can be marvelously relaxing. Even in a small city garden, the gentle trickling sound of water has the power to soothe and inspire, creating a tranquil escape from the noisy world outside and helping to wash away our worries.

Outdoor water fountains come in all sorts of designs, from those with cascading waterfalls to those that include a bird bath pool, from those that spout jets of water into the air, to decorative wall fountains. There is a huge range of themes to choose from, depending on the style you’re after for your garden’s new image. Classical, Oriental, Southwestern-inspired and contemporary fountains are some of the many options available. A well-chosen water fountain can become a stunning feature of your backyard or patio, attracting the eye and soothing the senses. (more…)

Buying or Building A Water Fountain: Things to Consider

A great deal about fountains has changed over the last decade. Now there are really high class ones made of copper, bronze, concrete, and stone, and some fairly nice ones made of resin and fiberglass. There are several things to consider, though. As a pump wholesaler, I speak with fountain owners all the time and also look at lots of samples of fountains at trade shows and in magazines. Before purchasing a fountain, there are quite a few questions to ask. What looks good in a store might not look good at your home or business. Or it might look good for the first month or year but then you’ll get tired of it. Fountains are usually around for a long time; in fact, concrete and stone ones last centuries and are hard to remove once they’re installed. Here are things to consider. Bronze Fountains These are at the high end of fountains, and can retail for ten to twenty thousand dollars. They are plain classy. But will one of these fit in where you want to put it? Do you have the right yard or business or location for such a classic kind of display? Also, do you like the aging process (the verdigris patina) that bronze undergoes. Can you afford one of these? If you answered yes to these questions, a bronze fountain might be right for you. (more…)

Foggers (or misters, they are called both) create mysterious, “dry ice” effects without the need of ice. These little machines use a simple technique of high frequency, ultrasonic vibration to create ultra-fine droplets of mist without heat, cold or chemicals. Sometimes these are sold as a single unit, while other times they are sold on floats of up to 9 units working together. The single units are the right size for small fountains but usually are too small for a pond. Ultrasonic misters create a low level fog that fills in the area surrounding it. That is why the glass bowls in which one often sees them fill so well (they are made to be just the right size). For ponds you will usually need a 3-piece to 9-piece mister to create much of an effect. Also, since misters require a certain depth of water in order to operate effectively, it is a good idea, when locating one in a pond, to make sure you get a float with it. The mister is made to fit to just the right depth in the float so that fog is produced at optimum levels. When this is the case, they can produce up to about 2700 ml (nearly 5 1/2 pints) of mist per hour. Some include LED lights, some do not. Also, recently some have included automatic shutoff switches. There automatically shutoff the mister if the water gets too low. (more…)

When replacing a fountain pump or choosing a new one, first there are some key terms to keep in mind:

“Head” : This is the maximum vertical lift of the pump. For example, a 6′ head means the pump is rated to pump water up to 6 feet high. Note, however, that at 6 feet the pump would be providing very little water, with gallons per hour around zero. So if you need to pump, say, 200 gph at 72″, you will probably need about a 300-600 gallon per hour pump to do the job. See a “pump curve” for the amount of water pumped to various heights. Major pump manufacturers like Cal Pump, Fountain Tech pumps, and others, include pump curves on their boxes, brochures, or other literature. You should take a good look. (more…)

Choosing a Pond or Fountain Light: LED or Halogen?

Basically, there are two kinds of lights available for ponds, halogen lights (which have been around for quite a while), and LED, which are more recent developments. Here are some differences between the two. Note that here we are addressing 12volt systems only.

Some advantages of LED:
Focused light, solidly built and hard to break, durable Last twice as long as best fluorescent bulbs and 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs LEDs also are more efficient per watt, produce greater lumens per watt than incandescents or halogen bulbs. LED fountain lights can be built in a number of colors so do not require a filter, which greatly reduces efficiency of light. Finally, LEDs run cooler and are less likely to warm the pond or for their seals to get damaged because of the cooler running temperatures. (more…)

Lots of people are making fountains part of their outdoor décor. And why not? Fountains add a touch of class and when chosen carefully, really compliment your landscaping. The sound of the running water alone adds an extra dimension to your garden. Even if you don’t have a water pond in your backyard, you can still enjoy the beauty and tranquility of a fountain.

The most basic fountain that you can use without a pond is what I call the birdbath style. It looks just like a birdbath, but has a little fountain built into the center. The unit is completely self contained, and easy to set up. If you have a birdbath in your yard now, have a look at it. You might be able to add a small fountain to it. The bowl will act as the fountain’s reservoir. But be forewarned, the birds may not like visiting your birdbath anymore. (more…)

The art of garden never fails to transform an idle tract of land into a beautiful and lively environment. Gardens feed the spirit’s longing for beauty and grace as it provides a venue to witness the wonder of nature and the comforts of home. While plants and trees are enough to make a garden delightful, the landscape can surely be enhanced by installing garden décor.

There are many types of garden decors each having unique features and purposes for your garden. Here are some garden decors:

Arbors, Pillars, and Gazebos - these are large structures that can add a good focal point to your garden. Having large structures can create an illusion of having a large space. These structures can also serve as platforms for aerial plants. Climbing foliage such as vines may also cling to these platforms, creating an elegantly classic garden effect. (more…)