Typically, people’s backyards are left ignored and untended. In the United States, more focus is put on front yards than back ones. A neatly trimmed lawn, flowerbeds, and decorative lawn pieces are all expected in most neighborhoods.
However, your backyard deserves just as much consideration as your front yard. Landscaping and redesigning it could actually add value to your home. One design trend that’s gaining popularity right now is the installation of fountains made from materials like marble, concrete, or granite.
Here are some clever décor tips you can use to integrate a fountain more seamlessly into your backyard:
Design Styles
Buying fountains isn’t easy. There are many different things that interested homeowners have to think about, design styles being one of the most important of these. You can buy bold and modern fountains, more traditional ones with Gothic stylings, or even Renaissance fountains, crafted from marble, featuring cupids and angels. To figure out which style is best for your backyard, take a look at your house. If it is an old house, then traditional or Renaissance fountains will look best. For more modern properties, modern fountains with clean edges look better.
Internal Courtyard
In traditional Moroccan houses, riads, or fountains are placed inside internal courtyards. The vast majority of American houses cannot accommodate internal courtyards, owning to their design. Traditional Spanish colonial properties do sometimes have these courtyards as well, however. If you are fortunate enough to live in a house that can either have an internal chamber installed or that already has one, a fountain will make a great addition to it.
Internal fountains tend more often than not to be connected to the main water supply, which therefore means they have to be professionally installed.
Electric Motor
Some fountains have motors inside of them. These kinds of fountains have to be connected to their owner’s property’s main electrical supply. Like the main water supply, a direct connection from your fountain to your house will require a professional’s help. Without electrical training, there is no way you will be able to wire your fountain to your house. Fountains with electrical motors usually have lights, illuminating them at night. If you are unable to connect anything from your garden to your house, you can instead buy a fountain with a rechargeable LED bulb – such fountains are widely available and very affordable.
Bird Bath
Encouraging wildlife in your garden can be a good way of making it a more relaxing, natural space. A lot of people’s backyards – especially individuals who live in cities – are devoid of any natural life. Buying a fountain with a basin that doubles as a bird bath will be a good way of getting birds and other animals like squirrels into your garden, where they will build nests. You can further encourage wildlife by hanging feeders from trees and laurels in your backyard. If you live in a rural area then a fountain could be an effective way of getting families of deer to come into your backyard.
Water Supply
As mentioned in an earlier point, some fountains have to be connected to the water supply of the house they are in the backyard of. It is only large fountains that need to be connected to a main water supply, however. You can buy off-the-shelf fountains that are self-contained; such fountains only need to be topped up now and again. As long as you refill the fountain’s water tank every few weeks it will never run out. The reason you have to refill it every week or two is because of birds drinking out of it and water splashing over the sides.
Solar Power
While reference was made to large electrically powered fountains that need to be connected to their property’s main electrical circuit, there is an alternative option. Instead of connecting your fountain to your property’s electrical circuit, consider investing in small solar panels. As long as you get a reasonable amount of sun in your region you can easily power your fountain using an attachable solar panel; these solar panels are very affordable and can also be used for things like charging your phone on the go.
Trickling Sound
Experts say that you should pay more attention to the way that a fountain sounds than it looks. If you do not enjoy your fountain’s sound then it is a waste of money. Some fountains have a gentle trickling sound while others with more pressure make a harder splashing noise. The best way to determine if a fountain’s sound is right for you is to visit the showroom or dealer selling it and ask them to turn it on. Only when you are satisfied a fountain sounds right for you should you buy it. If it does not sound the same in person as it did in the showroom, return it. Most enjoyment derived from fountain ownership comes from the sound they make.
Surrounding Foliage
A fountain standing in the middle of your lawn with nothing around it will look strange, there is no denying it. It is much better to place your fountain somewhere where it is surrounded by foliage like trees and laurels. Finding a suitable place to put your fountain is just as important as selecting the perfect one; thus, it should be placed in a shady area of your yard that you like to sit in during the summer or whenever it’s hot outside.
Exposed Water
If you have young children then avoid buying a fountain that feeds into a pool, as young children can drown in small amounts of water. The only way to make a fountain with a pool child-safe is to put a net over it. However, putting a net over your fountain will make it difficult for birds and wildlife to drink from it. Until your child is older, buy a large fountain with a raised basin, ideally higher than they are tall. Teach your child about the importance of water safety from a young age. The younger they are when you teach them, the more seriously they will take it.
Buying a fountain for your backyard is a great way to improve its design. People are always looking for unique ways to increase the value of their houses and fountains are an effective way of doing this – include yours in your home’s fixtures and fittings so that if you ever sell your house, the next person inherits the fountain.
