Just as pond fountains add elegance to your garden or fish pond, so can garden fountains add elegance to your yard or garden. Garden water fountains come in a variety of styles, from bird bath–like basins with small, bubbling spouts to many-tiered fountains with elaborate details and spouting statuary. The key to selecting outdoor fountains is to opt for more durable natural products, like stone, and choose a style that portrays the overall look and feel you want for you yard. Yard fountains tend to be the focal point of a property, so it’s going to set the theme for the rest of your yard decor.

Types of Outdoor Garden Water Fountains

In addition to the style of water fountain you choose, you have a choice as to the type of fountain you place in your yard or garden:

• Standing fountains sit atop pedestals or on a base. Because they have to stand on their own, these units tend to be smaller and are ideal for small backyards or as additions to decks, patios and flower gardens.
• Japanese water fountains are made from natural materials and are meant to blend in to their surroundings. Usually made of stone or rock, these fountains come in a variety of setups, but the most traditional Japanese fountains consist of a bamboo spout over a rock basin.
• Wall water fountains are usually made of stone or plaster and mount on an exterior wall. They generally consist of a small half-basin with a few holes or edges that trickle water into a larger basin below, all mounted to a plaque that in turn mounts to the wall.

Fountain Pumps and Other Accessories

Like pond fountains, garden fountains require fountain pumps to operate. Many garden fountains come with the pump included, and most stand fountains and wall fountains require only small pumps to operate. Larger yard fountains require more powerful pumps. To save electricity and prevent pump burnout, you might wish to run your fountain only when you’re around to enjoy it.

Fountain covers are not necessary but can be very useful for protecting fountains in colder climes. Covers allow homeowners to keep their fountains outdoors during the winter, saving storage space and eliminating the hassle of moving the fountain every season.

Other handy accessories include fountain lights, fountain cleaning kits, mist or fog makers, and fountain decorations such as floating candles or flowers, underwater trinkets, colored gravel or sea glass, and miniature statues.