by Debbie Rogers, ParadisePorch
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.
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" – 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
– 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 –
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!
About the
Author 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@paradiseporch.com
