People are spending more and more time in their backyards and gardens, and with the current economy, many more homeowners will be looking for ways to get the most from their special times right at home, rather than going out or traveling. One of the most popular and unique ways to give your backyard or garden that special look is by the addition of a water feature, such as a fountain.

Adding a fountain to your backyard or garden doesn’t have to be expensive, and it doesn’t have to involve stone, mortar, and miles of plumbing. With a Garden Oasis 3 Tier Stone Fountain, your backyard or garden can look like a hidden paradise and can offer the soothing sound of running water—without breaking the bank!

Easy to Install

Garden Oasis stone fountain waterfalls are actually made from a lightweight, durable resin—they aren’t stone at all! With the recirculating pump and three-part construction, the Garden Oasis 3 tier stone fountain is easy to assemble and place exactly where you need it. The product is available through major retailers like Sears, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and others, and the retail price runs around $80. For this modest investment, you can enjoy the relaxing sound of a mountain stream, right in your backyard, garden, or patio.

Perfect for Small Spaces

With its self-contained construction, light weight, and easy assembly, the Garden Oasis 3 tier stone fountain is also perfect for small patios or even balconies. Even if you live in an apartment, you can create your own outdoor getaway spot with the feel of a mountain meadow. Just imagine relaxing against a backdrop of your favorite plants, listening to the quiet sound of water trickling down into the three tiered pools of your Garden Oasis 3 tier stone fountain. It’s a great way to unwind at the end of a busy day, or a wonderful atmosphere for reading, napping, or just quiet contemplation.

The Garden Oasis 3 tier stone fountain is relatively inexpensive to purchase and easy to maintain. It’s the perfect complement to your other outdoor furniture and landscaping, or it can become the centerpiece of your flowerbed or outdoor entertaining area.

If you already have a body of water on your property, then you face a big decision – drain it or install an outdoor garden water fountain. Keep in mind that if your pond is free flowing and is connected to an above ground or underground source, you will different needs of an outdoor garden water fountain than others with stagnant ponds. Even if you don’t have a pond but are considering getting one, installing an outdoor garden water fountain in that pond at the time of construction is recommended.

Health Concerns

Stagnant water causes a lot of problems for not just you, but your neighbors. Although you might think you own your property, your neighbors and the law may make you think otherwise. Ponds or lakes that were once clear and sparkling can become cut off to their sources of aeration like an underground stream or above ground creek for a variety of reasons, especially new construction, drought or river diversion.

An outdoor garden water fountain keeps the water moving, so that heavy layers of smelly algae and baby mosquitoes can’t be born. Female mosquitoes need to lay their eggs on still water. The growing larvae can’t live in very strong currents. Of course, you could spray for mosquitoes heavily each breeding season, but that winds up being bad for the environment and can wind up making you sick from having to breathe in the spray.

Beauty Concerns

Garden wall water fountains and the like also bring benefits that can’t quite be measured in money – although they certainly have been known to raise the value of the properties they are installed on. The sound and sight of moving, gurgling water is one of the universally reliable calming experiences. This is why Zen gardens and Japanese gardens always include an outdoor water garden or a little waterfall somewhere.

With water moving around regularly, and with adequate filtration, you can then expect to draw some hard-pressed wildlife to your home. Species of migrating birds are dying because they’ve lost many of the watering holes that acted as their refueling stations. Most species of frogs are endangered, so any little bit to help one frog helps not only the species, but in keeping the insect pests down in the summertime.

Check with your accountant to see if your state, province or country will give you a tax break for installing an outdoor garden water fountain. It may count as a home improvement project.

A garden waterfall fountain can really bring a garden to life. Plus the sound of falling water has a very serene and calming effect. When considering various options, you will want to look for a garden waterfall fountain made from high quality materials, with a realistic finish and texture. You may also want to consider a potential theme when selecting a particular style, finish and texture.

Installing a Garden Waterfall Fountain

Most garden waterfall fountains are completely self contained with a water reservoir, require no plumbing and are easy to install. They do, however, typically require access to an electrical outlet. An internal pump recycles the water within the garden waterfall fountain. If you don’t want to worry about using long electrical cords, you may want to consider a solar garden water fountain. Solar fountains run purely on solar energy with no need for electricity. Some solar fountain pumps even have a built-in battery back-up, which kicks-in when direct sunlight is blocked by clouds or a shadow, or during the night.

Garden Waterfall Fountain Varieties

There are many forms of garden waterfall fountains such as multi-tiered fountains, barrel fountains and wall fountains. A cascading waterfall is a very popular design with water falling from stone to stone at different levels before falling into a reservoir. Barrel fountains can be very appealing with some constructed of recycled wine barrels that can even incorporate a cascading waterfall using multiple barrels. Barrel fountains can also be used for growing water plants, and a bamboo water spout adds additional natural beautiful. Wall fountains produce lower water sprays and are therefore perfect for small spaces.

The Sights and Sounds of Rocks

Rocks are an important component to consider when designing your garden waterfall fountain. Rocks are an important visual aspect of the waterfall itself, and they also determine the flow and speed of the water, as well as the sound. Rocks and stones can be used as edges for the actual waterfall itself, and can also hold down the lining of a waterfall. Gravel and pebbles are great for lining the base of a waterfall in conjunction with sand, while larger rocks are less prone to algae. It is probably best to use an assortment of rocks in addition to gravel so that you won’t have an issue with algae, and can enjoy a garden waterfall fountain that is very aesthetically pleasing, along with providing the pleasant sounds of moving water.

Finding a great way to feature outdoor garden fountain designs in your yard can be easier when you know some tips for using the area in the best way possible. You will have to take a number of different things into account, like the size of the garden fountain, the general climate of the area, and the amount of sunlight that the area will be getting. Also plan a garden that will be attractive and will not be difficult to take care of.

Where The Garden Fountain Will Be Located

A good way to feature an outdoor garden fountain is to choose a location that allows for open space in an area. Smaller garden fountains leave more open space for other activities so you should be careful not to purchase a garden fountain that is so large that it takes up a large percentage of the yard. There are different websites available that have lots of different outdoor garden designs listed, including items like a rocky stream fountain or a waterfall styled fountain. These websites will generally have good tips for the placement of the garden fountain within your design.

Proper Placement For The Plants In The Area

The plants that will be planted in the area should be considered carefully. The plants should not be placed too close to the garden fountain in case any chemicals used to keep the water clear, splash and kill the plants. If there are a number of shady areas because of the placement of the garden fountain, then the garden design should include plants that can grow in areas with a limited amount of sunlight.

Many people prefer to get easy to care for plants because it decreases the amount of work that you have to perform to keep the garden area looking great. A garden design incorporating plants that are hard to take care of will be a hassle. When trying to find the right way to feature your outdoor garden fountain, it is important to look at the needs of the plants too. Healthy plants enhance your fountains placement in your garden.

Solar powered electric appliances are gaining popularity recently. Many people look for solar powered home appliances, and of course solar powered garden fountains. One can find many benefits to having a solar fountain, but there are some things you have to be aware of as well.

How do solar fountains for the garden work?

Usually garden fountains with solar pumps are very easy to install. Just like many other home appliances that are solar powered they use solar panels with Photovoltaic (PV) cells to collect energy of the sun. Since a fountain pump doesn’t require a great deal of energy, the panels are usually quite small.

There are two main types. First are fountains where solar panels are incorporated in the design of the fountain itself. This type is the easiest to install, but you have to make sure that you place your new fountain in a sunny spot otherwise it isn’t going to operate properly.

Another major type of solar garden fountain has remote solar panels, which can be positioned several meters away from the fountain. If you chose this type, it doesn’t matter whether your fountain is in a sunny or shady spot as long as the panels are exposed to the sun. Most solar fountains with remote panels come with easy to set up mounting system for the panels. In most cases you can mount them on the wall, use grass stakes to position them on the loan or use a tall wooden stake to put your panel high up above all the plants.

Advantages and disadvantages of solar fountains

There are many benefits and advantages of buying a solar fountain for the garden rather than the electric one. The most obvious advantage is that the energy is free. An electric pump won’t add much to your energy bill in a day, but if you want your fountain to work all summer, you can save a lot by using sun energy instead of electricity or batteries.

Another advantage is that you are not limited by proximity to a power source when selecting a place for your fountain. This is particularly important for people with large gardens. You can place your fountain in the farthest corner from the house, as long as the solar panels are on a sunny spot.

Also solar fountains don’t require much installation work. The ones with panels built into a body of the fountain don’t require any special installation at all. This type is perfect as a solar pond fountain that sprays water from your pond. Since there is no cord the fountain can just float on the surface.

The main downside of a solar powered garden fountain is its reliance on the sun for energy. Most pumps will still work on a slightly cloudy day, but if it is really overcast the flow of water will be much less. And, of course, your fountain won’t work at night.

Also, it is best to disconnect your fountain in winter. It would work fine on a sunny day without snow, but snow and frost can damage your pump.