Creative Designs - Fountains
The modern submersible pump has made it much easier to be creative with fountains. Here an introduction is provided to various aspects of fountain design to stimulate the imagination of the creative water gardener. These are drawn from around the globe and from the present and the past. Many of the fountains shown will be of too grand a scale for direct transference to the domestic garden, yet what they demonstrate can be interpreted for the home water garden by the innovative and imaginative.
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 The famous Mannequin Pis in Brussels, Belgium.
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Historic Themes
Fountains have had an important role to play in the history of both garden and city landscapes, especially in Europe. The Romans developed them extensively, transporting and establishing their ideas across their Empire. By the seventeenth and eighteenth century the cultures of most European countries had embraced fountains fully, often creating very elaborate features. The spread of European colonialism at that time took fountains to other parts of the globe, from India and Africa to both North and South America. Many were highly ornamental, the throwing up of water often being coincidental to their ultimate purpose. The majority were constructed on a grand scale, however amongst their number are several, that even at full size, could be accommodated comfortably in the modern home water garden.
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The most famous of these is the Mannequin Pis, the small boy who for centuries has been “urinating” for the city folk and tourists of Brussels, Belgium. A fascinating little fountain statue, its origins are lost in the mists of time. One theory is that the fountain honours a little boy who save Brussels from disaster by urinating on a potentially ruinous fire. The other is that it was commissioned by a wealthy city nobleman whose son went missing for five days, the pose of the statue representing what the boy was doing when he was found, but nobody is really sure. However, over the centuries the Manneqin Pis fountain has become an important figure and focal point in Brussels and is regularly dressed up for special anniversaries and festivities. Full-size fountain models of the little boy are regularly commercially manufactured, a fascinating reminder of history that can be introduced to water garden.
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Fountain Sprays
Some fountains have no ornamentation, their spray being directed heavenwards from the water surface. Thus when the pump is switched off, there is no evidence of its presence, the pond becoming placid and still, with the view across it uninterrupted. It is the spray from the fountain, devoid of reliance upon any ornamentation for support, that creates the visual effect. There are many spray configurations, available either as straightforward water, or water mixed with air, the latter creating a white water or plume jet effect.
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 This fountain depends totally upon its spray to create a visual impact.
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When considering the various configurations available, be aware that a tall fountain will lift the eye. However, it will also be very vulnerable to disruption by the wind, and so careful placement is essential. Slim geyser-like sprays only work well in fairly calm and quiet localities, while water plumes are much more resistant to a buffeting by the wind, but are not immune to being blown about. Both of these usually only work effectively in a body of water with a large surface area, and with minimal planting except around the margins.
If a broad spray configuration is chosen, then the spray pattern must fall well within the pond periphery and take into account the total surface area, becoming a balanced component within it. There are numerous fancy spray patterns to select from for broader spread, many like the spider and arum lily representing the shapes of those life forms in their spray patterns. Broad, multi-jet fountains attract light and focus the attention at a lower position. The additional potential benefit of exploiting light, means that it is often possible to enjoy the magical qualities of light meeting water for most of the day and from various view-points.
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 Ornamental fountain figures return water to the pond.
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Fountain Ornaments
There are many different forms of fountain ornamentation, from classical figures such as cherubs and Venus, to futuristic columns with balls and ovals. All are suitable for the water garden, providing that they blend in with the theme and that of the wider garden landscape. Surprisingly, in a very traditional garden, a modern abstract figure can often be very effective if sensitively placed, especially with regard to light. The majority of traditional fountain figures circulate water through the pond, while many modern creations stand away from the pond, returning water to a pebble base and reservoir for re-cycling.
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Fountain Centre-pieces
In addition to the wide array of fountain ornaments depicting figures, animals and abstract characters, there are fountain centrepieces. These form the focal point in the centre of a pond created from a fountain surround, or a formal in-ground construction usually devoid of plants and created solely for the aesthetic quality of the water and the manner in which it can be employed.
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 The traditional fountain centre-piece.
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