Use fountains to make a splash in your outdoor decor

Fountains have been around since Roman times. In the ancient world, they were purely functional, employing springs or aqueducts to provide water for drinking, bathing and cleaning to even the smallest villages.

Fountains went upscale when modern plumbing and pumping systems became widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Removed from their utilitarian origins, those burbling pools, jets and waterfalls became status symbols and, in the public sphere, objects of civic pride. Cities from Rome to Kansas City, are admired and defined by their many public fountains, and the Sunset Strip in Las Vegas was transformed by the Bellagio hotel-casino’s spectacular display of rocketing, tumbling water.

Perhaps because of that perceptual shift, one of the biggest misconceptions about fountains is that they’re pricey, says Michele Hoolihan, owner of Fantasy Fountains Inc., a 60-year-old business in Newport Beach, California.

“A lot of people think they can’t afford a fountain, but there are models for every budget and every type of home,” Hoolihan said.

Another incorrect assumption about fountains is that they’re water hogs. Hoolihan countered that it just isn’t so.

“A lot of the time we can tap into an existing irrigation system to do a water feature,” she said.

Electricity consumption can be minuscule, too.

“You might need just a small pump, and most of the lighting we use is low voltage,” Hoolihan said.

All that cascading water is recirculated, Hoolihan pointed out, so you’re not wasting that precious resource. Evaporation is usually not much of an issue, either, she added.

“With many water features, you’re dropping water into the ground and recirculating it, so you’re not giving it a lot of exposure to the sun.”

Those who want to keep their carbon footprint small can shop for a solar-powered fountain. They’re convenient, too: You don’t have to worry about placing your fountain near a power source.

Solar power is also an excellent way of turning a birdbath into a fountain, which eliminates a potential source for mosquitoes.

“If you have a birdbath, then you already know that the water gets stagnant and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” says online fountain retailer Soothing Walls. “Constant flowing water will invite birds but is unattractive to insects.”

The biggest threat to a residential fountain’s well-being, according to Hoolihan, is overzealous maintenance by its owner. Well-intentioned but wrongheaded efforts can lead to disaster. “Some people like to put bleach in the water, thinking that will kill things. The problem is that it corrodes the components, the pumps and jets and nozzles. They can break down quite quickly.”

PLEASING TO THE EAR AS WELL AS THE EYE

When Hoolihan begins a consultation for a project, she first scouts the location.

Choosing a site is important. You don’t want your fountain to be tucked away in a corner but in a place of pride.

You might want to consider feng shui when placing your fountain; water is an ancient feng shui symbol of wealth and prosperity.

According to feng shui’s ancient rules, the best places on your property for a fountain are its eastern portion (the health and family area), southeast (the wealth and money area) and north (the career and life path area).

If you’re not a feng shui adherent, here’s a more tangible benefit that can be derived from fountains: They’re an excellent source of negative ions.

The health effects of negative ions are well-known. A Columbia University study of people affected by seasonal and chronic depression found that negative ion generators were as effective as antidepressants.

According to Psychology Today magazine, even the sound of water has measurable health benefits.

“In one study, when cancer patients suffering chronic pain were shown a nature video that included 15 minutes of the sounds of ocean waves, waterfalls and splashing creeks, they experienced a 20 to 30 percent reduction in the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol,” the magazine article says.

In another study, teens exposed to the sounds of water fountains at the dentist’s office experienced less anxiety.

Of course, the sound of a fountain has more practical uses, too.

Hoolihan recently completed a front yard koi pond project on a busy street in Corona del Mar, California.

“We put waterfalls on each side of the koi pond to help hide the street sounds,” Hoolihan says.

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Use fountains to make a splash in your outdoor decor."