An Outdoor Garden Fountain Using Rock
The photograph above shows a simple outdoor garden rock fountain and simplicity is often the key factor in creating the perfect rock fountain. Water and rock always go well together in a landscape garden as, in nature, wherever you see a stream or river there is usually plenty of rock around even if it is only to be seen at the bottom of the water. The real beauty of the stone is often enhanced as soon as water makes contact and this article looks at some of the ways in which you can use stone and water to create a fantastic water feature which will look at home in virtually any garden design. In the previous article we took a look at adding a fountain to a rock garden which you may wish to read when you have finished here (you will find a link to it below this article) as many of the points raised there may also be applicable here (and vice versa).
The Various Types of Outdoor Garden Rock Fountain
Rock is a very diverse material which can be used to great effect in any garden however it can sometimes be a little expensive, especially for the finer examples. If you are unable to afford the luxury of natural stone you will be pleased to know that there are much cheaper alternatives widely available in a variety of styles. Unfortunately, as with many things, you often find that you get exactly what you pay for and the cheap alternatives can sometimes let down your garden design rather than enhance it.
An outdoor garden rock fountain made of fiberglass will simply not be able to compete with one made of natural stone and while it may well be cheaper it will be lightweight, less durable and certainly nowhere near as beautiful but those alternatives which have been moulded using concrete or reconstituted stone can look most wonderful and over time they will weather nicely and blend more naturally (whereas fiberglass will age far less beautifully).
Natural stone will always win, hands down, as the finest material of choice for an outdoor garden rock fountain as it is strong, durable and highly diverse. The stone can be supplied in a number of "finishes", you can opt for a natural form of a lump of weathered rock or a finely polished stone. Another option is to use stone slabs, or other shapes, which have been worn and weathered over time. In the photo above the fountain appears to have been made from a weathered square block topped with a thick weathers slab.
If you have decided to use natural stone you have two basic options; you can either buy a ready made fountain or design and build your own. Ready made rock fountains can prove very expensive, especially with larger examples, and while making your own can save a small fortune there are a couple of problems you will encounter. The most obvious problem is how you will get the water to flow through the stone and, in most cases, this will have to be done professionally.
If you want to save a little cash but still wish to use natural stone in your outdoor garden rock fountain design you still have options available to you. Firstly you can use an ordinary fountain pump surrounded by several rocks which will almost cover the spout. You must, obviously, leave a gap in the rocks sufficient to allow the jet of water to escape upwards but you should always keep in mind that you may need to gain access to the pump from time to time. To avoid this issue you can site the pump away from the rocks and run a hose to the desired location, if you choose this option you must make sure that it is firmly fixed in place. Your only other option is to have water flow onto your rock from a spout above. There are far too many ways to do this to mention here and I may discuss some of these options in a later article. The next article, in our series, takes a look at using stone in larger fountain installations.
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