Garden fountains make landscapes come to life with the sound and movement they bring into the garden. Garden water fountains can give dramatic climax to the calculated symmetry of a formal garden pool, or fluidity to a rigid freestanding sculpture, or a sense of sensuality to the garden as water bubbles over a crop of cobblestone.

Whatever design you may have in your garden, you have a wide array of choices of garden fountains. The best type of water fountain for you will depend on your preference for sound and style, and on size and its relationship to the other elements in your garden. If you intend to place the water fountain in your pond, think about the effects it will have on your fish and plants. You must stay away from garden fountains made with lead fixtures; the lead toxins from such garden fountains are hazardous to animals and plants.

There are basically two types of garden fountains: spray garden fountains, and statuary garden fountains. Spray garden fountains are basically water jets, spreading water in a variety of patterns. Statuary garden fountains look more decorative as water pours from a sculpture or figures of some sort. In some ways, spray garden fountains have more flair for the dramatic, as pressurized water powered by a recirculating pump bursts through nozzles or fountainheads variously designed to display a particular desired effect. If you have a modern-style home and pond, spray garden fountains would easily complement your style, however, if you prefer statuary garden fountains, choose a contemporary sculpture.

Garden fountains may have their own integral pump; alternatively, a remote pump may deliver water to the garden water fountains via a concealed pipe. The size of the pump will determine how high and how intense the spray of water will be, thus you should carefully match the appropriate size to the desired spray pattern. For a certain pump size, you can adjust its flow rate within a range, giving you a degree of control over the patterns bursting from your garden fountains. As a matter of proportion, the height of the spray ought to be less than one-half of the width of your garden pool.

You must also consider the shape of your pond when shopping for garden fountains. Circular- or square-shaped ponds look good with garden fountains placed in the middle. In rectangular-shaped ponds, having a line of pipes spraying water from the center to the edges will typically look better. Take another look around the prospective locations of your garden fountains and note the shapes of the significant elements in the landscape. Try to visualize what other large features you might add, including shrubbery. The shapes of garden furniture and dominant plants can be complemented by vertical garden fountains, or perhaps by rounded spray garden fountains.

Wind strength in your area is another factor to consider when selecting styles of garden fountains. Those garden fountains that tend to atomize water into a misty spray, or bell garden fountains that come out with a thin film of water, will not work in a windy site. In a windy situation, you may have to settle for geyser garden fountains that project a robust column of water.

You may be planning to have floating plants in your pond, so remember that garden fountains will disturb the pond water surface. Tall, exuberant garden fountains are likely to push water lilies and other plants to the sides of the pond. Bell garden fountains, with their low water column and bell pattern, disturb surface water less than other designs of garden fountains. Fish lovers will prefer the enhanced aeration that splashy garden fountains provide.

These are some of the considerations that you will have to think of before you pick your garden fountains. Just remember that successful choices of garden fountains require a balanced sense of scale and an understanding of how garden fountains features can contribute to the overall design and styling effects you want to achieve in your garden.