Fountains: Creating Calm in the Midst of Clamor

How water fountains help us to discover the power of simple sounds In his book Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition, author Robert Pogue Harrison writes that a garden draws its energy from the whirl around its edges. One could say the same thing of water fountains. Though it exists to showcase the constant movement of water, a water fountain has a stillness at its heart that provides a soothing contrast with the jagged and intermittent clamor of the world beyond its edges. This contrast between the world without and the world within is what makes an indoor or outdoor fountain so satisfying. The proximity of noise enables one to appreciate the beauty of a water fountain's sound - the mellifluous bubbling, the patter of droplets, the quiet cascade. As Harrison writes, "An essential tension is lost when gardens do not have porous, even promiscuous openings onto the world beyond their bounds."

When deciding where to place your wall fountain or floor fountain, keep both sight and sound in mind. Indoor fountains might be best positioned in a room that's penetrated by low ambient sounds, such as a television down the hall or the muffled hum of traffic. Unless you have a large yard, you may have fewer options when choosing a spot for an outdoor fountain. Nonetheless, anything from a hedge to a Japanese screen can be used to enhance solitude or create a sonic barrier between outdoor fountains and their surroundings.

The sonic presence of a water fountain can provide practical benefits as well. In a corporate office or home study, for example, floor fountains may aid concentration by serving as white noise. Tabletop fountains can be a means of centering one's self during a stressful day or simply a welcome contrast to the ringing, clicking, buzzing, and beeping of office equipment.

"Stillness is a form of energy," Harrison writes. Discover for yourself how a water fountain from SimplyFountains.com can bring that rejuvenating energy to your home, office, or garden.