Remember the old commercial for bath salts? You know the one-the frazzled woman sinks into a tub and sighs, “Take me away.”

Bubble baths are great for relaxation but you can only sit in them for short periods of time before you resemble a prune.

What if there’s something better-something almost otherworldly that works better than a box of powdered bubble bath and a lukewarm tub of water?

Would you believe it if we told you it’s right in your backyard? Well, maybe it’s not there yet, but it soon could be.

Outdoor fountains offer a welcome respite from the busyness of your day-to-day routine. A fountain calls to you with a soothing lyrical voice promising peace and relaxation.

Are you craving serenity yet?

Keep reading and slip into one fountain paradise with 5 ideas for incorporating fountain decor in your yard.

Desert Oasis

If you love the desert but live several states from one, why not bring the desert to your backyard environment?

Start with a rustic stone fountain, which becomes your centerpiece.

Lush green grass is not part of a desert, so consider replacing at least a portion of your lawn with stones. Natural stones come in different colors but lighter colored stones won’t absorb heat as readily as darker stones.

Add a splash of color with several sizes of flowering cactus. Prickly pear cactus is native to Wisconsin and does well when planted with other succulents. Invite a bit of whimsy and include a few terra cotta lizards lounging on the larger stones surrounding your fountain. Make sure you remember to bring those delicate statues into the house for winter if you have freeze/thaw seasons though, as otherwise those poor statues will start to fall apart very quickly.  (Or, you could get granite statues to fit your space, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about moving anything, season to season – as granite will last through almost anything!)

Southern Elegance

Create drama and sophistication by creating a boxwood courtyard garden.

Using a classic 3-tiered garden fountain as the focal point, build a circle of stone pavers around the fountain. Arrange pavers with space in between each and add pea gravel or low growing moss between them for contrast.

Build-up the area around the fountain with boxwood hedges. Group hydrangea bushes and plant Hicks yew shrubs, which grow upright adding a beautiful accent to the colorful flowers.  Keep in mind that some water will likely blow off the fountain when it’s windy, so whatever you plant around the fountain should be either chlorine resistant, or far enough away from the fountain that it likely won’t be hit by any of those splashes.

An elegant bench gives visitors a place to sit while enjoying the sound of water spilling over the fountain’s tiers.

The final touch to your Southern-style courtyard is the placement of large stone pots full of climbing roses. If you live in a climate with freezing weather though, make sure your pots are either made of granite, or light enough to move inside over winter so they don’t crack though.

The Secret Garden

A small, secluded garden with water splashing from a granite wall fountain this is the perfect escape from summer heat.

Tucked back into the trees and surrounded by shrubs, you can hide away for hours unnoticed.

This secret garden includes a flagstone terrace with space between stones for planting a hardy ground cover like white flowering mazus. Fill large stone pots with white caladium and smaller pots with white impatiens. The white and green color scheme create a cool and private garden space. 

Fountain Decor for an Elegant Kitchen Garden

Kitchen  gardens are usually stuck in the far back corner of the yard. While functional, they don’t always look attractive. Break the rules this year and bring your herbs and vegetables to the center of life in the backyard.

Start with a stone fountain, which acts as a garden centerpiece but also serves a practical purpose as a water source for the plants. The way you can accomplish this is by installing it as a Disappearing Fountain, where the water splashes down onto decorative rocks below the fountain, and is stored below the fountain in a hidden water reservoir.  Touch this link to learn more about this kind of installation. 

Build a border with river rocks and leave spaces for plants. Use the spaces to grow your own kitchen herbs. Try rosemary and oregano for savory soups. Lavender and sweet basil are excellent choices as well.

Use decorative containers for your vegetable plants. Choose plants based on how much sunlight falls in the area around the fountain. A fountain that splashes the surrounding ground with water helps increase moisture in the soil. The plants will love it!  Make sure you have your fountain attached to your building water though, so that it doesn’t run dry too fast.  Otherwise, depending on the amount of wind, relative humidity, or how sunny it is that day, you could be dragging your hose over there several times a week, to fill the water reserve tank back up.

Low growing herbs are the ideal companions for fountains since you can show off the full fountain without worrying that the plants will hide it.

Wildlife Retreat

If you enjoy supporting wildlife conservation why not create a backyard wildlife habitat?

Concentrate on the four basic needs of your wildlife visitors, which are food, water, cover, and nesting.

The pièce de résistance for this retreat should be an outdoor fountain designed with nature in mind. Your bronze water fountain is the backdrop for fruit and nut trees and the evergreens you’ll plant to encourage a variety of wildlife. Vegetation surrounding the pool provides cover for animals who come looking for water. 

Every Yard Deserves an Outdoor Fountain

We’ve enjoyed inspiring you with garden designs, which feature unique fountain decor. Fountains add charm, elegance, and drama to outdoor spaces.

Carved Stone Creations offers unique handcrafted yard embellishments and outdoor fountains.

Are you ready to take your yard to the next level?  Contact us today and we’ll work with you during every step of planning your outdoor retreat.