Many gardeners agree you can easily add too many lights to your garden. Garden lights are an easy habit to develop and an awfully hard one to break. But there are certainly times when you need to add a decorative accent that isn’t necessarily lighting.
If you feel that pull, one of the options you might want to consider is adding a solar fountain.
Fountains have a long history in terms of gardens. There have been enormous fountains spewing water twenty or thirty feet in the air and there have been smaller fountains that essentially serve as water purifiers. Some fountains have statutes – think Cupid or another cherub – and others are so small and subtle they are almost unrecognizable.
But if there is a downside to the modern garden fountain, it may be that they are complicated. They need waters and pipes to function, and often these elements need to be visible which can make your new fountain more of an eyesore than a pleasant garden accent.
That’s where the solar-powered water fountain comes into play. They offer you the same level of elegance and fine design – and, yes, beauty – that a traditional fountain offers, but they do so with far less distraction. Thus, they are more likely to integrate in a harmonious way with your existing garden décor and landscape. And they do so in a green way!
That doesn’t mean a solar fountain can simply be set up and thereafter ignored. Rather, you are going to have to pay attention to them and do at least a minimal amount of care and maintenance.
If you plan to operate your garden after the sun has set – or isn’t shining – then you are going to have to install a solar battery. Plenty of solar fountains do not come with one, so be sure you’ve got one from the outset.
Your fountain is going to run well or poorly based entirely on its capacity to receive light from the sun. Therefore, you need to install it somewhere that won’t make access to solar rays difficult. And even after you’ve handled the installation process, you need to be sure the solar panels are directed in a way to receive a maximal amount of sunlight throughout the day.
However, it’s good to remember that because you aren’t running electrical cords and wires to the power source, you still have quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to where you locate your fountain.
If you fountain starts to look a little wan – as if it’s slowing down – don’t panic. Electric power provides a more or less steady flow of energy, but solar power tends to ebb and flow more. This is natural, and need not be a cause for concern.
The market for solar fountains has shifted considerably in recent years. If they were somewhat rare at one point, you can now get them in an array of styles that can make choosing difficult. As always, don’t rush yourself into a decision. Think about what you want and need – and then go find a fountain that will do the job for you!