Alexander Neckam, an Augustinian monk living in the twelfth century, is the earliest English writer on fountains, statuary, and gardens. In his De Naturis Rerum, he describes the herbs, trees, and flowers growing in a noble garden, flanked by flowing water from statuary fountains.
Gardens at the Time of the Norman Conquest
The Anglo-Saxon ways of living were greatly altered by the advent of the Normans in the latter half of the eleventh century. In architecture, as well as horticulture, the Normans excelled the Anglo-Saxons at the time of the Conquest. But, until the Normans had subdued the entire country, home life was an impossibility, and there was no occasion for domestic architecture or decoration.
Garden Fountains – How To Create A Haven Of Tranquility In Your Own Backyard
Garden fountains come in a huge variety of decorative styles, from ornately carved wall fountains to floating pond fountains. If you’re looking for a way to bring a soothing ambiance to the sanctuary of your backyard or patio, then a water fountain can be a wonderful feature.
Garden Sculpture & Garden Fountains in Roman Gardens
Garden Sculpture & Fountains added much to the decorative effect of the Roman garden. Carved balustrades, benches, tables, bas-reliefs, and statuary were considered the most important part of many gardens, and were beautifully designed.
Decorative Gardens and Garden Fountains of the Cistercians
The Cistercians, following in the footsteps of the Benedictines, did much to further the progress of horticulture and decorative gardens on the continent and in England. Their monasteries, lush with flowing water from large fountains and dramatic statuary, stood in contrast to those gardens as conspicuously bare of decoration as those of the Benedictines.
English Gardens of the 17th Century
English gardens had degenerated into meaningless repetitions of French and Dutch fashions by the end of the seventeenth century.
English Pleasure Gardens
Above all, the pleasure garden was intended for the diversion of the chatelaine. As early as 1250 we learn from a contemporary record that Henry III, to gratify Eleanor of Provence, ordered his bailiff at Woodstock “to make round about the garden of our Queen two walls good and high with fountains so that no one can enter, with a well-ordered herbary befitting her position, near our garden pond, where the said Queen may roam about freely.”
Where To Find Fountain Making Materials
For those of you with a creative spirit, you may be wondering where you can buy the materials to create a fountain of your very own. Most people do not really know where to begin so the following are a few tips on where you can find common water fountain making materials.
Using Water Fountains As Memorials
Much like statue, water fountains are also used to commemorate an individuals memorable existence or notable achievement. While fountains are often constructed of some kind of statuary, obviously the difference lies in the addition of falling water. The sound of falling water brings on the feeling of peace and the sight of it reflection. Adding water to a solid form instantly changes a simple object into a tangible and living thing. Unlike a statue (no matter how elaborate t…
Fountains As Pleasurable Entertainment
The overall beauty and novelty of a water fountain is that it can be located just about anywhere, take on any form and, by the way the water is engineered to be released, can be a constant source of entertainment or pleasure.
Create An Inspiring Wine Bottle Garden Fountain
Have you ever known anyone that collects wine bottles? While there are many beautifully shaped and colorful wine bottles, there does not seem to be many uses for them once the alcohol is consumed. People have been known to use the wine bottles as candle holders; the candle wax melting down the sides of the bottles make for a very unique indoor decoration. Often people just collect the bottles and add them to their shelves. In this case the bottles are more like dust collector…
Contemporary Glass Art
Art glass means the modern art glass movement in which individual artists are working to generate works from molten glass in relatively small furnaces of a few hundred pounds of glass. It began in the early 1960s and showed continued growth throughout the end of the century. The glass objects created are not primarily serviceable but are projected to make a sculptural or decorative statement.