Aug
27
The Landscape and Garden Blog
Aug
27
There are many ways to make a garden become a refuge. Built in to the very notion of a garden is the idea that it’s become a space reserved for communing with a small version of nature. Water is at the source of all things that grow, and fountains are a way of bringing this to the center.
For all of the soothing potentials of water, and the way it can affect each of the senses, the one that’s perhaps the most important is sound. In terms of the garden fountain, the subtle affects of the sound of running water have a way of taking the mind toward a relaxing place where the source of life is like a lullaby to busy thoughts.
Water does affect the other senses in profound ways. Even untreated water has a very specific smell, evoking the same memories that take the body back to the original ocean. The visual aspects are also quite pleasing, reflecting light, and capturing color as if it were a perfect twin to its surroundings. It is always soothing to the touch, and holds a fascinating for small children that never really goes away. The taste is simple, but one of nourishment, reminding the body that it is composed of water. Sound brings all of these together as a reminder of where one is in the world.