Disappearing Fountains

True to their names, disappearing fountains bring water up to dance around the landscape for a bit, and then quietly disappears into some mysterious hidden place underground. These special custom fountains are intended to be highly unique and personal structures tucked away in secluded parts of the yard. Their uniqueness makes them favored centerpieces of any morning garden, reading area, or meditation space built just for the homeowners themselves.

The primary difference between a disappearing fountain and some other fountain design is the absence of a basin. Instead, the water flows into a below grade pit. The elevation of this pit is set by carefully measuring the slope of the surrounding landscape. We may have to dig out a lower, level area in order to get to just the right needed for optimal water flow.

Once the water starts pouring out of the fountainhead, it flows down the sides into this catch pit and filters through the cracks between special materials used to line the pit. If we want to set a European tone, we can spread gravel here, like we did in the morning garden project found in our case histories. If we want a more wilderness feel, stones will be substituted for gravel.

Maybe too we can integrate this form into more intentional and linear landscaping designs, such as Italian gardens, or even the highly abstract realm contemporary landscape design. In these instances, bricks or pavers are often laid down in the catch pit..

In such instances, one thing is common regardless of the materials ultimately chosen. The water disappears. It is that simple, and in that simplicity lies the true beauty of this fountain. Watching the water simply flow between stones or bricks or even slabs of hardscape seems to produce almost a hypnotic effect on the mind.

But what happens to the water then?

It goes into an underground chamber through hidden slots under the filtration layer. A remote pump circulates the water through the system; pushing it back to the fountain head and returning it to the surface world to continue the visible portion of its cycle. The actual fountain itself can be anything from a geometric structure, a mythological deity, or something rudimentary like a piece of pottery or special urn that has been drilled out to accommodate the flow of water.

What we ultimately choose here will be based to a large extent on considerations such as how it looks in relation to the backdrop of the home, how it fits into garden landscape design, and how it juxtapositions itself with nearby hardscapes and outdoor buildings.