Simplicity has always been the basis of good design, and adding a garden fountain is no exception. Besides, good garden design is nearly as easy as it is simple! It's when you complicate things that issues arise. You have only a few things to worry with when planning to add a garden fountain to landscape your home. They are: 1) A source of electricity 2) The placement area; and 3) How to create a harmonious landscape around your new water feature. Creative solving of these basic problems will beautify your home and greatly improve its beauty and value. Penciled plans are simple to prepare, easy to repair and worth their weight in gold when it's time to install new the new planters, statuary, and green material around your water fountain.

The first things you need are several large sheets of graph paper with five or ten lines to the inch and plenty of plain tracing paper the same overall size, plus a pencil, ruler and eraser. Tape-measure your lot and draw its outline on the graph paper, making a special note where you want to install the outdoor fountain. Use a one-inch square of the graph to equal 10 square feet of your property. This places the usual 50 by 150-foot lot on the graph paper as a five by 15-inch rectangle. If your graph paper is too short for the entire plot plan use cellophane tape and stick two sections together, as needed. Then measure the house and its relationship to the fountain and the edges of your property. Transfer these dimensions to the graph paper, together with the size and location of the garage, driveway, walks and other permanent installations. It's also a good idea to mark the location of large trees, garden planters, statuary, or shrubs which are now growing.

Next take the plot plan outside and carefully survey the area surrounding your home. Perhaps you can see a large telephone pole beyond the back property line. Mark it on the graph paper. Indicate all neighboring houses, large trees, statues, or other obstructions in your line of sight. Mark this survey of your view from both sides, the front and rear of your home Mark down everything you can see and indicate its approximate distance from your house. Now comes the fun part. Cover the plot plan with tracing paper and you're ready to go to work; adding the outdoor water fountain to your landscaping on the lot with everything you would like to have and enjoy. But just a minute! Before you charge madly off in all directions at once, take a breath and visualize your yard. Think of those things you like best (fountains? statuary? cast stone planters?) and mark them for easy reference. It's these notes, these ideas, that will springboard you to action in the proper direction when the truck pulls up and the fountain is delivered.

With the notes you can return to your tracing paper and locate the essential factors of your garden plan: A place for the electrical connection, a garden bench, or the surrounding plants in their garden planting containers, etc. Then, sidewalks to the front and back doors. Perhaps a protected area for the children's play area. A dog kennel? If you plan to enjoy outdoor entertaining, now is the time to decide on how much paved or bricked area would be needed to surround the barbecue.

Placing your garden fountain is common sense. If you're on a firm, level surface, no problem. However the ground is earth, or lawn, you'll need to do a little preparation. Dig down about two inches, to firm ground. Then add a few inches of packed sand or pea gravel. Use a level, and you're all set. This will reduce or eliminate the effect of any natural leveling.

Keep in mind, of course, the view from various parts of the yard, protection from prevailing winds and use of existing trees. You don't want your fountain hidden from view, nor do you want the water flow to fly around the yard if you place it in a windy area. Large water features are no longer only for the wealthy. The landscaping planning phase is the perfect chance to plan the location of your fountain. Properly chosen, a water fountain can be the centerpiece of a masterful garden design.