The sight and sound or falling water is very soothing and enhance the ambiance of the garden. If you have a large backyard area, you might want to look at the free standing fountains. There are also styles that attach to a wall and smaller models that will fit quite well on your patio.

Depending on the theme you want to create, you can actually make your own outdoor wall fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com/florentine-fountains/the-wall-fountains-of-florentine-sculptors-home.htm) using natural materials. You may want to make the fountain into a space where birds will come to have a drink.

You may want to recreate an old-fashioned scene in your garden, in which case a barrel trough made with an old-fashioned pump and a cast off whiskey barrel will create the look of a country garden in your backyard. By using two or three of these barrels, you can actually create a small waterfall in which water trickles from one level to the next.

Some of the wall mounted water fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com) can be attached to an existing pond on your property so that you don't have to disturb any or your water pipes or tear up any landscaping to complete the installation.

You can tuck the fountain into a bed of flowers or arrange the flowers around the outskirts of the fountain and install a bench where you can sit and enjoy your scenic surroundings in peace and quiet. A tabletop fountain is perhaps one of the easiest fountains to set up and will stand for many years on a table on your patio or porch.

Outdoor fountains must be made of durable material in order to withstand the outdoor environment. Most are made from precast concrete, but if you really want to have a natural look check out the fountains made from reconstituted stone.

To avoid having the fountain look out of place try to replicate the natural stone of your region as closely as possible. If you want to further enhance the fountain by adding fish, you should stay away from old world wall fountains that contain lead because this is hazardous for fish.

There are many retailers, online and off, that sell outdoor fountains in many different varieties. If you visit your local garden center, you should know that it is impossible for one location to stock every kind of fountain. If there is nothing there that catches your eye, ask whether or not the store has a catalog from which you can order or a website where you can browse the many styles and place your order online.

Freestanding outdoor fountains are usually the focal point of a garden and should be placed where they can be easily seen. Such a fountain requires a submersible pump in the pedestal portion and you need to be able to get at it easily to clean it from time to time.

During the fall, you should drain all the water from the fountain and the pump and remove the pump to protect it during the winter. If you are not able to store the fountain itself indoors for the colder months of the year, you should take care to wrap it so it won't suffer any damage from the ice and snow.