How to Care for Your Outdoor Water Fountains
Kathy Burns-Millyard
Garden lovers around the world love putting fountains among their flowers, plants, bushes and shrubs. And with the Christmas season upon us in the U.S., many garden lovers may get their very first fountain as a gift this year.
Fountains make wonderful gifts year round. They're beautiful to look at, and fit well with almost any landscape. They're also quite serene and have a wonderful calming effect. So if you're getting or giving an outdoor water fountain for a gift this year, here are a few caretaking tips you'll want to have on hand...
Many outdoor fountains are made of concrete, and concrete expands and contracts in cold weather. If at all possible, you should move your concrete fountain indoors for the winter.
If you're not able to move it indoors, check it frequently to see if there's water collecting in it. You should keep it completely dry during the winter months.
If your fountain will stay outdoors throughout the winter, you also need to remove the pump and store it indoors. Fill, wrap, or cover the fountain with blankets, burlap bags, tarp or other protective materials to help shield it from severe cold. Be sure you have the fountain covered entirely for maximum protection.
During warmer months, you'll want to clean debrise - leaves and twigs for example - from your fountain at least once each week. Take particular care to clear any debris from around the pump as well, so it doesn't clog.
Add a small touch of bleach or special algae removing solution to your fountain regularly, to keep the water clear and prevent residue or algae buildup around the sides. If your fountain is accessible to pets and animals: do not use bleach. Instead, be sure to use an animal friendly cleaner such as Microbe-Lift Fountain Clear (http://www.buy-outdoor-fountains.com/Microbe-Lif t-Large-Fountain-Clear.php).
Following these simple maintenance tips will help keep your outdoor fountains in tip top, beautiful condition for many years to come.
About the author: © 2004, Kathy Burns-Millyard. This article is provided courtesy of http://www.Buy-Outdoo r-Fountains.com - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, the copyright notice, the author name and URL remain intact.
The latest information and news on Gardening:
Yahoo! News Search Results for gardening
Top Ten 2009 Gardening Trends (Lexington Clipper-Herald)
(ARA) - Americans craving authenticity and fretting over a bleak economy have reinvigorated the trend to grow-it-yourself (GIY). From blueberries to houseplants, GIY is the new mantra as folks turn "back to the future" to simplify their lives while gardening for the greener good.
Plot user touts gardening benefits (The Naperville Sun)
Gardener Julie Federico says she is OK with Option 1A, with one caveat. "As long as I could still get a plot where they're located on West Street," Federico said. "I could continue to walk or bike there." Federico has participated in the garden plots program for the last five or six years. She began gardening on a plot with a friend, but has been tending a plot on her own for at least the last ...
Gardening events (The Jackson Sun)
If you're looking for gardening tips, you can't afford to miss the Southern Home & Garden Expo with more than 1,500 exhibitors representing home design, remodeling and landscaping Jan. 16 -18 at the Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road in Memphis.
City to offer classes on herbs, organics, gardening (This Week Olentangy)
The city of Powell will offer three classes this winter and spring on organic housecleaning, gardening and herbs.
5 Tips for Hydroponics Gardening (PIZZAHEROS)
When seeds first sprout, they are said to be germinating. In hydroponic gardening, this happens within a growing medium, which can be any number of things. The best choices are composted bark, expanded clay, gravel, peat moss or sand.
Plant Exchange: Gardening Is Local Woman?s ?True Hobby? (Yankton Press & Dako...
Q: May we visit your evolving county yard and garden?
Keep Gardening In Winter With Spice (Yankton Press & Dakotan)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? At her family-run herb farm in Vacaville, Calif., Rose Loveall-Sale hears the same question often this time of year.
U. of I. Extension offers gardening program (Villa Park Argus Press Spectator)
Four Seasons Gardening, a 12-session program presented by University of Illinois Extension, will cover a wide array of gardening and landscaping topics.
Library plans free gardening classes in Murfreesboro (The Tennessean)
Linebaugh Public Library System is offering a new set of free classes devoted to nature, gardening and "do-it-yourself" nature activities.
Start Spring Early with Indoor Gardening (Lexington Clipper-Herald)
(ARA) - Let's face it -- February, March and April can be gray and dreary months. You're more than ready for spring to begin, but Mother Nature is on a different schedule.