New Project

Hi all,

One of the many projects I have planned for this Spring is a fountain for my front walkway. I love the sound and sight of water. The pond in the back is one of my favorite features but I want something for the front that I can hear in the kitchen / great room. My plan is to use one of those large oil jar type urns - at least four feet high. The water will spill over and be collected in a tub of some sort, which will be disguised with colorful stones and maybe some living material, not sure. If anyone is a member of the National Home Gardening Club, a beautiful urn is on the cover of the last issue of Gardening How-To. The problem is they are hard to find and very expensive. So does anyone know of a source in the greater NY area that sells large glazed urns? I plan to pick a color that will look good against the brick front of my house - between two windows. Thanks.

Victor

Have you checked Pottery Barn? New York has several locations.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIA,HPIA:2006-13,HPIA:en&q=Pottery+Barn+in+New+York

Victor, I'm no help finding you a jar, but I have to say it sounds wonderful! I love the sound of water.

What a wonderful idea and that sure sounds like a fun project. I too love the sound of water. I want to get an indoor fountain in my dinning room/kitchen area for that effect. Good luck on finding what you will need. You will have to post a pic when you are done with your project.

Victor, I just received an Ikea flyer that had tall, glazed pots for very reasonable prices.

Thanks Dave. Were they the oil jar type?

I'm not sure what that means.

Like this, only taller.

I think so. They looked nice.

I'll have to look into it then. Thank you.

I saw a show on hgtv about landscaping, and they took one of these and tippid it about 60 degrees and had it pour out onto a buch of rocks. Looked great. I'll look around for ne of these, I work in the stone industry here in Vermont. We make mostly Monuments but do get into the landscape stuff too. I'll see what I can find, about how tall do you want it?

Thanks TD. Somewhere in the 3 - 4 foot range, and glazed. Tipping is nice but I want it to spill over and run down the sides. That's what's nice about that particular shape. It lends itself to that nicely.

The spilling made for a nice trickle sound, if it just flows over it will be very quiet, unless you have something for it to splash on, like rocks at the bottom.

No, I will have a pump with an adjustable flow to help control the sound. Also, the more volume of water you have (why I want a sizable model), the deeper the sound will be, which is what I'm looking for. My pond waterfall provides the nice trickle sound. I don't want a duplicate of that. Thanks again.

Wonderful victor...just curious though do you have any indoor fountains?

Thanks Dawn. No, no inside ones.

Hi Vic, It sounds beautiful, I won't be able to look for a vase until tomorrow. Or have you found one yet?

Hi TDG. No, I have not found anything yet. Thanks.

Victor, I checked Ikea's website. Those nice big glossy pots were not on it. But they were un their flyer that I just received this week. Not sure, but I think they were $40.

Thanks, Dave. I guess I'll have to just go to a store and check it out. Can you believe that I've never been to an IKEA?!

It is an interesting place. Bring hiking boots.

Soooooooo??? Have you found anything yet for your project?? I hope so :)

Not yet Dawn, thanks. I will not actually get to the project until all my planting is done. I just want to be on the lookout for the urn. Have to get to IKEA to check them.

Can you check with them online and save the gas?

I will definitely try. There is not one very close to me. I will check the nurseries again soon as well.

they may not have the same stock online that they have in the stores. but you could call the store and describe what you're looking for, since Dave saw some in their flyer. you might save yourself a trip if they don't have anything close to it.

That's how I felt, Gram. It's so disappointing to travel a great distance and then not find what you expected. We made the trip up to the highly touted glossy picture catalog shop in CT awhile back and were sorely disappointed. The waste of time, gas, tolls, and then the disappointment leads me to shop locally and stop believing the sharp photography.

All good advice!

Well I do hope you find what you are looking for cause this project sounds so neat! I want to see pics when it is all done...even though you aren't planning on doing it right away. Good luck Victor.

Thanks Dawn. I certainly will post photos.

I have a related question: I love the shape of these oil jars and often see them standing in gardens as focal points - no fountains or plantings. My question is: why don't they collect water when used this way and become a mosquito factory? I'm sure there's an obvious answer, but it has excaped me. - Julie

I would only guess that a small hole has been drilled into the bottom.

Duh. You're probably right. Why didn't I think of that?

Victor, I just retuned from Ikea. They had 1 tall (3 ft) narrow (little more than 1 ft) glossy pot that might suit your project. It cost $50. Unfortunately I don't know what an oil jar is.
There was less variety there on very large pots than I had assumed from the flyer. But that one was nice.
I finally overcame my worries about caring for one and got an orchid for $12.

Thanks Dave. I will keep that one in mind.

I think Ikea has an online catalog and there may be other online resources for an oil jar. Of course, then there's postage and the concern you might not get exactly what you order, just an idea. Good luck, the project sounds nice.

Hey Vic, have you seen the www.designtoscano.com web site, you might find a vase there. I haven't found anything that is here in US yet. We make things like this in China but it takes 12 weeks to get! Try this site. Let me know if you find what you want.

Thanks TD. Didn't see anything but I appreciate the link.

Did you try E-bay?

Yes - a few times. Thanks.