Whatever the size of your patio, you can enhance the ambiance by adding one or more fountains. A fountain is one of those outdoor water features that will really allow you to enjoy the sounds of nature as you enjoy your morning coffee or have a drink with friends. The stream of water through the air also has a cooling effect on the hot air of the summer. You can have one that sits on the deck or the table or a fountain that attaches to the wall.
When choosing wall fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com) you do need to consider the decor of your outdoor living space. You need to look at the exterior design of your home and the materials from which your patio is made. For example, a fountain made of brick would look out of place on a wooden patio and vice versa. You would make it a focal point of the patio, but for the wrong reasons. Precast concrete and reconstituted stone are the best choices for fountains that would work well on any patio.
Patio fountains come in all types of designs - animals, children, classical, mythical creatures, angels - the list goes on and on. Whatever design you choose, you will need to have a submersible pump installed to keep the water flowing continuously through the fountain so that it pours out into the basin and then goes back to the top again.
If you have an empty corner to fill on your patio, then choosing one of the many resin wall fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Wall+Fountains) available will help you complete the decor. If you have a patio made of wood, it is very easy to build your own fountain using two different sizes of whiskey barrels or even large flower pots.
You simply make a pool for the water from the larger one and use the smaller one as the point from which the water pours. You can place the submersible pump inside the upper barrel and have a connecting pipe to bring the water from the pool into the pump, from which it pours out continuously.
Patio fountains are small, which means they are portable. You can move it around on the patio or even have it sitting on the top of a table. This flexibility in being able to change the position means you can change the look of your patio whenever you wish. Many of the modern designs are solar powered so that you don't have to depend on the light on the patio to be able to enjoy the sight of the fountain along with the sounds at night.
This eliminates the need to have the wall mounted fountain close to an electrical outlet when you want to have it illuminated at night. The solar panel can be quite a distance away from the fountain and this adds to its portability. Thus you can enjoy its beauty even if you have it placed in a shady area of the patio.
You can use patio fountains to turn this area of your outdoor living space into an oasis. Even if you live in an apartment, you can have a fountain on the patio to make this area a place of tranquility. These blend in with the decor and the sounds of the trickling water blend with nature, as well as the natural materials used in the construction of both the fountain and the patio.