Holistic fountains

As the 2009 recession spawned a domino effect that toppled much of the “big ticket item” market, the mega fountain has been relegated to the “Proceed with Caution” category at many garden centers.

However, one facet of the industry – the holistic fountain – seems not only to have weathered the storm but to have emerged as a viable option for retailers looking to lure and maintain a newer breed of customers who lean to the “spiritual” side of outdoor living.

This month, we take a close look at what the holistic fountain is – and what it can do to help you improve profitability at a time when much of the water feature scene would appear to be “all wet.”

What makes a fountain holistic?
“It is no coincidence that we are intrinsically drawn to the sound of running water; it appeals to us on an intuitive level because we ourselves, as well as our world, are composed of mostly water,” said Olga Sokolova of Aqua Bella Designs, one of the industry pioneers in holistic fountain production. In turn, Sokolova said, water – running water, anyway – has the potential to relax and re-energize us; it can heal and soothe.

Sokolova said there is scientific evidence to suggest that water, likewise, is energized by its surroundings. “Through the use of high-speed photography, water’s molecular structure has been shown to be directly impacted by its surrounding environment,” she said. “More specifically, water can be energized positively to form sophisticated and stunning snowflake patterns, or energized negatively to form shapes devoid of symmetry and bright color.”

In essence, she said, a holistic fountain uses the laws of nature to positively charge the water running through it, creating something that is not only aesthetically pleasing but healthful as well.

The golden ratio of nature
“The human eye is constantly and subconsciously scanning its environment for visually pleasing objects,” Sokolova said. “We rarely question why we are drawn to certain objects because we already recognize that their qualities are just inherently pleasing to us on some unspoken level.”

Form, color, ornamentation and décor play a huge role in how appealing an object appears to us. Most significantly, the perfect proportion—parts to the whole—plays a key role in an object appearing aesthetically pleasing to us.
“This perfect proportion is known as the Golden Ratio or the Divine Proportion,” she said.

Fountains designed with the Golden Ratio positively energize the running water coursing through them with their natural, holistic appeal. “The key element is good proportion,” Sokolova said. “Coincidentally, this is also the key to successfully selling a product.”

Fountain symbolism
“The ornamentation or décor of a fountain feature creates a specific impression on our consciousness,” Sokolova said. “Symbols emanate energy and charge the water with that energy. With this philosophy in mind, Aqua Bella Designs selected a powerful design to engrave on our Stone of Heaven healing fountain (pictured above).”

Rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy, the six-line symbol on this fountain represents Heaven. The design is a hexagram of innate knowledge, strength and primal unified energy.

The Zen Garden
One way to incorporate the aforementioned holistic properties of clean running water into a themed landscape is to develop a Zen garden with Zen fountains. Zen gardens have existed for more than 800 years and are rooted in ancient philosophies found during that era in Japan and China. Contemporary Zen gardens have evolved to incorporate water features.

“The Zen garden is meant to bring our minds closer to stillness and inner peace,” Sokolova said. “The materials used to transform a space into a soothing Zen garden are environmentally friendly and include elements of nature. The simplicity of this approach emphasizes harmony through minimalism.”

Sokolova said there are a couple of selling points a retailer can share with prospective holistic fountain/Zen garden customers:

• Zen fountains are rooted in simplicity, making them easy to use.
• Zen Fountains also add to the tranquility of a garden space by attracting birds and curious animals. The natural, environmentally-friendly products and the accompanying sounds of running water soothe and heal. 

Freelance writer Julia Liapidova contributed to this story.