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Water Features in the conventional sense was originally found in Greece, in the form of the fountain and were thought to have been the heart of the society. However, one thousand years earlier there is documented proof of the design of fountains as a part of a garden complex in Iran, where ceramic vestiges have been discovered. The beneficial nature of gardening in general has been established for thousands of years, with many early communities developing their communes through the use of the land. The Greeks created whole temples committed to healing with rustic settings, gardens, swimming pools and natural springs. The community would worship the deity ‘Aesclepius’ and take time to heal, relax and unwind, these temples were particularly used to assist mending from sickness. The Romans too compiled notes on which plants had beneficial properties, in the 1st century A.D. a surgeon from the army, Dioscorides put together a register of around 650 plant based medicines and the typical locations and use of individual plants to benefit health. The University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum has established a centre in 1992 called “The Centre for Therapeutic Horticulture.” The Centre uniquely specializes in exploration into the significance of integrating people with plants in reference to health and mending within the healthcare setting. The most recent investigation into this correlation seems to concur that being close to and benefitting from the beauty of nature stimulates our mind, body and spirit together and increases the chance of physical recovery. In particular the sound of running water is supposed to enhance our feeling of well being and relaxes the mind. As human beings are 70% water the basic need for water is being fulfilled and perhaps a constant assurance is given to us to know we are within a close proximity to water. Over the twenty years it has become possible for water features to become a regular feature within garden design in the UK. Gardening programmes like the BBC’s ground force have inspired the UK to become more aware of their garden and the increased benefit and enjoyment to be gained from developing and designing your own garden. There is a definite financial gain to be made in terms of property value but it is about having the extra area to entertain, socialize and enjoy life. The modern water feature can come in a wide variety and really there’s something for everyone, there’s no excuse for the plastic pond anymore. In terms of materials there is a vast range of materials being used in the design of water features from the current trend of stainless steel to traditionally stylish stone carving. Adding a new dimension to your garden through the use of a water feature would fashion a new element of your garden and encourage the use of your garden and may have health benefits too.
Article Source: http://www.urarticles.com
Chelsea is a part-time columnist, writing infrequent pieces on UK water features, who specialise in high quality and unusual water features and deliver throughout the UK and have a showroom based in yorkshire.
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