Ahhh yes, fall is in the air. It is time to start thinking about what all needs to be done to prepare for the freezing weather. If you have had the privilege of enjoying outdoor fountains and garden statuary all summer it is time to make a plan for what needs to be done to protect them for the winter too keep them beautiful for many more years to come.
Depending on the size of your outdoor fountains you might prepare for winter a little differently. If you have small fountains or smaller garden statues the best thing to do is just bring them indoors. The main goal is to not have water get into your fountains and be allowed to freeze and melt, this can cause cracking during the expanding and contracting. If size and weight permits, empty the fountain, remove the pump and bring them indoors.
Large outdoor fountains or heavy cast stone or stone outdoor fountains obviously can’t be brought indoors quite as easily. That is ok as there are plenty of things you can do to protect them. Start by draining the water fountain. I always recommend removing the pump as this is easy to take indoors to avoid cracking. Once your large fountain is drained and dry simply cover it up with a fountain cover or an insulated tarp of some kind. If you don’t want to purchase an outdoor fountain cover you can wrap your fountain with blankets and cover it with plastic or a tarp. The outdoor fountain covers are nice as they are waterproofed and UV stabilized with a drawstring a the bottom. Available in 4 sizes you are sure to find a fountain cover to fit your outdoor fountain perfectly.
One added step you can take to give you outdoor water fountains a little extra TLC is take this opportunity to clean your fountain thoroughly so in the spring you can uncover or get it out, add water and enjoy!
