Rocks in fountains

Roman fountains were often dedicated to 'the nymph of the grotto'. The fountains were shrines to the Gods and Goddesses of water, who were assumed to live in rocky caves and grottoes. This led to the conceit of locating garden fountains amongst rocks. More recently, the idea of using rocks, boulders and even pebbles as fountains has become popular. Though it is easy to bore a hole with a rock drill, there is a curious mystery in seeing water emerge from a stone. The water highlights the boulder, drawing attention to its shape, colour and texture. The fountain symbolises an evolutionary understanding of the creation. But take care: some stones (eg granite and basalt) are immune to water erosion and corosion but other stones (eg limestone and marble) will be stained worn by acid water from fountains.