Ortonville- The village will soon have a fountain again.
Last year, the fountain at the corner of Mill and South streets was removed, after not working for many years. Now, with the unanimous approval of the village council, a new fountain will be established in the Heritage Garden, located next to the Old Town Hall at the corner of Mill and Church streets.
The fountain is a requirement for certification of the garden as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.
The native plant landscape, known as the Heritage Garden, was planted in the spring of 2007. It was established with a five-year grant from the Farm Bureau that stipulated plants native to the area must be used. The grant requires a water feature, which the fountain will fulfill. The garden contains several varieties of black-eyed susans, sedge (a low, grass-like evergreen plant), native columbine, switchgrass, blue stem and potentilla.
The garden requires no watering, fertilizer or pesticides and is beneficial to wildlife including birds, butterflies, and insects. The garden was designed in keeping with the type of garden that would have been planted in the 1800s, giving it historical and environmental significance.
Lois Robbins, coordinator of the Native Landscape team that installed and maintains the garden, said the fountain is a terracotta color and plain, simple and functional. It is 42 inches tall and has a diameter of 48 inches for the basin. The diameter of the bird bath is 32 inches. It will be installed in April or May next to the Old Town Hall, where it can be connected to a water spigot and electrical connection.
It will bring in butterflies and birds and create nice, quiet music for people enjoying the garden,? Robbins said.