Rain Chains are Lovely Water Features
Enhance a Pond or Replace an Ugly Downspout with Kusari Doi
A downspout is not a thing of beauty. It’s a functional way to move water from up to down. Rain chains are a beautiful alternative to metal or plastic downspouts. Rain chains are also called Kusari Doi, and they have existed for hundreds of years in Japan, both on homes and on the outside of temples. In North America and Europe, they are just beginning to make an entrance into the garden market as a functional yet beautiful piece of garden sculpture.
What is a Rain Chain?
Kusari Doi are linked pieces of metal that form a pathway for water to flow from gutter to ground. Rain chains can also guide water into a receptacle or a garden. There are several different styles of chains. Cup style rain chains are a series of descending funnels. Japanese lotus flower chains are similar to cup chains, but they are made in the shape of a series of descending flowers. Link chains are the simplest of rain chains, with a series of linked metal loops in various patterns.
Rain Chains are Garden Art
Think of the rain chain as a piece of calming garden art. Traditional Japanese architecture does a wonderful job of channeling water into attractive patterns in the garden, making a rainy day a joy to watch. The sound and sight of the water calms the senses. Water flows through the metal chain or cups, adding sound and visual beauty to the garden. To add to the sound of the rain chain, purchase a Japanese stone or metal catch-basin or place a pond at the base of the rain chain. Rain chains come in copper, brass, aluminum and iron. Some will rust or age to a patina, adding an element of change to this piece of outdoor art.
Rain Chains Add to an Existing Pond or Rain Garden
Instead of draining the water away as it descends into the garden, use the rain chain as the fountain entry to a stunning water feature, such as a pond or a rain garden. Rainwater can fall into an open miniature pond. Rain chains create a lovely sound in the pond. They also help the water in a water feature move without the aid of a pump, discouraging the growth of mosquitoes. Alternatively, a rain chain can be the entrance to a rain garden, a wetland garden designed to capture, use, and filter rainwater. The chains can also be used with water storage devices such as rain barrels.
Installing Kusari Doi
Rain chains are easy to install because they come with a hook that fits into the gutter. The hook is shaped like an upside-down letter “v.” The hook slides into the hole of the downspout, and two feet at the end of the “v” extend to the sides of the downspout, creating a hanger for the rain chain. There are no concerns about seals and water leakage, since rain chains are meant to be a cascading water feature in the garden.
Rain chains are a serene form of garden artwork. They can be an alternative to a downspout, an entryway to a water-saving rain barrel, or a beautiful way for water to make an entrance to a pond, bog, or a rain garden.
Rain Chain: Garden Art
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