Water is a fascinating object to work with. Its marvelous qualities — its sound, form, transparency and reflective attributes, fluidity, otherworldly nature — are compelling in nature, and desirable in our own small worlds.
Our city clients wished to create the beauty of tumbling, splashing water in their outdoor home space, so CSG designed a small pond and waterfall which creates precisely the effects desired. The pond itself is an enclosed ecosystem, requiring minimal maintenance and cleaning and biologically balancing itself. The stone is a mix of chunky sandstone for seating and architectural heft; New York Bluestone pieces for the majority of the pond surround; pebbles of mixed colors for fill-in spaces and the pond's floor; and, cantilevered over the edge of the pond, a large slab of Appaloosa outcropping stone suitable for foot dangling.
Planted throughout are blooming irises, water lilies, oxygenators, ornamental grasses, water hyacinth and more. Outside the pond, Japanese Maples, bamboo and occasional garden art pieces lend a distinctly Asian feel to the garden.
And though our clients did not express a wish for fish, they got them nonetheless; fish eggs, probably hitchhiking on the bottom of a leaf from a nursery pond plant, promptly hatched and presented our clients with a dozen tiny pond residents. Nice home to wake up to.
Irregular bluestone comprises the walkway — radiant heat beneath keeps it snow-free in winter — and night lighting creates a flickering glow throughout the pond and beyond into the garden. Now our clients can entertain grandly in their unique retreat or just kick back by themselves, the rush of falling water a soundtrack to their daily comings and goings.
