Continuing on with the Austin Pond Societies Annual Pond Tour, we are now addressing the North Tour. First stop, Mayfield Park and although the Park was not on the official tour, it was designated as a picnic area.

N1 – Mayfield Park -West 35th Street

As you enter the grounds, the ponds are to the right of the Mayfield house. Mary Mayfield Gustch designed the gardens and her husband, Milton, directed the building of
the ponds, stone walls and walks with resident gardener Steve Arredondo. Mrs. Gutsch left the home and acreage to the City of Austin for use as a park.
There is a cast iron pond near the cottage which is filled with lilies. Wildlife forms are cast into its edges. You can often see turtles and frogs, real ones, not cast iron.
The six concrete ponds form a flower. The center pond is surrounded by four petal ponds and the hourglass pond with the waterfall forms the stem. The ponds contain irises,
lilies and elephant ears. There is plenty of life in the ponds, fish, frogs, snakes and turtles. Watch for the green herons stalking their prey in the ponds and the noisy Peacocks.
The grounds and ponds are cared for by the Mayfield Council volunteer group.
This pond may be closed if the park is exclusively reserved. If you do not see a Pond Tour sign at the gate, please proceed up Mt. Bonnell road to Mark & Tracy’s pond.

As with all of these slides, if you click on any one of them it will enlarge and then use the side arrows to move the pictures along. Press  “Escape” to get back to normal.