N3 Anne – North Central Austin
You’ll discover this quaint 1,000-gallon pond after wandering through arches covered with passion vines and honeysuckle—a kind of secret garden watched over by angel statuary. On the 2010 tour, some folks described it as a “mini Hamilton Pool.” Three waterfalls emanating from a natural-looking rock wall splash on rock ledges on their way into the pond. On the left a small stream trickles down a hill before spilling into the pond. Elephant ears and papyrus provide filtration as they dance in the dappled sunlight with goldfish swimming about. Take a few minutes to sit on the rock bench, watch the fish and enjoy the peaceful setting. See if you can spot the natural rock that looks like a bear head on one end and a dolphin on the other. Also look for the white cross in a rock. Lights allow the pond to be enjoyed at night. Anne is an artist and built the pond herself, with a little help from two friends for a day or two. She collected all the rocks over the years and stacked them in the backyard until she was ready to build the pond.
N4 Thomas – North Central Austin.
Peace and serenity are the watchwords for this Asian-themed front yard. From the graceful purple wisteria perched on eye-catching red arbors to the benches that invite you to stay a while and unwind, this is definitely a place to de-stress. The gurgling waterfall lends soothing sounds to the atmosphere while goldfish, shubunkins and mosquito fish swim languidly in the 12-year-old pond. Umbrella plants grace the edges of the pond and the meandering stream. A bridge across the stream carries visitors to the front door that is guarded by large shishi lion statuary. You’ll definitely feel refreshed after visiting this yard
N5 Donna and Reed – North Central Austin.
This 11-year-old pond, situated close to the front door, greets visitors with the pleasant sound of a gurgling brook. The stone path and plants growing around the pond make it look quite natural and inviting. Water circulates around a central bog filled with horsetail reed and water poppies. Why a bog in the middle of the pond, you may ask? While digging out the pond, Donna discovered a buried concrete flowerbed. Not wanting to tackle digging it up, she decided it was the perfect place for a bog. Large goldfish (some almost 12 years old!) make their home among yellow, blue and purple water lilies. The resident plastic heron keeps the real “hunter herons” away from the fish. The waterfall sound helps drown the noise of the distant highways, making the front porch a lovely area to sit, relax and enjoy the serenity of this pond. (Bring your lemonade!)
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.