Hard to imagine this was a gravel driveway

It started small

Our carport-to-Art Studio was nearing completion, the old gravel driveway dug up and removed, and now just a pile of dirt waiting for something magical. More gardens? A large greenhouse for my husband’s exotic plants?

But as spring rolled into summer, we realized this space was too hot for a greenhouse, and with a wild, chaotic cottage garden sprouting out of the old circular driveway beyond the studio, we didn’t need more flower gardens next to the house. Instead we craved something calmer, more zen-like.

A place to cool off

The idea of a pond took hold. Just a little something to dangle my feet in and cool off after a day gardening and painting. I envisioned perhaps a couple of little ponds with a tiny waterfall between them, a few plants, maybe some stepping stones, a place for wildlife and me.

And while I dreamed up ideas, my hubby came across Mark The Pond Guy – who happened to have an open water-garden tour the following weekend. We immediately signed up… (If you haven’t been on the tour, or to Mark The Pond Guys Moonlight Tour at his private estate – set down everything and sign up! You won’t be disappointed!)

Now that we were under contract, I flew some ideas past Mark who immediately suggested a wetland filtration system which would help create a natural pond (fabulous for wildlife) with clear water (beautiful for swimming ).

And then Mark’s son, Dan started weaving his magic. A true artist, Dan has a connection to water and rocks that I can’t describe. He not only visualizes a water feature inside out and from bottom to top, he can sense how water will flow over the rocks long before they find their place into the pond. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I wanted my deck, the flower gardens and pond to surround my Art Studio, and since the original topography sloped Dan’s team had to build a pretty large retaining wall. I also wanted to hide the large (not-so-attractive) Echo Blocks used to create a raised Herb Garden right off the deck.

Once the wall was complete, it was time to put in the oh-so-important wetland filtration system which involves layers of rock on top of a large plastic ‘centipede’ and plastic crates. This helps the water slow down, filter through the layers and all the surface area of the plastic crates act as a home for the beneficial bacteria to reside and start doing their business keeping the water clear and healthy.

Oh, in case you were wondering – ‘dangling my feet’ rapidly morphed to ‘sitting in’, then to ‘immersing in’. And ‘little pond’? Well, that was a few pages back.

So I kept saying “Make it bigger, deeper!”

And so they did…

Now it’s time for the underlayment - so big and heavy it took all three guys to wrangle it into place

Next step - a retaining wall on the studio side that doubles as support for the future overhanging deck:

Finally, it’s time to place the rocks!

Before he started, Dan zeroed in on a large boulder on-site that was my special rock as a kid. When I told Dan it was my special place to daydream, he decided it needed to be a focal point in the pond. Also, since it’s a glacial rock (as opposed to river rock normally used in ponds), he would pick and chose other glacial rocks to anchor in a more natural feel. Oh and that stump dragged up from the beach – absolutely that’s going into the pond!

The team carefully placed each rock into place and I watched as the pond perimeter took shape

While Dan and his team were placing boulders, a team from Harrison Homes built the overhanging deck

Finishing touches included pavers in the entry way and flagstone surrounding the pond

Finally the deck and pond were complete, the rain cleared and Mount Rainier took center stage

Let the water flow

We opted to fill with a tank instead of putting that much pressure on our well… 7000 gallons!

Dan’s sitting on my special rock while Titian (of Harrison Homes) looks on and takes photos

The pond is filled, the lights are on and Beau wanders around to inspect

The morning after and the silt is settling in the pond, all of the pavers are in place, and I’ve tucked in some grasses to help soften the edge between pond and rock.

It’s beyond beautiful and a perfect companion to my Art Studio

It’s the small details that make it so magical

The lighting

The old stump I found on our beach

And the waterfall itself – photos just can’t capture it’s magic

There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not in and around our pond. Whether I’m hopping from rock to rock gathering debris and checking on my little koi, dangling my feet after a long day, or swimming around with a wine glass perched on the deck, I’m loving the sight, sound and feel.

Yes, we’ve found our zen

…and so has he: