What's Outside Your Window?

Everyone wants a room with a view, right? If your landscape is lacking when you look out your window, you can always spruce up your yard. Or better yet ... you can add a room with large windows and design a water feature to flow right up to the glass like this homeowner did!

Rather than put the patio next to the sliding door, the water garden was brought up close, with a charming walkway stretching across the pond.

Livin' the Outdoor Lifestyle

Back in the 1950s, the lawn was a status symbol of suburban living. The bigger and greener the lawn, the better.  The first lawn spreader was invented during this era, and the market was flooded with lawn care products. Today, we're ripping out those green lawns for eco-friendly landscaping solutions like native plants, rainwater harvesting systems, and ecosystem ponds. In addition, we're moving the indoors out ... fireplaces, cushioned furniture, gazebos, even kitchens have moved outdoors. Here's a home located in the suburbs of Chicago that truly seems to have it all when it comes to outdoor living.

Outdoor kitchen to the left, beautiful paver patio for enjoying waterfront views, and a floating deck and gazebo for personal interaction with this amazing pond and waterfall.

What a great place for entertaining! Ample seating is available on the floating deck and dining furniture is available at the far end of the paver patio, as well.

A rustic boardwalk traverses the pond, beckoning visitors to feed the fish up-close, or simply dangle feet into the cool water. By the way, this backyard is featured on a pond tour in Downers Grove, IL on August 20th. The tour is free and more information is available here.

Ornamental shrubs soften the cool, hard edges of rock and lend a calming color palette to the overall design. Very natural. While only 2 years old, this water feature looks as though it's been part of the property forever.

Mossy, well-worn rocks were hand selected to provide an aged feeling to this new water feature. The small rock urn on the right was hand-crafted and pieced together by an artistic friend and pond builder, of BJL Aquascapes in New Jersey.

The same waterfall scene all aglow with energy-efficient LED lights.

Rain dances on the pond while beautiful greenery hugs the rocks.

Large stepping stones descend from the patio to a pebble beach. This is a favorite spot of the children and their friends.

A closer view of the pebble beach where the kids can have hours of fun with their buckets and beach toys. Water lettuce at left provides an element of softness.

A fallen log slows the water before cascading over small rock pillars. What a unique waterfall design!

This outdoor paradise is a far cry from the plain, grassy turf it once was. With a little design inspiration, there's no telling what you can create in your own backyard! What element would you enjoy most? And don't forget, you can see this pond in person on August 20th during a FREE Pond Tour in Downers Grove, IL. Click here for locations, descriptions and directions to the ponds.

Linking to:
Wow Us Wednesday at Southern Savvy Style
Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

Pleasures of Pond Fish

Fish play an important role in the nitrogen cycle of an ecosystem pond. Not only do fish dine on algae, but they provide a beautiful flash of color as they glide in and out of waterlilies. Koi and other pond fish make great outdoor pets ... even learning to eat right out of your hand, if you're patient! When you have a water garden of your very own, you'll grow to love your fish as much as you love your cat or dog!

An Eskimo Kiss is shared over a trickle of fish food pellets. Fido might look like he's snarling, but he actually adores the fish and watches over them every chance he gets.

This beautiful butterfly koi is a prized possession named Marathon. Special thanks to its owner for the photo!

This ethereal, white koi is truly stunning against the cool, dark, watery backdrop.

This festive fellow shows off his feathery fins, dancing about in the cool waters, swishing his tail first one way, and then the other.

And this golden gal proudly flaunts the latest shade of lipstick.

Sometimes hard to spot in the water, Mr. Dark and Mysterious reveals intricate designs in his shimmering scales.

A window frames the perfect view of finned friends. This is a perfect indoor spot for a morning cup of coffee, delighting in the views of the backyard oasis.

You simply can't ignore this face! He may look like a Grumpus-Ala-Bumpus, but he's actually quite pleased in his pond.

Another black beauty skims the surface of the pond. They say not to name your fish, fearing you'll become too attached. But when you see their personality reflected in the water garden, how could you resist naming your finned friends?

How many koi do you have in your water garden, and have you named them?