the murmur of water

Before we moved to Moss Hill, we lived in a 105 year old house on a postage stamp sized lot in the downtown historic district known as Old Louisville. In our teeny tiny back yard, we discovered and unearthed a fish pond that had been installed in the 1940s, and then filled in at some point afterwards. Neighborhood lore said it was there, but no one had ever actually seen it, so we just started digging, with no idea what we might find.

It nearly killed us getting all the dirt and debris out, and we weren't sure what we were going to end up with when it was finally emptied. What we found was a gen-yoo-wine "cement pond," half-moon shaped, about 8 ft across the long side, 4 ft wide at the apex, and 4 ft deep, and to our delight and relief, it was watertight. After a crash course in water gardening and koi keeping, we had a beautiful backyard oasis, complete with a fountain, water lilies, and koi that soon knew us well enough to eat out of our hands. It was enchanting.

When we sold the house, we left the koi with the new owners - we didn't have a place for them here on Moss Hill. We've missed the sound of trickling water, though, and the sight of fish flicking their tails at the surface. We may eventually end up with another koi pond, but for now, I'm making do with a container water garden. It's ridiculously easy to put together, and gives a lot of bang for your buck. 

Here's mine, freshly assembled:

My spot on the porch.

Need more inspiration? Here ya go:

You can forgo the pump, fountain, and fish altogether if you prefer, and create a simple, tranquil,
tabletop water garden in a clear container with a single plant and some pebbles.

Ummmmm, no thank you. BUT, you can see that any watertight container will do, so be creative!

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes 

on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, 

listening to the murmur of water, 

or watching the clouds float across the sky, 

is by no means a waste of time.  

~John Lubbock

http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/