The Summer Oasis

I held my breath as Prince Smokey bent his head tentatively for a cold drink from the pond. Had he dipped a few inches closer, he may have literally kissed the little froggie, perched comfortably on the lilypad, and I may have witnessed the rising of a majestic dog princess. Alas! That was not meant to be, as the frog elegantly took a leap away from the danger that it sensed through its impeccable peripheral vision, and ducked behind a sanctuary of rocks. On the hot, lazy summer day, this scene was a welcome addition to the monotony of the calming sound of the water meandering through the rocks and falling into the small pond in our backyard.

This past summer was especially dry and I had always wanted a backyard water feature. The dry weather in addition to the loose rocks left over due to some backyard work were the major motivation for us to attempt to build a small waterfall in our backyard. After watching dozens of YouTube videos about building water features, I felt our project would be a piece of cake. Well, the DIYers on YouTube make it look super easy! Dig a hole, line (waterproof) it, arrange rocks around, add a pump and a filter and turn the pump on. Voila! Not so fast Mr. YouTuber !! Each of the steps here is very time consuming and a lot of hard work.

We started by picking a video from Lowes which also provides a list of materials. We used the video for the basic guidelines, and improvised for our needs. For example we didn’t need all the flagstone that the video recommends as we already had a big stash of rocks. Also, we wanted our water feature to blend into our landscape and use as many natural, local elements as possible. The very first step was to identify a spot and we picked one which we can enjoy from our kitchen, bedroom, deck or sit by its side. Next, the heavy lifting such as digging and moving rocks started, in which I was at best the assistant, mostly providing moral support, company and drinks. I had already made acquaintance with the wheel-barrow during some earlier projects; this time my husband introduced me to the moving dolly, without which it would have been impossible to move the rather large rocks that made the solid base of the waterfall. The major challenge was to get the water to flow over two levels towards the pond without spilling or leaking beyond the enclosure. We ended up watching many of the “how not to do” videos which detailed common mistakes and solutions. Arranging the rocks aesthetically, especially to hide the unsightly plumbing was the less-daunting, mostly time consuming and kind of a fun activity.

To soften the rocky structure encapsulating the pond, we planted a colorful mix of perennials and annuals - flowering plants, succulents, shrubs and creepers with colorful leaves and grasses all around.

We added lights splashing over falling water and on the plants all around. A Japanese Maple, resembling a palm in the desert, gave the water feature a look of a summer oasis. We had sound, light and all the right elements of visual appeal, with rocks, water and plants, yet the pond felt incomplete! We were missing aquatic life. We weren’t keen on fish or koi as it would be difficult to maintain during the snow season or extreme cold. But we could have aquatic plants. We considered hyacinths, snowflakes, but went with water lilies. The water lily became the focal point of our pond and source of intrigue.

Nymphaea or Hardy water lilies are fast spreading, even invasive, in the wild. I had heard that sometimes drinking water reservoirs have to be treated to remove these plants when they take over the whole area. However, in a backyard pond, when kept within the planter, and in a controlled environment, it is the most exquisitely beautiful and fascinating plant. We got a yellow hardy water lily from a local nursery, and submerged it along with its container in the middle of the pond. The leaves slowly thrust towards the surface and sunlight, and float elegantly with the help of water’s surface tension, while being anchored to the roots at the bottom through its long, buoyant stems. A flower bud develops under water and slowly emerges towards the surface over 2-3 days. The flower opens on a bright, sunny day and stays open as long as there is light and sun. We can enjoy a flower for 3-4 (bright) days before it wilts and submerges to make room for the next bud to emerge. The wilted buds contain the seeds and can convert into a rhizome, which can start a whole new plant. Water lilies become dormant in autumn and can be saved until the next summer under controlled temperatures.

We are almost towards the end of summer. Our roughly three week project brought multiple elements of nature to our backyard. This summer oasis brings joy to us each day, with a relaxing and peaceful sound of a waterfall, and an anticipatory wait for the next bloom of the water lily!