My Accidental Oasis
by Jon Peninger
(Kent, WA)
I did a total makeover of my front yard. I had an area under a Flowering Plum tree and some evergreens that did not grow grass well. I decided to cut off the new grass with chiseled stacking stones, back-fill the area with the extra topsoil, and make a trex seating area. With the grass planted and a knee surgery mending I thought about the deck and decided to use the leftover flagstone for a seating area( at this time no pond was in the plans) When I was able I went at it. I discovered I didn't have enough dirt to make it as big as the available area. There was a 3 ft drop off. I decided a water feature could fill the void. I took some plastic boxes I had stored in the garage and built a wall on the back side, dropped in some pond liner, finished it off with left over flagstone and ledgerstone, added a water pump, a couple of hidden speakers, a loveseat, chairs, and some nice tables all bought on summer closeout. For $500 I have a summer oasis that is enjoyable to just sit and watch the world go by. The soothing sound of the water, good music, a cold beverage, and lots of compliments from the neighbors were all worth it.