My first reaction to Beverley Nichols, British gardener, author and wit, when he declared that water was an essential element of any garden was “Ridiculous!”
I had seen photos of those British gardens with their rocks and rills, their reflecting pools, their gushing statuary in the topiaries, none of which had I ever seen in real life.
Of course, that showed my ignorance of British gardens, and my foolish reaction to a new idea. I should have reacted with, “Hmmmm. What a good idea. Water in the garden …”
It took a long time for me to get used to the idea of water in the garden, and to realize that there is a great continuum of what it means to have water in the garden.
Last week, I joined 60 other garden bloggers in Minneapolis to visit 22 gardens — private, public and university. There was water in every single one of them.
We can all have water in our gardens. Many gardeners have arranged to have water because they wanted to attract birds.
A bird bath can be pretty, but the water evaporates so quickly. I have been told by bird lovers that a fountain is more desirable, because the sound of water is what really attracts birds.
Here is my tour of some of the Minneapolis garden water features, some small and one larger than most of us will ever have.
Dianne’s and Dan’s garden
Dianne and Dan’s garden had all manner of delights, from a small cutting garden to a variety of perennials and beautiful trees.
In one shady border that included a collection of conifers, there was a small fountain to attract the birds. It was set so that the birds would have a place to shelter if they were startled.
Dianne and Dan also had a white gazebo nestled in a mixed bed of heritabe tomatoes, perennials and a beautiful collection of lilies, which are Dianne’s specialty. There were also five espaliered apple trees that are Dan’s project.
That area also included a water lily and lotus pond, providing a serene view for all who visit.
Ruth’s garden
Ruth is a member of the Wild Ones organization, whose goal it is to educate and advocate for the necessity of native plants in home gardens.
In that spirit Ruth had lots of labels on her mass native plantings to attract pollinators. Her small stone-lined pool, with its spouting shower fountain, made a delightful cooling sound. Ruth said it was important to her to have a fountain that she could listen to. A pool like hers is now within the reach of almost anyone, because of the magic of electrical recirculating pumps.
Squire House gardens
The owner of the Squire House is a garden designer. His garden is divided into several rooms, which include different types of fountains.
There were several bird bath-type fountains and a small rectangular pool set in a stone patio with a showering spout fountain.
The fountain I liked best, was a rough dark stone pillar with a burbling flow of water that fell into a small basin surrounded by flagstones. The fountain was set on a raised level at one end of a slightly sunken formal vegetable garden.
Though the garden was formal, the ferns growing between the fieldstones in the rough wall and along the shallow stairs gave this fountain a woodland feel.
Linda’s garden
Linda has a particular interest in conifers, but her varied garden includes ferns, hostas, and colorful annuals.
The real showstopper is the 100-foot-long stream that sings its way down the slope, framed by low evergreens, golden creeping jenny and ferns on either side.
This manmade stream depends on a concrete base that is hidden by the artful arrangement of stones.
Like Dianne, with her lotus pond, Linda had a lot of advice about the necessity for good concrete work.
Nancy’s garden
I’ve described various kinds of water features that are just what Beverley Nichols ordered, but he would never be able to top Nancy’s water feature — a lake.
I had never connected Minnesota with Land O’Lakes butter.
We were invited to have our lunch in her lakeside garden, a delicious (literally) respite. Our tour was enjoying comfortable summer temperatures, but after walking through five sunny gardens that morning, we were all ready to collapse in the shade, enjoy our box lunches and relax with a view of the tranquil lake.
After we had eaten and been revived by the lake breezes, we wandered around the garden with its array of fairy gardens, sometimes inspired by and sometimes created by children.
We also admired the mass plantings in front of the house — it seems that Minnesota gardeners are passionate about supporting their pollinators.
My garden
So far, my garden has an old birdbath surrounded by tall scarlet bee balm, a fat summersweet and a weeping cherry that provides some protection. But, there is no music, no splashing water.
However, as we arranged for the kitchen renovation, we made sure the electrician included an outdoor outlet on the west wall of the house.
There is already a spigot, and with an electrical outlet, I’ll have almost everything I need for my own water feature. The stones and the pump will come.
Pat Leuchtman had written and gardened in Heath at End of the Road Farm since 1980. She now lives in Greenfield, where she continues to write and do her gardening.Readers can leave comments at her Web site: www.commonweeder.com