2024 MWGS Water Garden Tour Sites

Enter through the gates and tour this truly magical 3.6 acres in Plymouth.  Along with several water features installed over the past 3 years, you’ll see live swans, a secret garden with chess set, aviary, multiple chainsaw carvings, the peanuts gang, nature trail, and several gardens.  Before you leave climb into the two story “Eagle Magic Store” treehouse to view the property from the tree tops.  And for the biggest surprise…well if we say, then it’s not a surprise. So much to see around every corner. A long driveway and a lot of walking at this site, but worth every step.

There are three water features on this property to see. The main koi pond was built in 2011 and expanded in 2013 by the homeowner.  It is 30’x25′ and has two streams, three waterfalls, and a wetland filter. It is referred to as their “Itasca” with an up-north feel. There is a 15′ bridge, large Tres Rios patio firepit area, and a cool treehouse. The pond is home to 30+ koi. In the evening it is lit up with accent and underwater lights along with an underwater camera to enjoy fish watching indoors. The pond-less water feature in the front yard is 30’x30′ and referred to as the “North Shore”, sharing the same stone as Split Rock Lighthouse. There are two waterfalls with rivers that converge into one big river emptying into the basin. There is also a bubbling rock at the waterfall giving the illusion the rock is supplying the water. In the evening it is lit up with many accent lights. The last water feature is a pink granite bubbling rock that sits in a place of honor and is a favorite watering hole for the many birds and wildlife that frequent our yard. In the evening it is lit with color changing lights.

     ADDED BONUS – you will be able to come back to this location Saturday evening from 8:30-10:00 pm to see the after-dark accent lights in their water features.  (Site B only)

This pond is approximately 1500 gallons, 2 ½ feet deep and 20 built 20 years ago. There is a 5-tiered waterfall that was made possible due to the topography of the terraced back yard.  The top of the waterfall is another smaller pond.  In the summer the smaller koi live in the upper pond and the larger koi live in the larger pond.  Occasionally, a smaller koi takes a slippery slide down the waterfall to the larger pond!  There are plenty of water plants and water lilies to help with water clarity.  The property has gardens framing the house in the front and sides of the property along with a small water feature.  The pond is surrounded with gardens on three sides and a sitting area on the 4th side.  Many hours are spent watching the fish and enjoying the sound of the waterfall.

This corner lot is beautifully landscaped with paths to their two ponds and the channel that connects them.  There is a small pallet bridge that crosses over the channel and provides a nice viewing spot. The ponds are about 16-20 feet long and a foot and a half deep. There are several “berms” with various flowering plants and throughout the yard are little statues and other “whimsie”. The patio is a screened in gazebo so they can enjoy the yard. Surrounding the patio are fountains, along with a smaller water feature with a center island that has a tiny castle on it. A short shallow stream leads to this pond from a whiskey barrel fountain. At night many solar lights brighten the landscape. A magnolia tree is all that remains from the original yard with a traditional grass lawn.

This backyard pond is a DIY build that features high water quality for their imported Japanese koi. There are three large pumps that help move water over a 25 ft wraparound stream with two small waterfalls. There is an elevated bog garden with a 10’ wide ‘tumbledown’ style waterfall. The sights and sounds of the multiple waterfalls with an emphasis on natural aesthetics is very peaceful. The design has a nice pathway to draw you in and provides multiple viewpoints of the pond.

This site has a pond that is 12×9 feet with a cave for their 35 koi. The bog at the top of the 25 foot stream has 2 beautiful waterfalls.  Many waterlillies and several Lotus, as well as floating greenery, cana lillies, taro, and elephant ears provide lots of color to their pond.  The yard has several gardens including shade gardens and sun gardens with lots of perennial flowers and annuals for constant color.  There are several places to sit and just enjoy nature.

As you enter this lovely landscaped yard you will see a 10 foot bridge that takes you over the 2080 gallon pond and offers a nice view of the waterfalls. The main waterfall splits around an island of rocks and travels down to the pond which is home to many large and small koi.  There are a variety of water plants and perennials in and around the pond to create plenty of color. This pond was built in 2000.

This spring, the homeowners enlarged their main pond to 15×20 with a waterfall that drops 3 feet with the pond being 3 ½ feet deep. The natural bog system keeps their many koi, goldfish and water plants happy and healthy. Their second pond is cement and was built in 1988. There is plenty of yard art to enjoy along with an abundance of flower gardens.

Begin your tour of this 5 acre site in the front yard with multiple flower beds and water features with a unique cement fountain representing a bonsai made by the owners.   Continue your tour along the hosta beds and relax in the gazebo along a natural stream.  Walk the boardwalk around a 125,000 gallon, 6’ deep pond.  This pond has multiple varieties of naturalized hardy waterlilies, goldfish and koi.  Don’t miss the small koi pond next to the house deck and the garden room with a bonsai collection. Be sure to look for Nancy’s original nature inspired garden art including a 300 lb cement deer, as featured in the Northern Gardener Fall 2023 issue. There is also a quarter mile nature trail for those who like to walk in the woods!

Site K:  Allen and Christina

This backyard has two separate ponds with bogs and waterfalls in both. They are approximately 4,000 and 5,000 gallons and are home to several large koi. One of the ponds includes a stream that circles around from an upper pond/bog area and ends with a waterfall. The other pond is 4 feet deep so you could swim with the fish on a hot summer day. There are over a dozen different types of water plants including 4 varieties of lotus and about 16 varieties of water lily. The ponds are up close to a patio and deck for easy enjoyment of the sights and sounds of the water gardens. Perennial gardens surround the ponds.