First off, happy spring, everyone! By the time you read this column, water should be flowing nicely, with fish happily swimming and aquatic plants starting to green up and bloom. I love this time of year.
I have a little personal story to share with you. My son Evan got engaged a couple of months back, and I am looking forward to welcoming his fiance Maggie to the family. Here’s where the word “inspiration” comes into play. I sent Evan and Maggie to the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota, to shoot some photos of their Japanese gardens for the November/December 2018 issue — Japanese Garden Design. They had never been to the park and were bowled over by its beauty and all the water features. They were impressed and INSPIRED — so much so that they decided to have their wedding reception there in the fall. How cool is that?
Inspired is the key word. What inspires you? Do you follow people on Instagram and Facebook in an effort to conjure up your waterscaping muse — or do you just scroll through and admire their work? I have to admit, I do the latter, and I love to see all the great work you folks are doing out there.
I hope that this May/June issue will add a little inspiration to your life. One quick turn of the page might startle you at first, but worry not — it’s just a “neighbor frightener,” as the owner might say. To Chris McGowan and Michael Hall, it’s a killer water-feature project that turned a few heads and required a lot of savviness to complete.
I’m also finding myself considering a trip to Austin, Texas, to check out Matt Boring’s collection of water features on display at Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden, a new, popular hangout that combines coffee, beer and sustainable living. Check out Matt’s story to see how this new city hotspot forever changed his business.
Finally, I was particularly wowed by the photos in Kent Wallace’s article — Glass-Paneled, Raised Pond Construction. Even “outdoor aquariums” are possible with the right direction, a clear vision and most importantly — a little inspiration.
Happy PONDering!
