Homeowners, Take Note – whether or not mathematics is among your strong suits, this set of equations could be immensely rewarding to remember:
(Vegetation + Irrigation) + Observation = Inspiration
It’s hardly rocket science; more like fluid dynamics. Think of it as the formula for one of the OKC metro’s most widely spread and calmly appealing events of the year. Members of the Water Garden Society of Oklahoma have discovered the joys of incorporating water features into their backyard gardens, and many of them are both proud of the oases they’ve built and eager to share those joys with interested visitors. Two dozen aquatic Edens await exploration June 21-22 on the annual WGSO Pond Tour.
Committed completists will have no problem staying busy, since the 24 tour stops are spread far and wide across the metro – from Yukon to Edmond to Moore – but there’s no reason for less fanatical tour-goers to feel any (water) pressure. Since it’s an entirely self-guided tour, visitors can make a single stop, or visit four homes, or chart a course for 20, or hit the road and play it by ear. There’s no set order, and no wrong way to go.
The more stops you visit, the more variety you’ll see: tour stops run the gamut from fairly minor ponds with a handful of lilies to expansive masterpieces of stacked stone, lush greenery, multiple waterfalls and placid koi. After a dazzling debut last year, the 2014 tour will also reincorporate a nighttime element in which certain stops will show off the effects of illumination rippling across their quiet waters.
It’s perfectly fine to take the tour purely to enjoy the aesthetics … but don’t be surprised if you find yourself pondering the prospect of a pond of your own. It’s actually a common occurrence as a result of this event (that’s the second part of the formula above); just ask current WGSO president Diane Clark, who is quick to point out that she took the tour for three years and then started making plans for her yard. If you’re already interested, she advises bringing a camera to take visual notes. “Last year,” she says, “there was a pond on the tour that was only half finished, and it wound up being one of the most popular stops because people were asking questions about the process of building it.”
This is a prime opportunity to start conversations and get tips – and the society is always accepting new members, if your interest happens to flow that way.
