A Grand Path to Water
When the backyard slopes down to water, it’s a given that a path always led that way. When Jill Chase and Bill Ticineto eliminated an existing driveway in the backyard of their 1920s Connecticut home, they also developed a garden plan that created an intuitive progression from house to natural pond.
Not content with one water feature, they began by designing a small rectangular pond with a fountain, placing it just below the house, where it could be seen to best advantage from the second-floor windows. Accented with a vintage frog fountain, the pond is classically sited on an axis, linking it with the lower yard in a subtle progression that moves from formality to relaxed naturalism. Just below the new pond, bordered by a grassy lawn, is a small flagstone patio with facing benches. Below that, the lawn gives way to a footpath that wends its way through an increasingly wild landscape to the old pond.
While there was no evidence that there had ever been a fountain in the backyard, the couple discovered some railroad ties that were perfect for the framework of their planned 6' x 9' excavation. After marking off the rectangular outline with spray paint, they began to dig, in some cases through rock.
The fountain was outfitted with a small pump; a larger pump connected to the filter is sunk in the bottom of the pool. Clean water re-enters the pond at the far end. Each pump is on a separate switch so they can be controlled separately.
Just behind the fountain—dubbed the “Frog King”—there is a bog area where overflow from the pond goes when it rains, helping keep the water level constant. The area is outlined in bluestone, laid in the same arched pattern used in design of one pergola. The couple planted the pool area with the shadeloving, large-leaf ligularia as well as grasses that conceal the electrical lines and filter unit.