We recently had a period of cold weather, the kind that freezes things. As part of this years freezing process we transferred the goldfish from the little water basin in the courtyard into the large water pond (where their long lost family had been residing) behind the house.
When things were frozen over we found that the pond in the back had one of the few sources of fresh running water. The pump is always on to keep the natural processes going in the pond as it supports itself with little to no help from us. The fish sustain themselves with the plants and insects that end up in the pond.
We usually get visitors such as raccoons, cats, crows, and a bunch of other birds including woodpeckers. When the ice formed this year and only a few places for fresh water were left to choose from there were a bunch of more rare birds that came to enjoy a sip.
The diversity here is so much more impressive than when we lived in the city.
This year a Red Tailed hawk visited us, and it was awesome. I got a quick photo thru our dirty windows.
It's still a little early to get that colorful nursery photo, but a few of the plants are getting ready to burst forth with their spring color. 
It's wintertime at our house and while the cold and very wet weather surrounds us, the task of garden design continues. What starts as a blank sheet of paper evolves into a well thought out plan to enhance outdoor spaces and the lives that they touch. Who doesn't love being surrounded by natures beauty?
The current design drawings are complete and will soon be ready to present. It's a big garden, and I will be there to follow along with the progress of this next installation and give you a glimpse into the details and extreme planning, skills and knowledge involved in crafting a garden from start to finish. Feel free to just follow along for the pretty pictures :)
Strategically cropped to hide the rest of the room for ... no reason at all, it's pristine ;)
Click on the pretty pearls to shop!
