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The
sound of water splashing invites relaxation and
muffles the cacophony of everyday life.
...Queen
Victoria's crown, then surely such historic areas
as Cheeseman Park are the jewels in the Queen
City's crown.
The
house and garden of Peter and Sonja Leonard (who
met and married at Stroiberhof in the Humboldt
Street Historic District) are on a small lot,
but every inch has been utilized with ingenuity
and artistry. They bought the house in 1981, and
gradually, over the years, Peter has built the
many projects which have transformed the various
spaces, each one an oasis of peace. The personality
of the owners is evident everywhere one looks.
As one approaches the iron entrance
gate, the eye is drawn to the moss rock planter
filled with Veronica (speedwell), Daphnes (Carol
Mackey), vinca, hostas, daylilies, and ostrich
ferns that border the sidewalk. These are backed
by yew bushes which create a lovely contrast to
the cinnamon-hued stucco of the Santa Fe adobe-style
house with its blue-trimmed windows. Three flagstone
steps lead to the iron gate which opens to a flagstone
paved entrance courtyard shaded by several prunus
trees.
"Water, water, everywhere,
and now a drop to drink": The Rhyme of
the Ancient Mariner does not apply here, as
one views the first of the ponds and waterfalls
incorporated into the area. This private section
is the ideas spot from which to view the artistically
designed, natural-looking pond with its waterfall
and lavish plantings. An elegant statue has pride
of place at the upper level of the waterfall,
from which vantage point she can contemplate the
darting exotic fish in the pond. The murmur and
burbling sounds of water as it ripples over the
rocks has a soothing effect; nothing here to jar
the senses or jangle the nerves. Ah, bliss!
Ivy scrambling the enclosing walls
breaks up large, otherwise bare, expanses, adding
to the sense of seclusion. On the other side,
a classical Italian stone statue of an enchanting
small child peeks through the iron railings at
the verdant setting.
A
charming path leads through a wooden door to the
brick-paved back courtyard which is fully enclosed
by the walls of the house and a high wall along
the alley for additional privacy. The wall and
concrete block planters are stucco-finished to
match the house; these walls too, are festooned
with ivy. Hostas and ferns, with their graceful
fronds, flourish in this shady area, the glowing
colors of impatiens and begonias intersperse the
greenery. A corner pond and waterfall, fronted
by a planter whose focal point is a winesap apple
tree, boasts a weathered statue of St. Francis
of Assisi (bought by Sonja in Santa Fe as a gift
for Peter), who gazes down benignly on the shimmering
fish in the pond.
The serenity of this scene was
disrupted last summer by the unwelcome appearance
of several large cats of considerable girth: They
looked sleek and well fed. To their horror, the
Leonards discovered that the population of their
denizens of the deep had decreased somewhat. These
plump felines were dining out every night at the
finest sushi restaurant in the neighborhood. Cat
spray soon blunted the appetites of their furry
predators.
A greenhouse, filled in winter
with tender indoor plants, abuts one side of the
house. In summer, the plants, which include hibiscus,
are placed in the courtyard, further enhancing
the Mediterranean aura. Peter's novel idea of
building the greenhouse with removable windows
allows, in summer, a view into this area thickly
planted with bulbs, ferns and cacti. A small stone
statue of Buddah smiles enigmatically from a corner
of the greenhouse. Of all the garden ornaments,
statues are perhaps the most difficult to place
correctly. If too large for the scale of their
surroundings, they can loom menacingly; if too
new-looking or, horror of horrors, garishly painted,
they can stick out like a sore thumb. In the Leonard
garden, the statues complement the tout ensemble.
Weathered, unpretentious, and perfectly placed,
they don't overpower, for they have been used
with restraint and good taste.
Stone troughs and various containers
placed strategically around the courtyard are
planted by Sonja, Peter's occasional "Partner
in Grime." She especially loves the gleaming
colors of impatiens and begonias and the deep
purple of lobelia erinus. Peter composts annually
to refresh all the planters as well as the soil
in the greenhouse.
Sonja
Leonard Leonard (she and Peter and 13th cousins)
owns a real estate company that specializes in
the sale of turn-of-the-century houses. As a gift
to his wife for their 25th wedding anniversary,
Peter built a pond and waterfall in her office
garden (recently featured on a national garden
tour), which is in a restored Victorian house.
The sound of water splashing invites
relaxation and muffles the cacophony of everyday
life. Gardens through the ages have included water
to foster a feeling of calm. As Peter and Sonja
sit in either of their courtyards, they can reflect
that these have been the many summers of their
content.
Water features, if they are not
to become a "Comedy of Terrors," must
be installed expertly and with careful planning,
they are not to be undertaken lightly, or on a
whim, or they could be your "Waterloo."
Asking advice from Uncle Hiram in Dullsville,
North Dakota, or approaching the neighbor on the
next block who once knew a friend of an aunt (now
deceased), who built a pond 15 years ago, is a
recipe for disaster. The result could by abandoned
holes in your garden into which unwary visitors
might fall.
The
striking and lush plantings throughout the garden
were the choice of Peter's friend Steve Kiley.
Two heads are always better than one; the outcome
is obvious, as on views the complementary plantings
which are perfectly in tune with their surroundings.
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