Back yard water feature

Environmentally-friendly yards use water as the gift that it is...carefully, beautifully, and respectfully. In this central Ohio back yard, we removed over half of the lawn and created a gravel sitting area edged with oversized stone pavers. A water feature adjoining the new sitting area was created from a white concrete container that was hand-patinaed a darker, more weathered gray. The hidden basin for the recirculating water feature is a $6 plastic kiddie pool! Covered with slate salvaged from a construction site and planted with drought-friendly sedges, hostas, annual ferns, and 'Limelight' hydrangeas, it requires only an occasional top-off with rainwater from the cistern while providing beauty and relaxing sound for the owners and bathing and drinking opportunities for the birds.