The Sound of a Babbling Brook

I'm sitting here on my newly poured patio, under the deck and listening to the sounds of a babbling brook. However, there aren't any brooks near by.

The sound of trickling water or a running stream is one that I've grown to enjoy over the years, and was a result of having a swimming pool outside our door. When we put our first swimming pool in, we skipped the diving board and went with a sliding board instead. When the pool pump was running there was always water running down the slide and it provided a pleasant backdrop to the normal outdoor sounds. The last pool we had came with a spa, which was a small pool with a bench running around the inside where people could sit and just relax. Kids loved to play in it as well. The spa was above the pool and had an overflow that provided a continual waterfall.

After we moved to Pittsburgh, I found I really loved the idea of having a small landscape pool incorporated into our garden. Earlier this summer Larry and I were checking out pools at Lowe's and figuring up the tab. Hmmm. I wasn't shocked at the price, but looking at the installation made me realize that this do-it-yourselfer was probably biting off more than she (or he) wanted to chew! Instead my eyes lit on a little 2 tier rock garden waterfall. It was perfect and I knew just where it would fit! We are fortunate in that in an area that is all up and down, we have a very flat back yard. However the back yard is lower than the front and there is a small slope at the back edge of the house. My rock garden waterfall would tuck into that slope very well.

After planting my daylillies and mulching the steps last week, I tackled the job of the waterfall. Today I finished it and I am very pleased with the effect. It provides a nice peaceful backdrop as I type. Larry figures the deer will probably enjoy it too. I'm just hoping they don't enjoy my plants too much!