Russo: Multi-Feature Water Garden

A year of planning went into this project before a shovel touched the ground. The organic half of the yard was built around three separate water features that each tell a different story.

The centerpiece is a near-swimming-pool-scale ecosystem pond, roughly 18 feet wide and over 30 feet long, more than 4 feet deep, with two waterfalls, one feeding a 10-foot stream, a large intake bay for debris, built-in fish caves, and a large decorative urn creating visual and sound interest from one side. A planted spill bowl adds another layer of texture. The system is fully self-sustaining with heavy filtration and extensive underwater and landscape lighting throughout.

Closer to the house, a separate set of spill bowls, lit, planted, and positioned for daily enjoyment from the patio, creates a second, more intimate water experience.

The third and most personal element is a 9/11 memorial: a 5-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center recovery, brought by the client who worked the cleanup, set in a concrete base and surrounded by large boulders cored into bubbling rocks, with landscape lighting and planting completing the space. An antique brick pathway made from reclaimed Brixie bricks, stamped with city names and old manufacturer marks, winds through the yard to a dedicated sitting area. All surrounding landscaping ties the three features together into one cohesive property.