Recently neighbors of mine went on vacation and asked me to feed their tropical fish and water plants in their garden in case there wasn't any rain. Their home is currently on the market, so they wanted to make sure the yard was looking its best for prospective buyers.

While their tropical aquarium is nothing short of fabulous, their backyard is outstanding! Since they're moving, I decided to take some pictures on my last day caring for the property. Talk about a backyard oasis, they were happy to let me share the snapshots with you.

When you first step through the sliders off the dining room onto their covered deck (with skylights, of course), you can't help but be taken with the whole scene, but first let's start with the patio off the deck to the left ...
A chimnea sets the focal point in the corner surrounded by various ground covers and a bird bath. Just past is a hand-crafted pergola complete with Wisteria vine framing an alcove planted with irises, lillies and two clematis. Follow the path to the right up to the quaint gardening shed, surrounded by hostas.

Beyond that in the far corner sits another hand-crafted item - an exquisite suspended swing offset by more hostas and yet another pergola atop the back gate. (There's one more pergola on the other side of the front-facing part of the also hand-crafted privacy fence, complete with another Wisteria vine. It doesn't get more fabulous than this folks!)
All the plantings are just so ... the complete opposite of my garden. I tend to over think and over plant, as everything at my neighbors' seems to have been put just in the right place, with just the right amount of statuary for accent. There's also hand-crafted bird feeders and houses (have I written "hand-crafted" enough?) Yes, they're also very handy with power tools and wood work.
So if there's something they think would be perfect in a certain spot, unlike me who will search the net for it, they'll just make it themselves!

Check out this serene scene along the back fence, what bird wouldn't want to take a break and get a bite or bath in this pleasant setting? These are also the people I mentioned in a past blog entry that have taken broken lawn statues and placed them on their side in the garden, creating a natural rustic look.
And the best part about all this for you is ... it's for sale! While I'm going to miss my neighbors greatly, this oasis could be yours. I forgot to mention, there's also a pool, and if you think the yard's fabulous, just imagine the interior ... It's available via Century 21 Agent Sharon Sapp and can be found on the web thru her site www.berkshomebuying.com/ Check it out for more photos.

Coming up this week: Round 2 with the Muck-Vac (and other pond stories), Daylillies, Salvias and the Musa Basjoo (oooh what's that?). And remember, if you're planning a cookout for the 4th, cut your grass at least 24 hours ahead of time to cut down on possible allergies and green feet!