A stream in Silver Lake? Couple builds one at home

“We call it Tesla Creek,” says Arlene Battisill, referring to the lively stream flowing through her frontyard on Tesla Terrace in Silver Lake. Two years ago, Battisill and spouse Desiree Estrada decided to rip out the tangle of ivy and juniper bushes that choked off their house from the neighborhood’s active street life. For a closer look at what they and passersby now enjoy, keep clicking. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

March 9, 2014 8:40 PM PT

Battisill, who had long wanted to live near water, at first had wished for a lake. What the 980-square-foot frontyard could accommodate, however, was a cheerful brook that runs along the side of the house, then turns the corner. Battisill complemented the stream with a foot bridge and redwood bench. Much to the couple’s delight, their new frontyard has become a de facto pocket park and gathering place for passersby. Nannies bring their young charges to picnic and splash in the stream, teenagers roll up their pant legs and go wading, and weary walkers rest on the redwood bench at the edge of the sidewalk. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Battisill and Estrada hired California Waterscapes in La Crescenta to excavate the 46-foot-long stream and line it with boulders, cattails and other plants and grasses found near water. Lighting was added to the streambed so that even those out for a nighttime stroll could enjoy it.

Although the couple knew exactly what they wanted their stream to look like, they needed help with the plant selection and placement. They hired landscape architect Barry Thau, whom they found on Craigslist, to manage the layout and design. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

In keeping with his clients’ request for plants that were colorful, fragrant and complementary to the deep brown house, Thau (now of Eco Minded Solutions in San Diego) chose kangaroo paws in deep gold and red, pictured here. Blue fescue, star jasmine, Myers asparagus fern, Mexican sage and yew pines -- all relatively inexpensive and readily available at nurseries and garden centers -- fill out the new garden. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Detail of the blue fescue. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

The blue fescue in combination with the Myers asparagus fern. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

The purple spires of the hardy Mexican bush sage. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Lilies add a blast of orange-red to the palette. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Battisill and Estrada shut down the stream during the week to conserve electricity. Even when the recirculating water pumps are turned off, the dry riverbed, calm pond and serene flora maintain their allure. “It’s still pretty, and people still stop by,” says Estrada, who admits that it took a while to get used to people wandering through the yard. “But now it’s nice,” she says. “It reminds you of times past, when people left their doors open.”

Adds Battisill: “We created a space to escape city life, without actually leaving. Something we could share.” (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)