No Place Like Home -- Karen Wight

Summer. Water. Can you have one without the other?

In our house, water is prerequisite. Between ocean waves, a backyard

pool, a plethora of pools for water polo and swimming, and two fountains

in the yard -- one front and one back-- our family spends the majority of

the summer, and the year for that matter, surrounded by H2O. That fact

makes me chief towel washer and occasional cheerleader in a family of

fish.

I’m not complaining: water elements are one of Mother Nature’s most

soothing and peaceful components. We are, after all, comprised mostly of

water. We begin our journey floating in a secure water world for nine

months. The Earth is largely covered with water.

It is no wonder that we naturally bring water into our environment to

satisfy our thirst for nature and nurture.

Adding a water element to your home can be as simple as a birdbath or

as complex as a waterfall or koi pond in the backyard. There is an

intrinsic connection between the human condition and the water world.

Running water provides a backdrop of “white noise” that promotes a

feeling of well being.

Water components for your home are, in my opinion, a necessity. Water

just works everywhere.

Adding agua can be simple: float gardenias in a bowl on the dining

room table. Water features can also be complex: add a “water wall” to the

backyard for maximum impact.

For running fountains, you will need electricity for a motor and

outside spot-lighting so your efforts can be seen, as well as heard, in

the evening hours. If you have a place for a free-standing fountain, be

sure to provide a planter at the base to maximize the focal point.

A patio or courtyard is a natural place to add a water element. Be

sure that you position your fountain so it can be seen and heard from as

many rooms as possible. Do you have a place that will provide your

bedroom with the relaxing sound of trickling water? This is a great

enhancement to your personal retreat

For centuries, formal pools in geometric shapes were the norm in a

proper European garden. Pools such as these can be sunken, raised or

semi-raised. Plantings around the pool can increase the feeling of

formality. Incorporate a boxwood hedge or use rows of flowering plants

in graduated heights.

For a water-plant combination, consider a water garden. Water lilies,

poppies, lotus and water hyacinths thrive naturally, are dependable

bloomers and are unusually beautiful. Umbrella plants are fast growers

and provide height and texture to a water setting.

Water gardens have a murky-green look to them that I love. I keep

threatening to turn the pool in our backyard into a giant water garden.

I could add koi (they don’t talk back) and I could send the children

away -- that’s an idea worth considering, though I’m sure it would be low

on the popularity scale with the human fish in the family.

Add an element of the elements to your corner of the world. Water is

relaxing and refreshing. Ride the wave.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Sundays.