Jan Cassell looks over her backyard pond, an 8,000-gallon paradise for some three dozen fish, countless frogs, toads, dragonflies -- and her.
"This is my de-stressor, my salvation," she says. "People say, 'Isn't it a lot of work?' But it's not work when it's your passion. It's great exercise. That's so much better than going to the gym."
Cassell and her husband, Marty, had the pond installed behind their St. Charles, Ill., home on land that previously was used for a dog run and a volleyball court. They did plenty of homework before the first shovel hit the dirt.
"We went to 10 years of pond walks," she says.
One thing they noticed invariably -- when they found a pond they really liked, it had been built by the same company, St. Charles-based Aquascape, a designer and builder of ponds, water gardens and other water features, and designed by the same person, Brian Helfrich. That made the choice easy for the Cassells. They then did more research, talked to people and took free classes Aquascape offers. Only then did the project begin.
"There were no drawings," Cassell says. "It was the vision that decided the design. There's an old Russian proverb that translates something like, 'The work will show you how.' That's how this was built. Each step shows you the next step."
"Jan and Marty wanted a one-of-a-kind water feature, and they left us on our own," says Chris Hanson, a construction foreman at Aquascape. "The hardest thing to figure out was the plumbing."
Aquascape's work on the pond took about a month. When the project was completed in spring 2008, the Cassells had a big waterfall, a bog garden, smaller streams and the pond. Two fire pits, a patio and paths pulled it all together. The entire project required between 150 and 200 tons of granite and limestone.
Impressive -- but Jan Cassell's efforts took it to a higher level.
"We tell people, we can build you a beautiful pond, but if you don't have the landscape ... " Hanson says, his voice trailing off.
That's where Cassell excels. The 40-by-20-foot water feature is surrounded by a variety of carefully chosen trees, shrubs, flowers and other plants, annuals and perennials alike. The result is a natural-looking environment.
"The pond is a sculpture-free zone," Cassell says. "That's important to consider: Are you going to have mermaids, birds on a stick, gazing balls? We've seen a lot of ponds that are beautiful but are destroyed by the cuteness factor."
A pond owner can also break some rules. "Certain plants only grow in the shade," she says. "But if you put their feet in water, they can grow in the sun -- regular impatiens, New Guinea impatiens. You can plant hostas in the water."
Care is also taken to choose plants that benefit wildlife -- such as plants with berries, seedpods or flowers that attract birds (echinacea for finches, for example, and hibiscus for hummingbirds).
"We [choose plants] with one thought," Cassell says. "What can they do for the wildlife?"
In addition to the plants already mentioned, here are some that Jan Cassell added in and around the pond.
Weeping redbud: Also known as Eastern redbud, the small tree has branches and leaves that grow to the ground, but Cassell cuts them so the trunk is visible.
Ginkgo biloba: The tree provides interest in the fall when its leaves turn a bright yellow.
Hibiscus: There are red, pink and white versions, all attractive to hummingbirds.
Water lilies: Cassell has two kinds, perennials and tropicals, in the water. She let the tropicals overwinter last year, but they're not as robust as she'd like. "Not worth keeping," she says. "I'd rather start with new ones."
Potted plants: Cassell places several potted plants around the perimeter of the pool when the weather allows, then brings them inside in the winter, where they're kept under lights for 16 hours a day. "They'll scrape by," she says. Other plants that don't require as much pampering go into the sun room.
Northern sea oats: Cassell loves this ornamental grass with its fluttering seed heads, but it is an enthusiastic reseeder. "If [I let] the seeds drop I'll be pulling those things forever," she says. "So I have to cut the seed heads."
Marsh marigolds: Native to marshes, swamps and wet meadows, these perennials offer beautiful yellow blooms from spring into summer.
Cattails: There are three kinds -- miniature, standard and variegated -- in the water, Cassell says. She does not get plants from the wild. "We do not introduce plants," she says. "There could be critters, parasites, things that can harm the fish."
Papyrus: Easy to grow, this sedge in Cassell's pond comes in several varieties and sizes.
Pickerel: Growing to 2 feet, this perennial features spikes of soft blue flowers.
"Gro-Low" sumac: Also known as fragrant sumac, this small shrub can take a lot of pruning, Cassell says. It can grow in the sun or shade.
Ajuga, Irish moss, miniature sedum: These are just three of several plants Cassell places between steppingstones.
Junipers: Cassell plants these evergreen shrubs between some of the rocks around the pond but is careful to trim them to keep them in control. In fact, these days she spends most of her time weeding and trimming. "We've basically run out of space [for new plants]," she says. "You do have to replace things. It's not like I look forward to something not making it through the winter, but if that happens, it's an opportunity."
HomeStyle on 11/28/2015