Being Koi while I POND-er

Saturday was the 2008 Week Ending Pond Tour. Perfect day for it! There were 6 ponds available for viewing-each worthy of adoration, each unique, and each with "special features". Our first stop was in Holland in the Waukazoo area at the Engels residence.

The most unique special feature here was the official keeper of the fish, 11 year old James Engels. James gave us the 4-1-1 on the property which, incidentally, is the original site of the Waukazoo Hotel. It burnt down twice-once in the 1920's from an electrical fire, and then again in the 1940's or 50's from arson. It was never rebuilt after that. James' dad is the official keeper of the garden while James tends to the pond and the fish. He explained to us how the Koi survive in the water over winter with the use of an aerator and that the fish must not be fed once the temperature reaches 50 degrees or less. He also explained that all the Koi had names and most of them were inspired by the Melville novel Moby Dick. We were introduced to Moby Dick, Dory , Buck and Star. Then there was also one Koi that had been flown to the US from Israel, appropriately dubbed Kosher Koi. James was absolutely delightful to visit with. So bright and personable!

This pondscape also had some unique elements in the garden and surrounding landscape that added much charm to this already beautiful spot!

Adorable add-ins like these were common here and added much to our enjoyment of the space.
Nancy particularly liked this well-placed bench!

Stop number two was the Raleigh Woods Conference Center:The unique feature here is that their pond is indoors, inside the most gorgeous conference center/reception hall. In fact, this could be just the perfect spot for Lana's mother-of-all-birthday parties next May for the big 5-0! There's a big dance floor and bar...what else do we need? Oh, yeah-FOOD! Well, they have that covered too by Chef Oscar Moreno who is truly phenomenal!

My limited photography skills does not do this place justice! You'll have to check it out for yourself or go to their website: http://www.raleigh-woods.com/

Another feature we really liked here were the lovely snacks and lemonade they graciously provided. It was a refreshing break along the route. Many thanks to the staff at Raleigh Woods!

We were greeted by pigs at pond #3-the Gilman's-located in Zeeland.

To the Gilman's, this pond embodies a hobby they are passionate about. Each year they add and delete, rearrange, and just simply enjoy their backyard oasis. Besides the pig fettish, another unique feature is the entrpreneurial genius at work, as evidenced by this signage:

The next location, the Mohn's, really blew us away! We were about to meet some of the most talented landscapers around, the guys of Evergreen Landscaping Service. We were able to get a wealth of information from them regarding all phases of the landscape process. I know who I'm calling as soon as I win that lottery money! They too, have a website that you can access: http://www.evergreenlandscaping.com/

Besides the amazing pond, the design features and decorating points of interest made this a perfect "outdoor room"!

I loved these colorful chairs around the fire pit-a few little flowers in a vase make this space even more inviting.

Pond #5 was located in the River Trace development in West Olive. This place had me at hello!

As you can see, the waterfall originates in the front yard by the entryway. The pond goes right underneath the walkway leading to the front door~how cool is that?! This was the most unique feature I saw on the tour. I'm telling you, I am in love with this yard, this pond, and this house! Unfortunately for me, so are the owners...but what's not to love? Can you even imagine living here? I can. It's pretty fab if you ask me.

Don't forget:

These people do unbelievable work!

Finally, we arrive at the last pond, located in Grand Haven, owned by the man of the hour, Zach, from Week Ending! Zach is the mastermind who engineered this fun event and gave us all such an enjoyable day~Kudos! You did a great job on your own pond by the way!

Here's an interesting little water feature at the front of Zach's house. Never seen a flowerbed that does this!

Zach is very bonded with his Koi. He demonstrated how he calls his fish:

Zach has a very extensive, advanced setup for his pond-all the best, latest and greatest technology! His pond is also huge: 23,000 gallons worth and eight feet in depth! Nice way to get out of mowing the lawn, right?

Hey, Zach, where's that beer you promised us?

Back at the Hendricks residence, we admired the waterlillies Jack had planted. Not part of the pond tour but a sentimental favorite nonetheless!

The Week Ending pond tour 2009 is sure to make the list of not-to-be missed activities for next summer!I felt sorta like an adventurer on a treasure hunt as I moved from location to location. Thanks to everyone-Week Ending, Raleigh Woods, all the owners and landscape staff- who worked so hard to make this day nice for everyone who enjoyed going around and viewing all the ponds! It was FUN, FUN, FUN! Maybe I'll have a pond at my house by next summer...