Pro Ponds Presents Parade of Paradise

The sound of water trickling down the rocks heard from the shade next to a custom-made pond couldn’t be any more soothing on a hot summer day.

Homeowners stretching down the coast of Southern California opened their doors to pond and garden lovers at last weekend’s Parade of Ponds.

The Pro Ponds West Parade of Ponds featured 240 stops on the tour.

As one entered Inspired Outdoor Living, the Pro Pond West store and showroom in La Crescenta, a lavish pond at the entrance set the tone for parade attendees.

Looking at pictures of beautiful ponds in the natural environment makes it hard to imagine such beauty can exist in an actual yard. But ponds in the retail stores and homes on the tour prove otherwise.

For those who don’t have the room for a pond, the store features a variety of outdoor fountains that come in a wide selection of beautifully colored Asian ceramic urns to match any design.

Many of the designers and installers who showcased their work on this year’s tour have been awarded top honors by national garden and landscape associations.

The store also sells aquatic plants, Koi and other fish, decorative outdoor furniture, disappearing garden fountains and giftware.

The Tree House Pond in La Crescenta, owned by Michael and Renee Johnson, was a family’s dream and fantasy come true.

The Johnson’s backyard features two giant treehouses with a 51-foot stream flowing between the trees.

The treehouses was designed to have electricity for lighting, a mini refrigerator and a microwave. The tree houses were built so children can actually sleep in them comfortably in bunk beds.

Outside are two huge climbing bears, which decorate the houses. Below is the stream and a colorful flower of the garden.

The cost of the treehouses and garden with the stream was equivalent to a small car, Renee said.

“But you can’t put a price to something you have gotten as a family and the wonderful memories it has brought, there is no comparison,” she said.

Rita Quinn, Pro Ponds West public relations manager, said more than 1,000 tickets were sold for the tour. All proceeds benefit Descanso Gardens’ “Partnership for Ponds” program, which will help restore Descanso’s existing water features.

“It was a fabulous parade, we got a lot good feedback from the public,” Quinn said.

Descanso’s newly renovated Mulberry Pond, which was part of the tour, epitomizes the La Cañada Flintridge recreation area’s restoration program.

The turtles, dragon flies and the bright-neon colored fish in the pond made Dylan Baltazar, 3, chuckle. He jumped with excitement as a fish reacted when he attempted to touch it with a wooden stick. “Ooh, mommy, look [at] the fish,” he said as he pointed at the Koi swimming nearby.

“Our goal is to return Descanso’s water features to showcase quality and create a water garden experience which might inspire visitors to create a relaxing environment at their own homes by installing a pond,” said Terry Morrill, owner of Pro Ponds West who initiated the project.

Mulberry Pond is self-contained. The new water feature circulates thousands of gallons of water through a gravel floor. The gravel floor that functions as mechanical and biological filter then returns water over the waterfall where it is aerated.

“The circulating system in the pond was redesigned in a more contemporary way and designed to be more ecologically sound,” Avery Econome, Descanso public relations manager, said.

Econome said Descanso officials anticipate the maintenance and its costs will be less. Descanso Garden’s water features and circulating system was built 60 years ago and are in much need of updating an refurbishment.

“If there was a problem with the irrigation system we had re-examined the entire stream system that is all interconnected because we couldn’t tell where the origin of the problem came from,” Econome said.

“Having self-contained ponds that are independent from the system makes it easy to fix problems.” Econome acknowledged the old system of irrigation works well but making modern updates to make the irrigation function better is always considered.

To some, the atmosphere of a garden and ponds brings nice memories and relaxation.

“When I was young my parent’s would bring me [to Descanso Gardens],” said Heather Rashtian, who brings her 3-year-old daughter at least three times a month.

Not having a garden of her own gives her another reason to bring her children. “It’s just beautiful the kids get out and see nature,” Rashtian said. “You should come in the spring it’s unbelievable they have a ton of flowers. It’s just stunning.”