BY
Jennifer Oldridge
PHOTOGRAPHY
Al Pitzner

Stephanie Smith and Robin Keene's home, the strongest and sturdiest structure in the neighborhood, shines like a beacon of reinvestment.

Coddled and cared for, it showcases what strong bones, unlimited imagination and sweat equity can achieve.

Its towering brick façade is a true presence from the street.

But follow the curving path past a trickling fountain and a stone bench to the backyard, and you are transported to a world of intimacy.

A quaint, small space crammed full of interesting artifacts, plants, a water feature and mementos reflect the inhabitants of this mighty home.

It's a space with a purpose.

While attending a Water Garden Society Tour, Smith experienced her first brush with a water garden's calming effect.

"I'm high strung. I don't sit, I don't stop, and I'm constantly moving. But those gardens made me relax and be still, and Robin came up to me and said, 'We have to create this for you,'" Smith remembers.

After that, landscaping became a passion, or more like an addiction for Keene, who says she cannot stop buying plants and visiting nurseries, hardware stores or anywhere that sells plants.

It’s not a bad vice to have — and Keene clearly has a knack for it.

She did have some help from neighbor-friend and landscaper John Buford, who helped transform the tiny yard into something bigger.

Junipers that resemble larger-than-life soldiers standing at attention line the fence, guarding the dozens of goldfish that splash and swish through the water.

The impact of the waterfall, cascading down and making contact with various rocks jutting out, filters the sounds of the city just beyond the wood walls.

Every little space is occupied with objects that are obviously adored: architectural pieces, rusty old garden tools, and a child’s wooden desk from days gone by.

The focal point of the garden is the large water feature, which has angel’s tears, lotus, elephant ear, water iris, cannas and water lilies, to name a few of the flora bursting with various textures.

Koi fish bob and weave between the plants and a few are practically tame.

“Our pet fish, Rowena, will actually jump up out of the water and onto Stephanie’s hand, offering her lips for a kiss,” Keene says.

Maybe that’s Rowena’s way of thanking her owners for a fun and whimsical place to be a fish.