海角大神

Bob Shaw still winces when he talks about the construction of the stone bridge in his water garden.

鈥淭hey dug the channel wider than they intended 鈥� and you can鈥檛 put what you dig out back,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o they had to bring in a bigger stone than they had anticipated. That rock is pretty massive 鈥� 6,800 pounds. They had to move it with this big hoist. I couldn鈥檛 watch.鈥�

Now, however, that huge stone 鈥� and the rest of the 5,000-gallon water feature with its six cascades 鈥� is all nestled in, comfy-cozy, softened by foliage and flowers that spill over, much like the water itself.

Despite the billowing camouflage, the stone is so large that you almost wonder if it could withstand a direct nuclear strike.

鈥淲ell, no,鈥� Mr. Shaw says with a laugh. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 guaranteed to withstand any relatives that I have. This water feature will be here despite any storm that takes the house down.鈥�

A big retirement project
Shaw retired about five years ago and promptly set about planning the new garden on a double lot in suburban Des Moines, Iowa. His wife, Becky, who still practices medicine, gave him her blessing, and Bob set out, a man possessed.

鈥淭aking the Master Gardener鈥檚 class was No. 1 on my list,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 never had enough time to make it work, so I was in.鈥�

Was gardening Bob鈥檚 midlife crisis? The pond his flashy convertible?

鈥淏ecky probably hopes so,鈥� Bob says. 鈥淭here certainly can be a lot worse things.鈥�
But even for the indoctrinated, the Shaw garden seems, well, generous. Both Becky and Bob鈥檚 parents instilled their love of gardening in their offspring, so you can appreciate their reaction to Bob鈥檚 lagoon.

鈥淥h, they think it鈥檚 way too much,鈥� says Becky.

Even Bob did. At first.

鈥淭he project was supposed to take five weeks, and it took five months,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen we finished, all you could see was rock. But after the plants started to mature and it all filled in, I knew it was all worth it.

鈥淭hose rocks have so much character. They remind me of the cliffs on northeast Iowa. It鈥檚 Iowa limestone and Wisconsin granite 鈥� a meeting of the Hawkeyes and Badgers.鈥�

Ducks, frogs, and birds
It鈥檚 also a meeting place for wildlife.

Bob likes to talk about the mallards that nested here and the four ducklings that hatched. Becky marvels at the frogs and the toads 鈥渢hat just showed up 鈥� and now we just have this chorus in the evening.鈥�

And the birds.

鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, but when we first started up the pond, the birds wouldn鈥檛 go near it. Too loud, I guess,鈥� Bob says. 鈥淏ut that didn鈥檛 last long. Now they just love it. I鈥檝e been watching a half dozen robins bathing as we鈥檝e been sitting here.鈥�

Says Becky, 鈥淚t鈥檚 this little habitat in the city.鈥�

Unbeatable annuals

The growing season in central Iowa can be can be sweaty, windswept, and short. Many perennials have truncated bloom times. Some that are 鈥済uaranteed鈥� to make it through Zone 5鈥檚 average winter low of minus 20 degrees F. sadly don鈥檛: too little snow cover, too much wind.

So, to have continuous color in the garden, Bob Shaw makes annuals do the yeoman鈥檚 work. Maybe it鈥檚 not trendy, but it is effective.

His favorite combination of annuals is a copy of a planting scheme at a high school in St. Louis that he put in a new bed in his backyard.

鈥淲e knew it would thrive in the heat and humidity,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was already St. Louis-proof.鈥�

Lantana New Gold, Homestead verbena, Rambling Red petunia, and Alabama Sunset coleus are the workhorses. A smattering of Victoria Blue salvia, New Look celosia, Profusion zinnia, and Dragon Wing begonia are integrated here and there.

They look great for a long time. Says Bob, 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a lot of fun to have that amount of color.鈥�