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  • Visitors admire the fish in Duane and Opal Horton’s backyard during the Stillwater Water Garden Society’s biennial tour on Saturday. Neel Arora

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  • Opal Horton describes her water garden to Dana Frank during the Stillwater Water Garden Society’s biennial tour on Saturday. Neel Arora

    62511watergarden3.jpg
June 25, 2011

Fourteen Stillwater homeowners participate in water garden tour

By Neel Arora neelarora@stwnewspress.com

STILLWATER, Okla. — Hazel Colbert wanted to create a retreat for herself, something that resembled the mountains of Arkansas where she grew up.

Her solution was to build a water garden in her backyard, using boulders from Colorado and Minnesota with a waterfall draining into a pond filled with colorful Coy fish.

“I enjoy watching the fish and the sound of the waterfall,” said Colbert, who opened up her backyard Saturday for the Stillwater Water Garden Society’s biennial tour.

Her garden was among 14 showcased throughout Stillwater this year. The tour in past years has drawn more than 100 people.

Colbert said she learned a lot about water gardens through the society when she first moved into her current home a few years ago.    

Now, her front yard is like a sub-development and the backyard is like the country, her daughter Tamera Colbert-Maschino said. At night, the garden is lit up with LED lights and looks like a wonderworld, she said.

A few doors down, Duane and Opal Horton had their water garden on the list of homes to tour.

They started beautifying their backyard after retiring. Duane Horton discovered a small windmill that he restored and hoisted in his backyard. They added ponds with fish and surrounding plants. Some of the rock is fossilized with dinosaur footprints.  

“It just kind of gradually built itself,” Duane Horton said. “I get a lot of funny ideas. You’ve got to be really imaginative.”

Their yard was shaded from the scorching Saturday sun.

“It’s just really nice to sit here,” Opal Horton said. “I enjoy people enjoying my yard.”

 



 

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