The pond side is on the east side of the house, one of the most delightful areas. The pond deck used to be called the Hot Deck and was unbearable after noon until David covered the deck and upper pond with a trellis. There are numerous hanging plants & large potted plants creating a "Carmel" atmosphere. WHAT a difference!

"Before Trellis" and "After Trellis" pictures

The area includes the pond and deck area and the fireplace area near the front of the house, an area cool and shady enough for the bunnie run.

The deck is covered with chairs and pots that contain all the herbs and mints, including savory, several kinds of basil and mints, catnip, orange and chocolate mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, licorice, chives, curry (yes, there is a "curry" plant,) woodruff, horseradish, echinacea. The pots contain poppies, canna, lisanthus, verbena, pentsemens. One gardenia seems to do very well here, kept out of the direct sun.

Hanging baskets in my hand made macrame are found around the entire trellis perimeter, containing geraniums, ivy, spider plants, asparagas fern, bacopa, verbena and a really strange metal flask (also macramed) sent to David as a gift from my very weird, adored mother. I follow proudly in her footsteps.

A large chitalpa tree south of the deck , currently twenty feet high, displays the most fragile pink trumpet like blossoms that invite the B52 bomber bees, dragonflies and hummers from miles around. This tree may be one of the largest attention-getter in our yard. I have rarely seen such a lovely tree and am eternally grateful it prospers in the yard. My first June bug scared the dickins out of me and I ran to get David immediately to come see this flying monster that was visiting our yard. A log cabin bird feeder sits in the chitalpa tree.

Wisteria wraps itself around the north eastern trellis post and grows several feet a day. A brilliant blue purple morning glory vine climbs the southeatern post and is plentiful in exquisite blooms every day, attracting bees and hummers.

Tall, white flowering ginger and a butterfly bush form a natural wall between the deck and the chitalpa tree. Under the tree is Carolina jasmine, firecracker plant, more volunteer lamb's ears, mints, Russian sage and a deep blue purple "Storm Cloud" Lily of the Nile, euphorbia, columbine, peony, dead nettle and a bird bath.

The area across the lawn from the pond, next to the fence, is under constant construction with a oleander tree, honeysuckle and clematis cover the fence, lavender of all kinds, mints, the largest elephant ear I have ever seen (the leaves are three feet tall) purple flax and a yew tree. The bird feeder in the chitalpa was too small for more than one bird at a time on the porch, so I built a smorgie and hung it on this fence. Perfect!!

Next to the fireplace lives a forest of ajuga, azalea, vinca, bananas trees, and the most unidentified plants in the yard. Two trumpet vines cover the fence between the pond area and the front yard. A recessed garden gate with one of my stained glass spider webs in it takes you back to the east front yard.

A rounded bridge built by David spans the lower cement pond and bridges the pond grass area to the walnut area.

We found an old hummingbird nest in the fireplace area, about four feet off the ground, built into the branches of quite a thin deciduous tree that may have had a great deal more protection when leaves were present. It has never been re-used as it has partially collapsed from rain and weather.