This water feature in Coconut Grove, Fla., incorporates a 12-foot deep pond and grotto, and a bridge over a river, which spills into the grotto. The source of the pond's water is an aquifer with a constant temperature of 78 degrees. The water is pumped to fill the pond, recirculated and topped up as needed. The water is run through UV light, bead filters and/or ionizers to keep the water clean and safe for swimming. The red flowers in the foreground are Jatropha hastate. An arbor was constructed to create a sitting room for the guest room.

Coconut Grove is an eclectic and bohemian Florida community known for its lush tree canopies and outcroppings of oolite limestone. The client bought a small, 1,400 square foot wood-sided cottage, and asked us to double her living space; create a custom design that added a new car shelter; incorporate a driveway that would be hidden from view; make space for five cars to be parked within her gate; a bridge that crossed over a river between the car park and the house; and a beautiful tropical garden.

The Enviroscapes team developed the conceptual drawings, and once the client agreed to the concept, work began on developing final drawings and costs. After teaming up with a renowned area pond contractor, Mark Ingmire, Enviroscapes developed the engineering of this natural pool and water feature. The process began with excavation of the limestone substrate to create the pond. The water feature incorporates a bridge over the flowing river, which cascades into a 12-foot deep pond and grotto area. Water for the pond is sourced from an aquifer, keeping the water temperature at an almost-constant 78 degrees. Water from the aquifer is purified with UV light, ionizers and/or bead filters before being pumped into or recirculated through the pond.

???(R)???AE'?N????e'?N,A+

Building the waterfall involved the marriage of the plumbing and the aggregate, as the installation team had to build a platform that was sealed to prevent any water from escaping. A backhoe was brought in to position the rock, with the help of some old-fashioned manpower. To ensure a natural look, we never use concrete to stabilize the rock. The rocks are stacked carefully to ensure that when the water falls, it steps down nicely. The area under the bridge, the perimeter and the grotto were all excavated by hand to keep from damaging the rock pinnacle. The beauty is to see the honeycomb characteristic of the limestone emanating from the crystal clear water. When you are sitting in the grotto, you are eight feet below grade, and the water cascades into the grotto, hugging the wall. This makes the temperature cooler, thus allowing us to grow light and heat sensitive plants such as Maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris).

???(R)???AE'?N????e'?N,A+

The waterfall was formed with moss rock, a type of sandstone. The owners, at times, have stocked the natural pool with koi and cichlids. The striking orange bromeliads above the falls are Aechmea blanchetiana. The silver palm is the Bismarckia nobilis, and the large green leafed plants are Monstera deliciosa.

The bridge leads to an organically shaped deck that cantilevers over the pond, allowing the client to walk from the bedroom and living room onto the deck. The deck was built out around the house to increase the usable square footage and provide a variety of views of the new plantings and water feature. Along with the bridge and arbor, the deck was constructed with pressure treated pine, which provides a pleasant visual transition from the Moroccan-themed interior of the cottage to the outdoor areas. Chimes are placed throughout, along with bird feeders. One can safely dive into the pond from the deck. As part of the pond engineering, this natural pool makes room for certain species of fish to live in the pond.

The pathways and dining area in the grotto were built using reused old Chicago red bricks, which gives the site a feeling that it is older than it is. Due to the cantilevered decks and the close proximity to the water, impatiens can be grown for years, along with other aquatic plants.

???(R)???AE'?N????e'?N,A+

The honeycomb characteristic of the oolite limestone is seen through the clear aquifer water. The decking, bridge and arbor are pressure treated pine.

For the guest room, Enviroscapes constructed an arbor to create a sitting room. We used Sky vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) to dress the ceiling of the arbor. For the rest of the garden, we used all low-maintenance tropical plants: gingers (Alpinia sp), Licuala palms, Cocothrinax and Thrinax palms, Glory bush (Tibouchina sp), Golden bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris "vittata') and Black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra). Other smaller plants were ferns, aglaonemas, dieffenbachias, philodendrons, Monstera and Mondo grass.

Besides the client's initial pleasure in the natural pool and landscaping, this project has received many compliments from neighbors and visitors. People are mazed at the transformation of the property and its serenity.