Hopedale, Mass – The quiet pleasure of ponds, the soft gurgling and splash of waterfalls, provide a source of tranquility in public parks and the privacy of backyards.

Sharing that sense of solitude is among the reasons people like Anthony Wilson and Jay Sorgman are inviting folks into their Norton backyard as part of "Parade of Ponds 2007" to be held Saturday and Sunday.

Tom Frost of MetroWest Water Gardens in Hopedale and the Pond Shack in Mendon are sponsoring the event. Now in its second year, there are about 30 ponds and other water features available for viewing in self-guided tours from Framingham to area towns of Franklin, North Attleboro and Norton, Frost said.

Julia's Garden and its waterfall, located the WWI Memorial Park in North Attleboro, is on the list of sites for the tour.

Tour guides are $15 with all of the proceeds to benefit the Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton. The event is an excellent way for people to pick up ideas, said Wilson, who has a 10-foot-wide pond and four-tier waterfall in his backyard.

"We like gardening and because of that we enjoy viewing other people's (displays) and enjoy others seeing ours," he said. He said the water features "have a calming effect" and "special effects," such as water lilies, add to the sense of enjoyment. A little stream leads from the waterfall to the pond in their backyard.

While the pond is not stocked with fish, it draws other wildlife, "sometimes turtles, always frogs," he said.

The duo installed the pond and other features about four years ago, but it continues to be a work in progress, with landscaping and other elements being added, Wilson said. He's excited about the tour and welcomes "any comments," Wilson said.

Frost said that many of the ponds and water features on the tour belong to his customers, but others are from folks who might have attended flower shows where he has had exhibits. The proceeds from last year's event went to Dana Farber Cancer Research.

In the case of Julia's Garden in North Attleboro, which is open to the general public without an admission fee, Metrowest Water Gardens installed the 85-foot-long waterfall. The garden was created in memory of Julia Cekala, who loved gardens, butterflies and earthworms, along with the animals in the park's zoo. She died of pancreatitis at age 9 in May 2003.

"We were very happy and honored to be part of the Julia's Garden project," Frost said. An official dedication is still being planned. Future phases of the project include the construction of a path adjacent to the waterfall and stream, as well as a bridge and landscaping, according to Frost. The Cekala family is paying for the entire project with the support of the town. A butterfly garden and children's playground will be among the attractions.

Mary Mahar agreed to put her yard in Franklin on the tour this year after taking it in last year to get ideas.

Mahar also wants to share the enjoyment she gets from her pond with others. She works at home and to take a break she goes out to feed the fish or paddles around the 16-by-20-foot manmade pond.

It has a waterfall and she installed a small bridge this year. The pond is lit in the evening. "It's like a whole different world," she said.

Like Wilson and Sorgman of Norton, Mahar likes the way it draws wildlife, including frogs and dragonflies, to her yard.

The neighborhood children also visit. "They love to come put their feet in the water," Mahar said.

And this is the perfect time to visit, she said. The irises and various colors of water lilies are all abloom.

 

Anthony Wilson and Jay Sorgman of Norton will show off their property in the Parade of Ponds tour. (Staff photo by Mike George)   

 

To learn more about MetroWest Water Gardens, please visit their website:

 

www.MetroWestWaterGardens.com

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