El Presidio Water Fountain

A long time ago......in a garden far far away......a gardener began to write a blog about the gardens he would create in Tucson, Arizona.  Along the way, he picked up many many other skills like photography, birding, becoming a docent for the local gardens, saving homeowners money and creating a blog about his work and adventures around the garden.  And then he began to bird and travel again:)

 But he still gardened through it all.  And he created a wildlife haven for birds among the canopy tree tops.  As the garden grew; so did he.  The homeowners would lose money from a faulty leaky pool.  It was draining their pockets......and the recession was in full gear.  No one used the pool and yet it cost 600 hundred dollars a month to run it.  Several homeowners were behind in their HOA payments.  Eventually they had to move out of their homes due to foreclosure and forced the remaining homeowners to make a decision. No more wasting money.  The pool had to go.

 Realizing the pool had a leak, the homeowners decided to shut it down.  And saved money they did.  But the process to restore this mammoth project would take over a year to begin.

The gardener,listening to his neighbors, put together a plan. An idea.  He would employ the help of others to create something special to replace the gleaming blue jewel of the courtyard at El Presidio.

The pool would be filled in with dirt.  It would take a year to settle.  No longer was it dangerous for guests to have outdoor dinners and watch their kids near the pool.  No more close calls with kids falling into the pool or slipping and hitting their heads on the cement.  And yet the area would be an eyesore.  The gardener realized that a water feature was still needed and so he planned and planned and planned.  Homeowners waited patiently as things like money and a plan came into being. 

 A measured and calculated plan was created with the idea of a fountain being placed at the center.  But what would fill in that space around it?  Several weeks of conversation and planning were held and finally a sketch was created and stored away for future gardening.  Money was the next step.

Meanwhile chaos happened.  Trees and plants grew tall and strong around the El Presidio Gardens. Birds began to nest and create a haven in the tree tops.  3 feral cats remained after escaping the gardener's live cat traps.  For many years these cats would breed and have many kittens around the gardens.  They would use pots and garden areas as their kitty litter. The gardener took back the lands.  He now fights the remaining 3, Greystoke, Bear, and Tubby, with his garden partner Donnie.  They still terrorize the birds, but as you can  see they have "issues".  Tubby is stuck in the tree.

And then....a water line, cobalt blue pot......several thousand dollars later.....the infrastructure was created allowing the gardener to finally complete his plan.  Homeowners of El Presidio worked hard.  In fact, it looked bad at first and many had their doubts. Rotting wooden beams were removed and pillars were cut in half.  Cobalt blue would be the central color scheme to counterbalance the reds and tans of El Presidio.

And the master plan?  You'll have to wait for the great reveal next year as the gardener/birder/adventure seeker puts it all together.  And maybe he'll actually start to write about plants again like he did when he created this blog.  Life is art.  Life is creation.  The running sounds of water can be heard again. Soon the heart of El Presidio will beat again.