Transforming a Patio into a Desert Oasis with a Pond

An enclosed patio in Tucson, shaded by mesquite trees and wrapped in dark walls, already offered a pleasant retreat. But landscape designer Michelle Hearon and architect Diana Osborne elevated it into a genuine oasis by adding an irregularly shaped, 9-foot-diameter cement pond set into flagstone paving.

Hefty boulders from the nearby Catalina Mountains naturalize the water feature. One dramatic stone with a natural crevice became a custom fountain: Osborne drilled through the top, inserted flexible tubing connected to a recirculating pump, and created the illusion of a natural spring trickling down the rock face.

The pond hosts cattails, dwarf papyrus, water irises, water lilies, goldfish, and koi. Remarkably, it requires minimal maintenance — occasional thinning of vegetation is all that's needed. "I don't feed the fish or the plants," says Osborne. "The fish eat the algae, and they provide the fertilizer for the plants." A self-sustaining ecosystem in the heart of the desert.

DESIGN: Michelle Hearon and Diana Osborne, Tucson