July 9, 2006 [Sunday] The Schiavo Water Garden, Wading River

Set on over an acre of heavily wooded property, the landscaping has been changed frequently over the years. The original owners attempted to create the look and feel of an authentic colonial home and garden environment that would have produced herbs and vegetables for cooking, fruit for baking and canning, and flowers for outdoor and indoor beautification.

The backyard berm had been terraced with sections for wildflowers and fruit trees. In front of that were four rectangular herb gardens, a small vegetable garden and small patches of lawn. The front of the house had a narrow strip of lawn and a ten-foot diameter, raised, brick planter for ornamental flowers.

When the Schiavo’s took over twenty years ago, many changes were made. Bill Schiavo, who likes to title himself the “World’s Laziest Man,” quickly realized that the previous landscaping setup was too high-maintenance and manicured for his taste. He was also not a fan of lawns and the chemicals that often have to be used to produce and maintain them; having to mow a lawn was definitely out of the question.

Realizing that the topography of their property was conducive to woodland water events, Bill and his wife, Veronica, attempted to create a natural-looking environment replete with ponds and streams that would be more akin to a nature park than a suburban home garden.

The first pond constructed was a large one on the east side of the backyard with a thirty-foot stream emerging from the woods. The pond is surrounded by large grasses, large rhododendrons and a variety of ferns and plants. This spot has become a haven for deer, wild turkeys, Great Blue Herons and other local wildlife. There is a large deck that overlooks this scene where guests can sit, chat and observe the movements of the many frogs, various types of fish, and the occasional box turtle that wanders by for a swim. The deck also has a large arbor from which wisteria blossoms dangle thickly every spring.

On the west side of the backyard, there is a small pond with a trickling water event. It is a quiet, meditative area that begins the path to the woods on the north side of the property.

The previously terraced berm has been gently graded and is planted with Korean boxwoods, skimmia, hybrid day lilies for color, and a variety of spreading ground cover.

In front of the home’s picture window, there is seventy-foot stream burbling down a steep hill that empties into a small pond below. This front area is a favorite bathing spot for a number of birds, both resident and migratory; it is densely wooded and surrounded by twelve to fourteen foot rhododendrons.

In general, the majority of shrubs and plants are acid-loving, deer-resistant species such as andromedas, cherry laurels, and boxwoods, along with the numerous rhododendrons that define the perimeter of the entire landscaped space. This border of thirty-year-old rhododendrons exceeds twelve feet in height and increases the feeling of seclusion. It is hoped that visitors to this garden will enjoy the sense of peace and harmony with nature that was the owners’ intended goal.