Backyard oasis
Tour-goers get taste of what some consider the ideal retreat
BY KRISTIN BOYD
Correspondent

SCOTT PILLING staff Fish glide through an 8,500-gallon pond behind the Tsarnas residence in Old Bridge's Highpointe development. The backyard, with waterfalls, bridges and Japanese gardens, was one of 18 stops on Saturday's Parade of Ponds tour.

Lori Coury chose to spend her Saturday afternoon with a pool of cool water, instead of a bunch of hot air.

While the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning was flying high in her hometown of Readington, she opted to check out nearly two dozen backyard water ponds across the midstate.

"With the heat, you just want to jump in," Coury joked as she admired an Old Bridge backyard pond filled with water lettuce, tower lilies and a large porcelain turtle.

"I have the perfect backyard - 3 acres, and I've wanted to have a pond since I moved into my house," she said, never looking away from the water pond. "I'm looking for ideas, and I figured I could learn a lot today."

Banking on the increasing popularity of backyard water gardens, Grounds Keeper Inc. held the first Parade of Ponds tour Saturday that included six stops in Old Bridge.

SCOTT PILLING staff Evan Tsarnas, 7, of Old Bridge, takes time to watch fish flit back and forth before a crowd of visitors come to view his family's lush backyard pond.

More than 80 residents including Coury signed up for the charity event, which gave tour-goers grand ideas and raised approximately $1,500 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

"Everyone wants a pond, they just don't know it yet. It's the truth," said Jay Eriv, owner of Grounds Keeper, located on Route 516 in Old Bridge. "With visiting these ponds, they see the possibilities. They can see how to create a total living space outside. It's like creating another world."

The tour kicked off at Lou-Ann and Artie Bock's Valley Vale Drive home in Old Bridge, then snaked through Central Jersey, stopping at another 21 locations in Middlesex, Ocean and Somerset counties.

The finale was Eriv's Victorian-style home on Route 516, where a 17,000-gallon pond and dramatic lighting take center stage.

SCOTT PILLING staff Roy and Mary Lerman, of Old Bridge, arrive to take a look at the Tsarnas family's pond.

"[Water ponds] become the focus of the outdoor living space," Eriv said. "It brings you back to nature. It's like a hobby that brings you so much joy. It's very tranquil. It's very spiritual because for some reason we're so drawn to it."

Bock's backyard included three large cooper-colored pots that overflowed with water, allowing the drops to fall onto a set of rocks beneath. The soft waterfall effect is very calming, Lou-Ann Bock said as she offered cookies and cold drinks to the tour-goers.

"This is an oasis, but it's nothing compared to what you're going to see the rest of the day," she told one admirer who was taking pictures.

At each stop, Eriv explained the elements of the water garden and how it was installed. The mix of education and entertainment made for a pleasant afternoon, said Nancy Kulesa, an Old Bridge resident who lives in Maher Manor.

Kulesa attended the tour with her sister, Carol Geant, of South Amboy, who was looking for backyard landscaping ideas.

"I don't have a backyard, but I still like seeing the yards and the ponds," Kulesa said, standing underneath a gazebo outside Matawan World of Gardening on Route 516. "It's really very fascinating to see what people do with their yards."

The Tsarnas home on Kara Court goes beyond fascinating to pure fantasy. It's a mix of the Hawaiian tropics, St. Tropez and scenes from "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"It's our oasis, our vacation, definitely," said Josephine Tsarnas, who shares the home with her husband, Emanuel, and twin sons. "It's our hideaway. We're homebodies, so this is it for us. We're out here every day, all day."

The backyard features an 8,500-gallon pond, 11 waterfalls, nine Japanese Gardens, 60 baby koi fish and a step bridge. There are rocks and lily pads and dragonflies everywhere.

"You got a really beautiful set up here. This is nice. Gorgeous," said Richard Strauss, of Old Bridge, scanning the area and taking pictures. "I'm into ponds. They're nice to look at, and I'm into nature."

A light bulb went off for John and Nancy McTaggert, of East Brunswick, who were in awe of the Tsarnas backyard. The "heavenly" site, they said, gave them ideas for their own yard.

"We've been thinking about doing something in our backyard, but we haven't decided what we want to do yet," Nancy McTaggert said. "This is just spectacular."

That's how it happens, Eriv said. Homeowners see one pond, and their creative wheels start turning. They go from wanting a few rocks to wanting an all-out waterfall and rock sculpture extravaganza.

"Once people do it, it's their favorite thing," Eriv said. "It's amazing. It becomes the central part of their homes. It changes the feeling of your outdoors. It's so much fun."

Coury loved the Tsarnas' backyard oasis so much, she probably would have stayed forever if she could have. But since she couldn't, at least she had a list of ideas for her home, she said.

"Can you tell we don't want to leave? Can we stay forever?" Coury said, flashing a wide smile as she walked back to her car, onto the next destination. "This is the problem by coming and looking. Now, I want ducks and bridges and fishing poles and a boat."