Christine Saetta created an inviting outdoor living area with a bar made of repurposed pallets. “Don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative with different elements,” she advises.

19th Annual Garden Walk, June 23 from 9am – 3pm

Visit six private gardens and the Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being that has four primary garden/farm areas, including a pollinator garden, an herb garden and a community farm.

Advance tickets are $15, seniors (65+) are $12 and children under 12 are free. Tickets available online at www.parkhillgardenwalk.org or at Park Hill locations, including Ace on the Fax, City Floral, Spinelli’s, Cake Crumbs, Park Hill Community Bookstore, Park Hill Library, Pauline Robinson Library. Day-of-event tickets are $18.

Saetta created the artwork that hangs on her garage near the outdoor living area.

Outdoor Living Influenced by Travel

Christine’s love of travel combined with her love of entertaining are evident in her garden. Saetta’s goal was to extend her home’s entertaining space to the backyard while simultaneously incorporating some of her favorite things from her numerous trips to Italy and Hawaii. Vines, an abundance of colorful flowers, and tiki lights are just a few of the items she incorporated into her outdoor space.

Saetta’s multi-functional outdoor space includes a living room, dining room, bar and lounge area. She creatively recycled, reused and repurposed items, including a bar she made out of wooden pallets. The project required a lot of work to open up the yard and bring connection between the patio and other areas in the yard. She admits that as a dog owner, her biggest challenge is keeping her lawn area healthy.

Hanging out in the hammock or lounge chairs next to the fountain is a great place at night for watching the moon and stars., says Saetta. She calls this area her “zen zone,” as it makes her feel at peace.

The koi in the Combs’ ponds are thriving, but the Combs worry about their well-being, especially in the winter. Pumps, filters, and a tank heater must all be in working order to keep the fish healthy year-round.

It All Started With A Small Fish

Becky and Keith Combs put a small 300-gallon pre-formed pond in their yard over a decade ago and bought some small koi fish for $3.99 each. As one of the fish, Whitie, grew bigger and bigger, they expanded to a 650-gallon pond. Today, they have three ponds totaling 3,400 gallons and Whitie is 14 years old and quite large. The Combses now have a total of 34 koi fish and many bullfrogs, who live in the original 300-gallon pond.

Becky Combs looks down at the koi from a bridge over one of their backyard ponds.

The entire yard was dug by hand and each stone was hand-picked. The rocks that shape the ponds are softened by plants, and a quaint seating area with a fire pit in the center can be accessed by a small bridge. Colorful flowers dot the yard, including roses selected for their fragrance. “When I am there with my friends and family, I am in my heaven. For me, it couldn’t get better than this,” says Becky.

Information provided by Jean Ercolani