THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407070076
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: SNAPSHOT
SOURCE: BY SHARON LAROWE, SPECIAL TO HOME
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
IT STARTED as a small project to hide an unsightly tree stump in his front yard. But two ponds and a tiny Spanish fishing village later, 53-year-old Pete Micken realizes his adventures in home improvement had only just begun.
``It just kept growing down along the end of the yard,'' he said.
Micken, a naval retiree and resident of Virginia Beach, spent eight years in Spain. So his fishing village garden, complete with a concrete watering hole, ``God's Den'' and working lighthouse and water wheel, take on a Mediterranean flair.
While he handles all the construction, wife Audrey is in charge of the fauna. She has planted pansies, marigolds and wisteria in surrounding beds.
The expense has been minimal - about $250 - the Mickens said, because they've done the work themselves. ``If you're someone with a little bit of ingenuity, it doesn't cost all that much,'' Pete Micken said.
Finishing touches, such as a brass dolphin, the water wheel (actually a caster from a wheelchair) and little boats, were purchased second-hand. ``Half our house came from a yard sale,'' Micken said.
The couple plan a third pond and additional structures in the village, which has become a showpiece in their Plantation Ferry neighborhood.
``We haven't had any accidents in front of the house yet, but a lot of people slow down to take a look,'' Micken said. Neighbors on nightly strolls stop by to see the latest phase in construction.
And, Micken noted, the yard is ``the focal point of every bird and squirrel in the neighborhood.'' MEMO: Tell us about your projects in decorating, remodeling or gardening. Send
a brief description, your name, address and a daytime phone number to:
Snapshot, Home section, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, 150 W.
Brambleton Ave., Va. 23510. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
JIM WALKER/Staff
Pete and Audrey Micken's Beach garden has a Mediterranean flair.
by CNB