A narrow space between their house and the neighbor's called for a creative solution. "I didn't want a wall, but I did want something pretty to look at," says Kay. A very open fence of arched metal trellises between cedar posts supports clematis vines and Confederate jasmine that twine around the posts and through the trellises. Anchored by the new fence, the side garden is filled with perennials, annuals, bulbs, and miniature roses. In winter, she plants colorful salad greens and cool-weather annuals, so the garden provides year-round enjoyment for Kay and her neighbors. Birdhouses hang all along the fence. She has even found tiny nests made from pieces of rosemary and lavender that the birds gathered from the garden.

One feature that captures every visitor's eye is the unusual water garden. It's made from an old bathtub Kay rescued from the back of Peter's nephew's truck on its way to a secondhand store. Her first thought was to sink it into the ground as a pool. "But everyone has an in-ground pool," explains Kay, so they left it on top of the soil.

Peter wired and plumbed a showerhead for the fountain, and they placed the tub along the path to the back garden. Kay filled the pool with plants and fish, then placed stepping-stones and plants around the base. It quickly became an attraction for neighborhood children, who loved to stand on the stones and peer into the pool. One night an enterprising raccoon unplugged the tub's stopper, drained the water, and then helped itself to a fish buffet. Undaunted, Kay placed the pump housing and several heavy stones over the plug to prevent a recurrence. Last year, a huge bullfrog took up residence in the pond, much to Kay's delight.

Kay knows change is the essence of gardening and keeps thinking of new things to try. For example, she and Peter decided that the back lawn looked like a dance floor. When they spotted a rusty metal sculpture with two figures that seemed to be dancing, they bought it. They then covered the small lawn to make a flagstone patio and installed the sculpture in the center. "I spent so much time trying to get grass to grow in the shade and tip-toeing around," reasons Kay. "A hard surface I could walk on made more sense."