Garden-Lou Spotlight on Chris Siewing -

Heart. It’s in everything Chris Siewing does. The way a rock sits just so, the way a weathered log rests along the water’s edge, the way Chris and his wife, Tara, open their home to hundreds of tour-goers EVERY year.

Heart.

When you have heart, it shows not only in your work or home but also as a beacon of inspiration to others. Visit Fox Mountain Falls during one of the numerous garden tours, and you will see a crowd surrounding Chris, waiting to ask questions, to just say thanks, or tell him how amazing his work is. The best part is how humble Chris is as he answers every question and shakes every hand.

Chris Siewing, a Master Certified Aquascape Contractor & Aquascape Artist of the Year, is the owner & principal artist of Nature’s Re‑Creations. “I design and build luxury water features that look and feel as if they’ve always belonged in the landscape. My work blends engineering, ecology, and artistry from shaping shorelines and waterfalls to creating balanced aquatic ecosystems. I oversee every stage of a project, from concept to final rock placement, and I lead a team that treats each build like a piece of living art.”

Having heart alone does not make a superstar pond builder… the project at Chris and Tara’s home has been in the making since 2017. Chris had envisioned the water feature the way it looks today almost 10 years ago-a testament to another trait Chris carries-vision.

*The pond right after construction during its Pond-O-Rama debut in 2018.*

*Today, the vision Chris had imagined shows in the lush, mature plantings surrounding the pond.*

“Sound is half the magic of a water feature, and it’s completely intentional. I design for acoustics just as much as I design for visuals,” says Chris. When it comes to visuals, a pond designer has to “see” how water will flow when the rocks are going in when no water is in sight. They have to visualize a natural, been-here-for-ages outcome from a blank slate backyard and maintain that vision through a construction site full of mud, heavy equipment, and chaos.

Not something most people can do, let alone do well. “I was the kid who’d rearrange rocks in creeks to see how the water changed,” says Chris. “I wanted to be outside; that was the only requirement. I didn’t know the job title yet, but I knew I wanted to build things with my hands and work with nature instead of against it. As an adult, I realized I could turn that curiosity into a craft, creating spaces where people could reconnect with nature right in their own backyards.” Chris studied horticulture, specializing in landscape design. “Most of my expertise comes from 30 years of building, observing, and refining natural water systems in the real world. As an Eagle Scout, I spent my youth hiking and camping in the woods. This is where my appreciation for nature began.”

That appreciation is most evident at home. From the street, the unassuming suburban home offers no clue of the natural world in the back. The Siewing’s 120′ x 60′ swimming pond named Fox Mountain Falls is surrounded by 385+ tons of weathered limestone and is over 8′ feet deep in places. The “Jumping Cliff” rock alone weighs over 8 tons. “To me, a boulder is a historical record written by time. A raw, blasted rock from a quarry looks exactly like what it is, disrupted and unnatural. As an artist, I look for ‘weathered’ or ‘moss-and-lichen’ covered stones that have spent centuries interacting with the elements. I look for deep crevices, water-worn grooves, and organic fractures. These details tell you exactly how the rock should sit in the landscape. I look for structural ‘character rocks’ to act as the anchors of a waterfall, or flat, ancient ledges that look like they were carved out by thousands of years of rushing water. When we place a stone, we pay strict attention to the grain and the weathering lines; if a boulder sat horizontally in nature for ten thousand years, it has to sit horizontally in our build. That’s the difference between a pile of rocks and a living cliffside.”

The attention to detail transcends the ordinary, making it not only more natural-looking, but personal; from pond-inspired artwork to signage bearing favorite quotes about nature and, most of all, water.

The immense water feature is layered with trees, shrubs, and perennials, many of them native. Bog plants like Purple Pickerel Weed, along with waterlilies and lotuses, blur the line between water and land.

Wildlife abounds, but not always the good kind. Herons, unfortunately, are a frequent visitor, occasionally spearing a koi, but Chris has accepted this intrusion as part of the deal. You can’t have “nature” without nature, and as Chris says. “Nature always keeps you humble.” At home or at work, this rings true. “I’ve dealt with shifting soil, maturing trees, altering sunlight patterns, and the occasional raccoon who thinks he owns the place. Water features also evolve; what works beautifully for five years may need re‑engineering in year six. I see these not as problems but as part of the ongoing conversation with the landscape. In general, the most common issue across all our projects is access and site logistics. We require adequate space and access to work on a site, which can be challenging at times.”

One would think maintaining a water feature this size is a nightmare. “Maintenance is a rhythm, not a chore. Weekly, I spend a few hours checking water flow, trimming plants, and making sure the ecosystem is balanced. Seasonally, there are larger tasks, such as spring cleanouts, fall cutbacks, and equipment checks. I have a talented team that helps with the heavy lifting, but I still enjoy getting my hands wet.”

*Construction took six weeks from breaking ground to filling. Photos provided by Chris Siewing.*

Even though Fox Mountain Falls looks like a finished masterpiece, Chris and Tara plan to attract even more wildlife and create a more complete ecosystem with a matrix-style garden that mimics a natural prairie. “This will expand the experience of walking through my garden and help attract more wildlife, enhance its beauty, and improve water absorption in that space,” says Chris. “I will likely add more native plantings and incorporate a few new stone elements I’ve been saving for the right moment. Eventually, I plan to cover the patio off the back of the home and build an outdoor kitchen to complete the space.”

The space is already very people-friendly with multiple viewing and lounging areas. Fire pits and a hot tub extend enjoyment beyond the swim season, and the recently completed Pondside Pub includes a bar and restrooms for entertaining. And speaking of entertaining, Chris and Tara are tops in generosity, sharing their personal space not only with family and friends but also with regulars on garden tours like the St. Louis Water Garden Society’s Pond-O-Rama in June. This year, they were also hosts on the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour. In the fall, Chris and Tara share their space again during the Moonlight Pond Tour-an evening tour featuring Chris’s clients and ending with dinner and music at Fox Mountain Falls.

*The Moonlight Pond Tour ends with festivities at Fox Mountain Falls.*

“You aren’t just moving dirt and rock; you’re changing the emotional landscape of a home,” says Chris. “A well‑designed water feature isn’t just something to look at; it changes how you live. It slows you down, pulls you outside, and creates a sense of place that’s hard to describe until you experience it. That’s why I do what I do.”

QUICK FACTS:

-Year garden started: 2017

-Size of Garden: Approximately 150’ x 125’, centered around a 120′ x 60′ swimming pond.

-Is there any other garden, gardener, or professional that inspires you?

I’m inspired by anyone who works with nature instead of trying to control it. Piet Oudolf’s planting philosophy resonates with me, and I’ve learned a great deal from fellow Aquascape Artists around the world who push the boundaries of what a water feature can be.

-What are the best and worst parts of your job?

Best: Watching a client see their finished water feature for the first time, that moment when the space becomes more than stone and water.
Worst: Missouri summers. Moving multi‑ton boulders in 100‑degree heat builds character, but I wouldn’t call it glamorous.

–Any special plants or features with sentimental meaning?

There’s a particular boulder in my pond, a massive, weathered piece of limestone. I custom-selected it from a property, and it became the infamous jumping rock formation into the pond. That feature was inspired by a small cliff off the point of a bluff at the lake where I grew up, where I jumped as a child, and later with my own kids, and has special meaning in my space.

–What’s your favorite gardening tool?

It may be heavy iron, but by far my favorite tool is a good excavator. I use it to shape the ground, lift heavy boulders into place, and grade the soil after we have disrupted it. With the many hours I have spent operating this equipment, it almost becomes an extension of my body; after running it for years, it seems to meld and become one with me. As I dig in the earth, I can sense if I hit a stone with the bucket’s tooth or a tree root.

-If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have ONE plant to keep you company, what would it be? Doesn’t have to be a food-bearing plant since this island has a free buffet!

A lotus. It’s resilient, architectural, symbolic, edible, and it thrives in water, which feels fitting.

-Any tips for aspiring pond-builders, or home-owners thinking about a water feature?

The single biggest mistake is fighting against nature instead of partnering with it. People often try to build sterile, clear water features using massive pool filtration systems, heavy chemicals, or under-sized, cheap kits from a big-box store. They place the pond at the lowest point of the yard where all the muddy rainwater runs into it, or they use tiny, uniform rocks that end up looking like a string of pearls. Within a season, they are trapped in a nightmare of green water and endless scrubbing. A successful water feature relies on a balanced ecosystem, the right combination of biological filtration, mechanical skimming, plants, fish, and rocks. When you build with the biology of nature instead of fighting it, the pond practically takes care of itself.

You can see Fox Mountain Falls on June 28th during the 2026 Pond-O-Rama! Tickets are still available at local garden centers. See SLWGS.ORG for more information.

For more information about Nature’s Re-Creations and the Moonlight Pond Tour,
see https://linktr.ee/naturesrecreations, or Nature’s Re-Creations | Custom Ponds & Waterfalls in St. Louis