Wishing Well (part 1)

A Look at the Space Between the Raised Bed and the Wood Fence.

A portion of the front of the rock wall.

End of the Rock Wall and Start of the Wishing Well.

A Peek Inside the 'Dry' Wishing Well.

Why build a wishing well? I've been asked that by several family members. I don't have a really good answer, it's just that I want to build one, I have the space for one, and I'm enchanted by the sight of them (especially since visiting Colonial Williamsburg in 1999).

There is a sense of mystery with wishing wells. Seeing one, I ask myself, is there water? Is it potable water? What's it taste like? How deep is it? I want to look inside. And, if no one is looking, maybe drop a marble or a pebble inside and count the seconds till I hear a 'plop?'

Mystery and wonder is WHY I wanted to build a backyard well. Not a real one. No hole in the ground. I only wanted to simulate a wishing well. I found plans at Buildeazy for a wooden wishing well, but it didn't appear as large, or as subtantial, or as 'real looking' as I'd like. I did like their plans for a wood bucket and windlass though (crank for bringing up the bucket and rope), and I may eventually build a similar one.

I used concrete building block material because: it is cheap, substantial, easy to use, won't blow over in a wind, and it fit in with my plan for a raised garden bed. It took three trips to The Home Depot with my Ford Explorer to bring all the needed blocks home (for the raised bed and the wishing well).

Need to hide something? Screen it.

When I built a small shed I had to find a new home for our 15-foot aluminum canoe. I moved the canoe close to our back fence. The neighbors wouldn't have to look at it there.

Our canoe sat, propped off the ground on a 2 by 4 frame until summertime. Occasionally, we hauled it to a nearby lake, paddled it about, and then returned it to its home at the back fence.


Wherever I looked, the canoe and kayak "focals" were always catching my eye.

I enjoy the view from our upstairs bathroom window. Every day I check the weather outside and note any floral progress in the garden. That upended canoe was not a very attractive focal point. I had planted hostas, bleeding hearts and Spanish bluebells in front of the canoe, but that aluminum behemoth rose above the greenery.

I was just getting used to it, when the situation worsened. We acquired a BRIGHT yellow 14.5-foot kayak. Yep. The upended yellow kayak resides above the canoe.


Our kayak and canoe "living out in the open". A small fruiting cherry tree is establishing itself on the left.

From every angle, these watercraft were an eyesore.

What to do? Cover them with a blue tarp? Or a silver tarp? Or devise something permanent because these watercraft were staying a while?

Because our grape arbor looked attractive, it presented me with a design precedent.

I didn't seek wifely approval this time. I instantly knew what would look good. I hurriedly sketched my plan and made another trip to The Home Depot. I purchased two additional pressure-treated 4 by 6 posts, poured concrete footings and plumbed my two new posts. I built the screen of closely spaced 1 by 2's and (with help because of all the weight of the wood) mounted it to the front face of the posts. I could not find upper beams long enough, so I used metal splicing plates and dozens of nails to assemble beams to suit my need. The new upper beams matched those of the grape arbor in style and provide support for hanging planters.


The new screen is quite effective in disguising the watercraft.


The watercraft screen from another viewpoint.

I made a pair of wood plant carriers to match the screening and hung them with lightweight dog chains. The screen lies in near-total shade, so I plant primroses, fuschias, and impatiens in the plant carrier baskets.

I hardly notice the canoe and kayak at all these days. I'll soon plant climbing hydrangeas to train up the posts, which will help soften the architecture of the screen and, when established, will add a new vertical dimension to the existing greenery.