By Holly Weatherwax, Staff Writer
Reston is full of hidden treasures, but one of the most unexpected and beautiful might be the rock gardens on Orchard Lane. Located just a short walk from Lake Anne Plaza, and found by crossing the Van Gogh bridge and following the sidewalk that winds around the lake, some of the rock gardens are in the front yards of the townhomes and others in community spaces. All are designed with the idea of ‘flow,’ inspired by the homes’ lakefront location.
Lifelong Restonian Ket Vongsavath is the rock artist behind these rock gardens. The 13-year Waterview Cluster resident originally started a rock garden project to brighten his own dark front yard. After removing some ground cover, and, inspired by trees he had seen in Rome, Italy, he decided to ‘lift’ his boxwoods. Left with an unattractive patch of dirt beneath an arch of boxwoods, he decided to create a ‘hide and seek’ space in the gap. What started with three rocks, which he considered a failed attempt at improvement, evolved into stunning rock gardens.
For his first rock garden, Vongsavath tried to create a flow to match Mother Nature and the lake. All the designs ultimately flow to the lake. The idea of creating art with rocks evolved as he delved further into the project. The concept of ‘Zen relaxation' further inspired his creativity.
While the first project was purely visual, these rock gardens now have a secondary purpose. They have become a way to address poor drainage, and fill in where plants do not grow easily.
Along the way, Vongsavath partnered with another local resident to add visual interest and color to the creations. Michael Amico creates painted stones for the displays. The first one he made was a dragonfly for Vongsavatis’ front yard, but as time passed, the many painted rocks have varied – including Ninja Turtles and ladybugs. A popular rock, Bluey, is currently out for updates. Amico says that creating a rock takes between one and two weeks, but some take longer like the rainbow fish, which can take as long as six months.
As Vongsavath’s talent and interest have grown, he has taken on projects for his neighbors. In his townhouse row, each yard has a different ‘theme.’ One celebrates an interest in abstract art, another a passion for yoga, and still another, a love of flowers.
They gardens are designed on paper; then Vongsavat handpicks the rocks from local quarries. Using a fabric liner to keep out weeds, he sets the stones by hand. Compression is good for the stones, so he doesn’t object to young children stepping on the gardens.
There are other fun additions to the gardens like tipped and/or broken flowerpots, planters created with cement and old tee-shirts, a fountain created with bamboo harvested from Hickory Cluster, and hands made of cement and vinyl gloves. There are also rocks set up on a nearby sewer that children, and other fans, can manipulate and create.
In their day jobs, Vongsavath works in IT and Amico is a pediatric nurse. These projects allow them to use their creativity in ways they don’t often get to do day-to-day. Vongsavath has experienced a reawakened passion for art and painting, beyond the garden, and now spends some of his free time on his own art.
Photos by Isadora Guerreiro
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