10016 Chowen Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55431

Garden Paradise. Multilevel Contemporary Split with 4.5 levels. Sun Room, Living Room and Master Bedroom extension all look out onto magical gardens and ponds, including an upper 'bog' pond with bench seating and marginal plantings which provides natural filtration and serves as headwaters to the streams that divide under a stone bridge down to waterfalls, one over a cantilevered stone , and a second lazier brook that ends in a gentler water drop through a split rock face into a koi pond below, and providing the calming sounds of running water into the night, which the entire neighborhood enjoys. The water feature attracts innumerable birds and frogs, with the occasional fox, deer, and Turkey. The planting selections are not generally molested by deer, or more frequent rabbit and chipmunk, with songbirds, butterflies, hummingbirds and dragonflies common on sunny days. We see the occasional bald eagle, while a heron decoy keeps watch over the growing Koi and protecting them from live heron. Original craftsman construction in 1967, a true foyer connects through wood and glass pocket doors and down into the the contemporary living room [added in 1982], which is nevertheless 5' above the adjacent pond and at grade with the pathway leading upward from the pond via rough-hewn limestone stairs and running adjacent to the living room [at grade] to the stone bridge crossing above. Exit from LR into the office-library, which is at half grade [remodeled 1994] to include a comfortable, half-grade and very private, guest bedroom or access the home's full Spa bath with 2-person jacuzzi tub and attached glass block shower, making this feature more available to guests as well as owner. The Dining Room includes a comfortable seating area with paired 80 x 40" double hung windows overlooking both the front gardens as well as the smaller, private sculpture garden to the side. Similar double-hung windows in the kitchen and casement windows in the the front of the Sunroom, overlook the sculpture garden and path along the side to the small rear lawn. The east and northeast facing sunroom and kitchen are filled with morning light, but protected from the hot afternoon sun by a massive well cared for maple. The sunroom northeast wall has a very large plate glass window plus casements for ventilation and exits into the small back lawn though double sliding doors. Given the elevations behind the property water run-on is controlled via a stone culvert hidden in pathway along the higher stream, which directs water under the the raised patio area behind the pond into adjacent gardens. While run-off from the addition's back roof is channelled below ground into the back lawn and side gardens. The lower gardens are ringed behind by basin fir and spruce. The upper gardens are backed by Spruce, lilac trees, while three majestic, black walnut provide a limited canopy to the upper, mid and lower patio garden alike. With all this beauty in the day, night vistas are equally spectacular with highlighting of the black walnuts magnolia and sculpture garden water features and pathways by a mix of high-voltage/low-wattage and low-voltage accent lightings, with year round lighting on the balsams and a Moravian star and 2 nautical lanterns hung over the pond adjacent fireplace-patio area and the party tree, a flowering crab, hung with colorful LED-lit nylon lanterns. A second Moravian star hands from a honeylocust in front and joins additional accent lighting and sconces in welcoming night visitors to our home.