Wisconsin Garden Wonderland

Koi and pink water lilies fill three water gardens. In the evenings, a fire pit glows from the heart of a sunken sitting area. Surprising works of art wait for guests who take the time to explore dozens of flower beds.

Take the decorative bikes, which are almost a garden cliché. Bikes hanging on walls, not so much. White impatiens flow from the handlebar basket, and dark green leaves twine through the spokes. For parties, Joan and Dale sometimes transform a glass chandelier from flower vase to fish bowl. "The fish are a one-night-stand kind of thing. Afterward, we give them away to friends," Dale says.

Multihued blooms pull it all together. "I like to paint with plants as colors," Dale says. "It really is an art. I do it for myself, to express myself. It's my own garden palette to draw on."

Pictured: Koi add a flash of color to a water garden.