Penacook Street may seem as normal as any other back road in Penacook, at least until you reach Donna Ciocca's home.
Perennial gardens and an eccentric flying pig and fish are among the delights that decorate the lawn. Many people driving past stop by for a peek at Penacook's rusted wonderland.
“I try to convince them they can do it, too,” laughed Ciocca, who's 59. “Because of my gardens, I have a whole lot of people who stop by and talk. It's become very social.”
Other storied pieces to her lawn and garden include a concrete sheep, cobalt bottle garden and a mosaic-tiled wall. The college business teacher says the quirky garden ideas come from her southern Missouri background. Her creativity, she said, helped her beat breast cancer at age 50.
Ciocca developed the life-threatening disease in 2001 and immediately started radiation. The treatment forced her out of work for the summer.
Ciocca, a woman used to a structured schedule, wondered what she would do with her time. Gardening was an easy answer, she said, but a new project lifted her spirits: mosaic tiling.
She decided to cover the back of her home's foundation with colorful mosaic tiles – an idea her husband strongly encouraged. The vivid, unstructured pattern eventually made its way across the 20-foot cement wall, serving as an emotional reminder of her domestic presence.
“You've got to let it go,” Ciocca said, “You've got to decide, 'I'm doing this, so what's the worst that can happen if it doesn't look good?' I'll move it, I'll place it somewhere else, and I'll do something.”
Fully recovered nine years later, the avid gardener continues her work and welcomes wandering visitors interested in her gardens and ornamental characters. Building something out of nothing has served as a reminder for a woman unafraid to show a little mettle.
“You should live where you want to vacation,” she said with a smile. “I wanted my house to be our refuge. . . . Whenever we pulled into our driveway (I wanted) to feel like, 'Ah, I like being here.' This is a place I want to be.”
