To pool or NOT to pool……is that the question?

Yep. That’s the appropriate question. But how you come to a conclusion might be more important than the question itself.

courtesy Iguana Pools

Working with my landscaping clients over the last two decades in deciding whether or not they NEED a pool, the answer is easy: no.  No one needs a pool; pools are a luxury.  (I have to admit I’m talking out of both side of my mouth on this….I hate being pool-less so much we’ll meet next week about installing one at our new house.)  Being a gardener in Texas – for part of the year – is a delight.  Then there’s summer, lasting from it-isn’t-as-cool-this-morning till it’s-finally-cool-again-this-morning.  In between, there are a few rough days, too.  (If you call Phoenix home you might say I have no idea what hot is, but I’ve tasted your HOT. “It’s a DRY heat” is a valid comment.  There’s nothing dry gardening in Houston’s heat, including my t-shirt!) So here are a few questions you should ask when determining if a pool is right for your yard.

Above ground pools are less expensive, but not as long-lasting. Photo courtesy APSP.org.

A built-in spa/water feature might be just the right size to wet your whistle while warming your buns! Photo courtesy APSP.org.

1) WILL I USE IT?  I don’t mean “will I see it?”  I mean will I get in it and swim, or is it just a way to take the edge off the heat.  Is the idea of a pool the objective? What KIND of pool do I want: one for laps or is a diving board a must-have.  Maybe a spa, a water feature, an above-ground pool or even an outdoor shower will solve the dilemma. Try a kiddie or blow-up one from the dollar store for a few days to test if it’s the right direction for your family instead of diving in head first.

2) WILL I MAINTAIN IT? Pools are hard work.  Yes, there are pool cleaners that run around like the toilet scrubbing bubbles, but the best pool cleaners wear shorts.  And have great legs.  Oh wait.  That’s another story.  The point is someONE has to not only look at the pool regularly, but check its pH or pay the consequences that look like a B-grade 50′s movie.  Maintenance can be costly; however, not doing it is even more expensive.  No longer is chlorine the only option for water purity, though. There are alternatives now when it comes to the type of swimming pool sanitation systems available, from UV to salt water (now up to 90% of newly installed pools, according to a friend of mine who’s a long-time pool builder),  ozone to natural filtration, such as beneficial microbes.  Not all systems are widely available, and remember that often the “research” has been done by someone trying to sell that particular system.

Make a splash to drown out ambient noise, like traffic or the neighbor's barking dog. Photo courtesy of The Southern Bulb Company.

Pools are limited only by your imagination and budget.

3) CAN I AFFORD IT?  Permanent pools are expensive.  Not just the initial financial expense, either.  They cost time AND money on a weekly basis. It could become your new hobby, edging out golf clubs and everything else on your free-time list. Another consideration I’d like to offer is “can I afford NOT to have it?”  If you have older kids, a pool might mean your home becomes the gathering spot. On a hot summer afternoon, I knew exactly where my daughters were and probably much more than I should have known about their friends.  That’s been a huge pay-off, in my book.

If you are considering installing a pool, ask questions not just of the pool experts, but of the TRUE experts: pool owners.  And don’t ask the guy that put in a pool two months ago.  Ask the one with the bleach stained shorts and nice legs.  He’ll answer the RIGHT question!

Steps to Integrating Stepping Stones

“We have stepping-stones in crushed granite that lead to our deck in the back yard.   What would be a good groundcover to use around them?  Drainage comes off the house and washes the area, so we need something that will take the water run-off and also doesn’t mind staying wet.”  Eileen P.

Stepping stones – whether pre-made concrete rounds or squares, natural stone, wood, pavers, or brick – are a  relatively inexpensive way to get from one part of the landscape to another.  In spots where solid paving cannot be used for some reason (subdivision restrictions, easement issues, temporary access, drainage problems), a path of stepping-stones might be the perfect solution. Properly installed stepping-stones selected with an eye for aesthetic appropriateness can even be an attractive, permanent fixture in your garden.  So here are a few things to consider if you decide stepping-stones might be the path to a more beautiful landscape for your home.

flagstone on crushed granite

HIT: Good planning of a stepping-stone path includes selection of the right material FOR and BETWEEN the stones!

1)  WHO  will be traveling the trail you’ve created?  Crushed granite is an excellent base for stepping-stones, but the sharp edges of the granite hurt little bare feet headed to a swimming pool or swing set.  Beautiful, moss covered antique bricks are slick and can be dangerous.   Also look at the size of the feet of those using the path and match the material size to fit the footprint.  A tiny piece of flagstone could teeter or even flip if not anchored well when a big foot hits land on it.

2)  WHAT will make the journey down your new path?  A narrow, winding trail – although romantic – may not allow for a mower to access the other side of the garden.

Place stepping stones close together if the path will have handicapped users.

And if the path becomes a waterway when it rains or will be used by someone who needs it to be handicap accessible, you might want to reconsider and use a solid material with a drain, or butt stones against one another as tightly as possible.

3)  WHEN will the path be used?  If the answer includes after dark hours, be sure you not only have lighting, but also keep it free of anything that would trip up users, like irregular ups and downs in the material, or those slick, moss covered bricks.

Antique bricks make a quaint pathway for a shady spot, but can be dangerous when the worn faces become covered with moss or settle into an irregular surface.

4)  WHERE does your path lead?  Although the destination is important, so is the view.  A lovely line of stepping-stones taking your eye straight to a trash can should be avoided.   Create a more circuitous route and add evergreen shrubs along the way to keep your trash from being the focal point in your landscape.

5)  So, back to the original question: WHICH plants or material will surround the stepping-stones?  Many times, it is fine to simply leave the space between the stones free of plant material.  Whether crushed stone or sand is used to set the stones in place, the simplest solution is to use that same material around the stones.  However, if erosion control is an issue, or if you simply don’t like the sparse look of bare ground, plant material can be added.  Many groundcovers run low or mat well and several websites offer lists to help you decide which appeal to you and are best suited to your geographic area.  The stepping-stones may be put directly into lawn grass if the path receives enough sunlight.  But be sure the stones are above soil grade so water/mud doesn’t pool on the stones if it will be used during a rain, but below the grade of the grass so you can mow over them.

MYTH: stepping stones can't be put right into a lawn

Planning out the system as a whole is crucial and thought should be put into choosing the right materials for both the stepping-stones and what goes between them.