Pleasure, privacy and safety are concerns when you choose inground pools location. When seen from inside your home, the swimming pool should be an attractive part of the landscape. On the other hand, the view from the neighbor’s upstairs window may infringe on your privacy. And if there’s a beautiful view from your property, position inground pool so that you can enjoy the view from the poolside.
If children will use your pool, you either need a clear view of their activities from the house or, as in the case of small children, you will have to be at poolside when they are swimming.
Mark the fields of view on an overlay of your plot plan. if you have already decided on a particular potential pool site, use an enlarged plan of the proposed inground pool area to mark the fields. You will want a large plan when you come to consider landscaping.
Trees and Shrubs
Generally, it is preferable not to build a pool near trees and large shrubs. Leaves, blossoms and fruit dropping near and in the pool will add to your chores. And a tall tree or shrub may shade your swimming pool just at the time you will be using it.
If there are trees and/or shrubs that you want to keep, try to locate your inground pool so the prevailing winds blow the debris away from the swimming pool. In addition, plot the shadows thrown by the trees, then determine whether or not you would welcome that shade in and around your pool during the swimming season.
People are accustomed to thinking of decorating in terms of interior spaces. So when they approach the garden as a room that is located outdoors, it becomes easier to design its components. Ground covers and paths are analogues to floors and halls; hedges, fences and other vertical boundaries serve as walls, and tree canopies and the sky itself comprise the ceiling.
The patio furniture of the outdoor room is similar to the interior type, although it tends to be portable and weatherproof. Wicker patio furniture creates a relaxed, non-formal look. Accessories such as fountains, statuary and container plantings are also similar to their outdoor counterparts – items meant to add visual interest while also evoking the design sensibility of the garden’s owner. The plants themselves define areas of the yard and add color and texture to the landscape.
As you set about to design a garden as a room outdoors, remember that it takes time to absorb all of the possibilities. Before going ahead with full-scale landscaping, take time to sketch out a design. Then, as your vision of the outdoor room and how its components interrelate takes shape, create a more detailed plan. Some people feel comfortable making the design decisions and choosing outdoor patio furniture for the yard themselves, others prefer to consult a landscape architect. But even without the help of an expert, it is possibly to completely transform an outdoor space simply by working with what’s there and finding ways to use the natural terrain to best advantage.
Simplicity may serve you better than anything complicated. The light touch should always be cultivated, for none of this need to be a chore. American architect Ellen Shipman set out this simple recipe for a garden in 1929: “A wall, a path, a coping around the bed, a tree, a place to sit – this is a garden.”
The design and arrangement of these elements should express a personal style that is harmonious with that of the house.