Poolscaping: Gardening and Landscaping Around Your Swimming Pool and Spa (Paperback)

by Catriona Tudor Erler (Author) "Swimming pools have come a long way from the turquoise water holes surrounded by stark paving..." (more)
Key Phrases: aboveground spa, swim spa, pool design, Hardiness Zones, Plant Description, Preferred Growing Conditions (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The only limit to today's pool design is the customer's imagination. If you can dream it, it can be built."

Product Description
Bare, stark swimming pools - those rectangular concrete holes in the ground surrounded by a chain-link fence - are going the way of the dinosaurs. Pool owners (and there are 7 million of them across North America) have begun to see the pool and the area around it as an outdoor living space, a place for entertaining a crowd or relaxing alone. In response to this hot, new trend, gardener and landscape designer Catriona Tudor Erler has written POOLSCAPING, a one-of-a-kind handbook overflowing with inspiring ideas and practical advice on how to make your swimming pool the lovely, welcoming centerpiece of your property.

Erler takes readers step by step through the poolscaping process, whether starting from scratch or renovating an existing pool. She begins with choosing the best location for the pool and designing (or refurbishing) the deck and edging that will surround it. She presents a host of ideas for dramatic pool lighting, including underwater options. The fencing chapter addresses choosing styles as well as safety issues and even how to disguise a fence with plantings.

Erler explores design options for building or renovating a spa adjacent to the pool, as well as how to incorporate furnishings, pergolas, and pool houses into the poolscape. A plant directory features the best poolside plants, with a focus on varieties of flowers, vines, and shrubs that are low maintenance and look attractive throughout the pool season. Erler also offers ideas for outstanding poolside planters and containers for bringing greenery and color right up to the pool.

Illustrated with beautiful full-color photographs of outstanding poolscapes, this unique guide demonstrates how any pool owner can transform the pool area into the showpiece of the neighborhood.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC; First Edition edition (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580173853
• ISBN-13: 978-1580173858
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #114,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #45 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Swimming Pools
  #98 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Outdoor & Recreational Areas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Professional and to the point, October 14, 2003

By	Valerie Adolph "Coast Journal" (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The writer starts out with "Swimming pools have come a long way from the turquoise water holes surrounded by stark paving. Increasingly pools are being integrated into the design of the house and garden..."

I'm happy to see a book on this topic, especially one written by an accomplished writer and photographer. Many garden swimming pools stand out like a sore thumb - a harsh rectangle of Hollywood blue water with cold tile edges. They're lovely and cool in hot weather, but UGLY. Anything that helps to change or disguise this is all good.

The writer has many suggestions for doing just this. She addresses in depth topics such as decking, enclosures, structures, furniture and plantings. She has researched and offers suggestions for problems such as awkward rocky sites and the need to have an enclosure around the pool that doesn't block the view or make the place look like a prison.

It was good to see a generous number of pages given to plants and plantings - everything from container planting to landscaping the entire site. The writer also focuses on planning ahead when installing a pool or landscaping around it, and on matters relating to the budget. Both are very important and often overlooked..

The writer obviously has an encyclopedic knowledge of her topic and her writing is crisp and to-the-point. She understands the issues facing people who want to integrate their pool into their garden and addresses them directly. Her photographs illustrate her points with relevance and clarity. I'd recommend this book to anyone trying to add some style and class to a garden with a swimming pool.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pool Scaping, May 22, 2003

By	Jamie R. Manning (Avondale, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a must have! It is beautifully illustrated and very informative. If you own a pool or are thinking about getting one this book is a great investment. It covers everything from choosing a design for your pool to plants and lighting. The pictures are spectacular! I Preordered this book and I'm glad I did. It was worth the wait.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Professional and to the point, October 14, 2003

By	Valerie Adolph "Coast Journal" (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The writer starts out with "Swimming pools have come a long way from the turquoise water holes surrounded by stark paving. Increasingly pools are being integrated into the design of the house and garden..."

I'm happy to see a book on this topic, especially one written by an accomplished writer and photographer. Many garden swimming pools stand out like a sore thumb - a harsh rectangle of Hollywood blue water with cold tile edges. They're lovely and cool in hot weather, but UGLY. Anything that helps to change or disguise this is all good.

The writer has many suggestions for doing just this. She addresses in depth topics such as decking, enclosures, structures, furniture and plantings. She has researched and offers suggestions for problems such as awkward rocky sites and the need to have an enclosure around the pool that doesn't block the view or make the place look like a prison.

It was good to see a generous number of pages given to plants and plantings - everything from container planting to landscaping the entire site. The writer also focuses on planning ahead when installing a pool or landscaping around it, and on matters relating to the budget. Both are very important and often overlooked.

The writer obviously has an encyclopedic knowledge of her topic and her writing is crisp and to-the-point. She understands the issues facing people who want to integrate their pool into their garden and addresses them directly. Her photographs illustrate her points with relevance and clarity. I'd recommend this book to anyone trying to add some style and class to a garden with a swimming pool.