Plant additions

Plant additions to the yard. Want to add lots more, but that will have to wait for cooler weather and the finishing the structures. In the waiting.....bourbon clematis, white rose of sharon, bambusa nigra, musa basjoo, cape honeysuckle.

Plants

Plant additions to yard. Trying to create a lush feel in this dry climate!

Pool

Long time no post.

So here are some pictures of the pool. The two in the middle are recent (one shows the pool looking out to the street and my neighbor's view, the other from the pool toward the air conditioners); the top one was obviously during the build, and the bottom one is my kids getting in on a sunny, brisk December day at 53 degrees. That's what you do when your pool gets finished in December!!! The materials are pebbletec majestic plum and MacGregor Lake rock with a silver quartz cap. Due to the size of the lot, building codes, and several other issues, I ended up with a much different pool than what I had originally planned. I'm learning to deal with that!

The yard is long and narrow, 23 feet wide and somewhere around 70 feet long. There is a lot left to accomplish, or better stated, FIX, so we've come to a standstill. We want the final feel to be a tropical retreat (think Bali, not tiki) and I know I want a pergola behind the fence with vines climbing up, but I want the materials to compliment a patio cover. The patio cover has several challenges; the shape of the patio, (the patio is offset from the windows, so the symmetry is somewhat off); we want an open feel but we also want to cover the door since there is no overhang and in the summer the door plate gets hot and in the winter there is no shield from the rain; tying it into the rest of the project; privacy from the street; and the list goes on. We also need to mask the pool equipment to dampen the noise (while keeping it assessible); create privacy from the street and neighbors because our fence is at the bottom of a slope so it is actually lower and people can look right in; build storage for all the pool tools/toys and cover the airconditioners. Then there is a drainage problem next to the pool and a 'bowling alley' of dead grass along the side of house where I'd like some raised beds. I have a lot of ideas about what I'd like to see, but so far the patio cover problem has thrown a loop into the project. I have made a lot of mistakes along the way, and really am hoping this last portion will help me get over the things that didn't happen in first phase. I'm gun shy about contacting someone for help, because I don't want to end up with a typical landscape design. Suggestions are welcomed!