CREATE A REFUGE
Relax and enjoy your own outdoor living space. Your poolside can be transformed into a personal retreat from the busyness of everyday activities; a swimming pool can even double as a reflection pond, as featured in this pool home in southwest Gainesville. Terraced verandahs overlook dry-garden succulent plantings, giving contrast and making the pool seem even more inviting to take a dip. Succulents were chosen for their bold textures, and rivers of rock wind through islands made of limestone boulders, further signifying the feel of a serene escape.
SELECT A THEME
What destination will you dream up when you escape to your own backyard paradise? Perhaps Morocco or France? How about getting away to the mountain slopes of a tranquil Asian garden?
A poolside planting has the ability to transport you to another place. Sun-washed Mediterranean landscapes fit well with our climate, like this terraced pool garden (pictured left) with plants selected to take the heat. Bright color choices quicken the pulse and glow warmly in the sunlight. Consider drought-tolerant plants such as aloe blossom (left) or the purple ice plant (above). Both plants work well in a rock garden setting and give off a Mediterranean flair.
Creating a more tranquil space takes a lighter touch, with more neutral materials and the selection of a cooler color palette. The “zen garden” feel of this featured landscape (right) is achieved with the use of negative space carefully left between the design elements of rock and plants. Simplicity is the ethos of this design.