Book Description
Natural swimming pools rely on the correct balance of plants and microorganisms to clean and purify the water. They are a safe place for children to play and birds to drink, and are a dramatic example of ecological design, combining the natural and man-made worlds while creating beauty. These pools offer enjoyment not only in the warm months, but during winter, too, when they can be used for ice skating and other activities. Often the focal point of a garden, natural swimming pools blend into their environments, flowing into the surroundings with plants and rocks.They reflect the changing seasons and they enhance the environment naturally. They are easy and less costly to maintain than chemical pools, providing significant savings in water. Chlorine and other common pool chemicals are hazardous to human health and are not used. This book is a necessary resource for anyone interested in having a natural swimming pool and shows how a natural swimming pool system works, as well as the environmental, health, and safety benefits it offers. Drawings, diagrams, and charts cover planning, design, biology, materials, construction, planting, and maintenance. Over 300 beautiful color pictures feature projects that will inspire you to have your own natural water garden where you can swim in harmony with nature at any time.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect book.......2007-09-04
Great book for all aspects of creating a variety of green/natural pools. Beautiful pictures and good illustrations and copy to help in decision making.
YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK .......2007-08-22
Simply put this book is a MUST READ for anyone intersted in any aspect of Sustainable and Ecological Design. It should be read right along with Permaculture by Mollison, the Passive Solar Handbook by Mazria, Rainwater Harvesting by Lancaster, and ecocities to Living Machines by Todd. Even if you aren't specifically interested in making a swimming pool (which you will be after reading it) the insights into the workings of hydro-ecologies and how to design natural systems are invaluable!
If you aren't interested in the whole range of sustainability but just this particular topic of pool design then this book is STILL A MUST READ. If you're an ecologist who wants to make a pool, or a pool designer who wants to do something ecological this book provides an excellent layman's understanding of ecological design, with good technical and artistic advice for how to do it, and good technical and artistic advice for swimming pool construction.
I would still advise you to also purchase the book Poolscaping as a companion to this one.
This is an all around excellent book buy it now.
Beautiful photos; strange text.......2007-08-01
Thumbing through the book will make you want to move to Austria or Germany where beautiful "natural" pools are somehat established. Why is the U. S. so environmentally backward? Unfortunately, the text is awkwardly translated at times such that one has to struggle to figure out what is meant with limited success.The assumption is that one is swimming only in the summer, but in California we may want to swim year round. Useful especially since so little information is available. Can't understand why the publisher didn't insist on professional proofreading.Buy it for inspiration, or wait for the next edition, or wait for one more applicable to your area. It does provide info in the back about two U.S resources, one in CA.
Very complete book .......2007-02-24
Is the book i need for learning on natural swimming pool. Now i can make my own pool
Surprisingly COMPREHENSIVE!.......2007-02-09
This large sized book covered the subject exceedingly well in lots of color photos with explanations and, more importantly, in lots of diagrams and nuts and bolts descriptions. I only read sections here and there but what I did read clearly indicated to me that you could actually use this book to build a natural swimming pool. At the least, you could definitely make a solid decision whether or not you could build or would want to build such a pool on your property. These pools are basically like salt water aquariums in that you have to make a biosphere and monitor it. In some ways it's not as easy as it sounds but also not as hard as it sounds. However, start up takes time and it can be tricky to finally reach environmental stabilization. I am not going to build a natural pool but I still found this book very useful. At the end this book are MANY pages of water plants and trees recommended for certain types of water areas. There are zone maps of the US included for reference. So even if you just want to make a little ornamental fountain in a big pot on the patio deck or a pond or a bog out back, this book has a VERY comprehensive set of plant lists you will find exceedingly useful. 18 pages of them. Categories include Submerged Plants, Floating Plants, Floating Leaved Plants, Shallow Marginal Plants, Deep Marginal Plants, Moisture-loving Plants, Bog/Marsh Plants, Waterside Plats-Trees & Shrubs, Ferns, Grasses Sedges Reeds and Rushes. Botanical and Common Names are listed along with height, spread, water depth, flower color, flower period, foliage, position, comments and plant zone. It's the best I've seen in any book so far.
Book Description
*The secrets of water maintenance trade professionals are revealed in this detail-by-detail guide to keeping pools, spas, and other recreational water containment units in tip-top shape. *Offers inside-out coverage of chlorine alternatives, automation, noise control, pool-side safety, portable spas--and everything from minor maintenance to major fixes and remodeling. *A must for pool maintenance and spa technicians, this book includes environmentally friendly product resources, along with troubleshooting tips and project checklists that make caring for a pool or spa less costly.
Download Description
*The secrets of water maintenance trade professionals are revealed in this detail-by-detail guide to keeping pools, spas, and other recreational water containment units in tip-top shape. *Offers inside-out coverage of chlorine alternatives, automation, noise control, pool-side safety, portable spas--and everything from minor maintenance to major fixes and remodeling. *A must for pool maintenance and spa technicians, this book includes environmentally friendly product resources, along with troubleshooting tips and project checklists that make caring for a pool or spa less costly.
Customer Reviews:
Geek Pool Book.......2007-09-09
We bought a house with an inground pool 5 years ago. A bit of a surprise really. We had ZERO experience with pools, and knew only by rumor that we were buying something that required a LOT of care and maintenance. I hunted through bookstores for a guide I could learn from. I am a technical writer by profession, so I know a thing or two about how to present complex ideas to the innocent. Browsing through this volume I was impressed with the author's skill at getting ideas across (well structure informattion - here's the idea, heres' the basics, here's the gory details). I bought it on the strength of his organization and writing, not on the content (about which I knew zilch).
It is still in regular use 5 years later. YES, it is technical. YES, it sometimes provides way too much information for the novice. But if you have a brain and you can handle some complexity, this book is BRILLIANT. I knew nothing, and in very short order I learned what I needed for basic care. This book is a bible for pool maintenance. Over the years I've learned (from experience guided by this book) how to strip a DE filter, how to repair my Polaris pool robot, and more about water chemistry than I ever thought possible. This past summer ('07) it guided us through a plaster refinishing (pool is ~30 years old) and taught me how to restart the pool.
It IS written by a pool professional, FOR pool professionals, and even has advice on how to run a pool maintenance business (which is of zero interest to me). But if you can learn from a pro talking to other pros, this book is it.
The "Haynes" manual for pools.......2006-11-10
This book is to swimming pools what the "Haynes" car maintenance manuals are to your car. It contains all the information required to maintain your pool, even though probably someone else is going to do it for you. If you own a pool, it is worth reading the book to understand what the service technician should and shouldn't be doing, and when the pool is in need of help. It can also help you save some money by doing the work yourself. The book is entirely about maintaining a pool, not owning one. It is written in a friendly, readable style, and you can simply keep it as a reference manual to know what to do when things go wrong. If you are considering installing a pool or spa, this book will show you what you are letting yourself in for. If there is one omission in the text it is that the author ignores electric pool cleaning robots, though they are probably the most effective way of keeping the pool clean.
Save your Money.......2006-04-24
This book was a wasste of time and money. The book focuses more on being a pool professional then the actual "how-to" a pool owner needs to work on their pool. It has more information on changing a light fixtures and on bilking wealthy Malibu folks out of cash then actual useful information.
After reading this (useless!) book I went to my local library and reearched several books on the subject, there is a title called "What color is your pool?" That has lots of information for the first time pool owner. There may be other more technical guides our there, but this book has few drawings and illustrations, poor writing, and ultimately is lacking in adequate information.
Trust me...SAVE YOUR MONEY!
Helpful Tool.......2005-08-26
This book is a helpful tool for any pool owner or someone interested in having a pool.
NOT the best book to buy........2005-05-15
This is my first Amazon review, but I feel compelled to share this experience with others.
This book as said to be for the professional and the novice. It was said to contain all the information one could possibly need. It was suggested that you could take what you want from the weighty tome, and leave the rest. In reality the book is clearly NOT written for a new pool owner. In fact, its not written for an experience pool owner. The book was written for a pool repairman. Moreover, it does not contain the practicle information a pool professoinal would require to steer clients toward pool products.
Which cleaner should you get- Vacume or pressure driven? No answer here. What about a heating- Solar, oil, gas? No advice, no direction....
In fact, the book reads more like the diary of a pool man. About how one manufacurer was driven out of business by refusing to compromise quality, or how he cared for the pool of come Malibu celebrity.
Having recently purchased a home with an in-ground pool, I have read three books so far, and gotten quite and education. This book however failed in almost every regard. Finnally, the book deliniates ways of making money of customers as a pool professional. Information I simply have no use for.
Lastly, it bears mentioning that there is a quote on the book jacket from another Amazon reviewer "If you want to buy one book on swimming pools this is it!" Why not a quote from a noted pool authority or publication? Why quote some anonymous amzazon.com user like you or me? Most likely because there were no favorable reviews from newspapers or magazines.
This book was more then a waste of 30 dollars. It was also a waste of time. Unless you need to know how to change things like light fixtures in to pool. The book is not awful, so I gave it 2 stars, but I urge you to look elsewhere.
Customer Reviews:
very cute, corny... but cute.......2007-05-19
I work in a small cubical and wanted something inexpensive and small to fiddle with, this fit the bill.
Granted, there are hardly any pebbles and mine even leaks a little... but I bought 3 mini kits (all different) for $5.00 at a local book store.
It does what I wanted and pretty much expected it to do; put a little smile on my face when I deal with customers on the phone all day. For basically $1.66, it's worth it to me.
I wouldn't buy it at the asking price on here, but if you find one at a clearance price like I did, I'd say go for it!
High 'Giggle Factor ' leaves you all wet!!.......2004-01-22
I am a Book Store groupie, someone point me to the self help group please. As I was checking out one day and I saw all these cutey patutey little mini whatevers while standing in line. All kinds mind you: mini fondue, mini budda, mini guide to fenge shui, and then I saw it the 'mini water garden kit'. I immediately had to have it.
Now, I don't know about other people, but let's be realistic; it's a counter item, last stop shopping to the check out, a fun diversion in a 2 and a half inch box. Can we say cheap scale novelty items for suckers like me!
Okay I opened it and the giggle fest began. It wasn't the 5 rocks in the heatsealed plastic baggy or the plastic container
to hold my water and rocks that sent me into crying giggling fits of laughter. The giggle fit started at the sight of the miniture hand pump to make the water gurgle and spray.............I just about wet myself giggling at my fully functional, MANUAL, mini water garden.
If nothing else you will have a good laugh and that is worth everything!
girldiver:)
Waste of money!.......2003-01-14
I have to agree with some of the other reviewers: this was a complete waste of money! Not only was it ugly (not enough stones, obtrusive cord/hand pump) but when you squeezed the fountain hand pump, the water shot right onto the table. This did not invoke tranquility!! There's no way to adjust the angle of the stream of water, either, unless you prop something under the fountain cup. And the book that comes with the fountain has so little content that you can "read" the entire thing in about 12 seconds.
Save yourself the aggravation... don't buy this! The sound of (literally) flushing your $ down the toilet would probably be more relaxing than this... and the net result is the same.
i enjoy mine customized with "gems" bought elsewhere.......2003-01-04
i read the other reviews and quite honestly did not expect much. but when i got it home it had 2 bags of rocks (much more than the 5 rocks the other reviewers received) but still not enough to cover the cup. since reading the other reviews i had not expected the cup to be full so i had previously gone out and bought a couple of "gem" rocks to put in it anyway. u are probably wondering how this works. it is not a plug or batteries. there is a small hand pump on it. it would be great if they could make it with batteries somehow but it is cute and nice to have around the office in small spaces.
complete waste of money.......2003-01-01
The mini water garden kit is definately not what the back of the box said it was. It looks alot better on the box and it certainly doesn't make relaxing water sounds, and I would never take it to work or on the road with me. The only good part about the kit is the book and you could probally get a great book for a few more bucks that is full sized, and has alot more info. Don't waste your money on this, you'll regret it!
Book Description
Inspired by a desire to design a new pool for her own Long Island backyard, Kelly Klein sought out and put together the most arresting and iconic photographs of swimming pools in all their various forms to create this unique and stunning book. The photographs are as inspiring as they are moving, revealing an incredible wealth of styles and designs in climates and cultures across the globe, and evoking the sensations of rest and nostalgia, the clarity of water and light, the coexistence of coolness and warmth, and the insinuations of sex and romance that can bring such character to a swimming pool. Included are pools in all shapes, sizes, colors, and settings, from Tangiers and Miami to the ancient magnificence of Hadrian's Villa; from Coney Island to the Côte d'Azur; from the robber baron 1880s through the prosperous 1990s, and captured by great photographers such as Lartigue, Stieglitz, Munkacsi, Weston, Mapplethorpe, and Weber. Republished in its entirety from the original first edition of 1992, including 187 photographs and a note from Esther Williams, Pools is a classic of modern design photography and an inspiration to aesthetes and creative homeowners alike.
Product Description
Creative Homeowner helps turn a dream into a reality with Pools & Spas: Ideas for Planning, Designing, and Landscaping. This book offers ideas and advice through the complete process from pool/spa selection to creating an attractive environment. Over 300 inviting color photos illustrate the many options from infinity-edge pools to indoor swim spas; from built-ins to attractive aboveground pools. Valuable advice is included on site selection, materials, financing, and more. As the crowning touch, Pools & Spas suggests ideas to create the ideal setting for the new pool or spa using decks, patios, and landscapes.
More than 300 full-color photographs convey current design ideas
Explains how to choose a pool or spa based on lifestyle as well as location
Prepares homeowners for the construction and installation process
Offers ideas for decking and landscaping around a pool or spa
Covers planning issues such as budgeting, financing, hiring a contractor, and site selection
Provides helpful advice concerning pool- and spa-related equipment
Resource Guide with most recent pool products
Comprehensive cross-referenced index and glossary with important technical terms
Softcover, 224 pages, Published 2003
Customer Reviews:
Pools and Spas.......2007-07-23
There are some good ideas and landscape ideas in this book for designing spas and pools. In the end I probably only spent 20 minutes in this book and didn't get a whole lot out of it. We spent a considerable amount of money on our pool but we live in Arizona and the landscape ideas didn't apply to this climate. Overall, lots of pretty pictures. 2 out of 5 stars.
We Borrowed Then Bought!.......2005-05-28
We also borrowed this from the library, but found we didn't want to return it. We spent hours showing each other what pictures we really liked, got great tips on thhe issues the pool owner faces and have a real idea of what we need to consider. So, since we want to use this during the planning process, we bought it!
Another Winner in Pool Books!.......2005-04-18
I borrowed this book from the library (too many pool books are not worth buying), and spent the rest of the night looking at it. Great photo examples of various types of pools that are described in detail, along with chapters on Safety, Design, Landscaping, Materials, etc... One of the best! (Same review as Pool & Spa Planner by Better Homes & Gardens, because they are both great books!)
Great info, great pictures, recommended resource.......2004-07-08
There are a lot of pretty home design books out there that have very little information tucked between the pictures. This book is full of information but also has a number of handsome photos of pools, spas, and water gardens which will give you ideas if you are planning a custom designed pool or tub. It's a great resource for someone thinking of installing these features in their backyard, and it also touches on landscaping, lighting, and even sauans.
Required reading for pool owners.......2004-04-07
Full of photographs of beautifully designed pools and spas set in various architectural environments, "Pools & Spas" is literally full of creative ideas if you are planning on adding a pool or spa to your home. However, the book does not stop with designs but also includes information on maintenance, various types of pool equipment, and even the process of installing an in ground pool. While the coverage of in ground pool installation is not detailed enough to do it yourself it does give you an idea of what is going on at the various stages so you know what to expect from your contractor.
If you are even thinking of installing a pool or spa, whether in ground, above ground, or portable, you should pick up a copy of "Pools & Spas". It includes a lot of factors that you might overlook when planning your pool and everything you need to know to take care of it correctly when it is finished.
Book Description
A practical, easy-to-understand guide to adding both still (ponds) and moving (waterfalls and streams) water features to any garden.
Includes complete, easy-to-follow instructions on designing, establishing, and caring for a variety of eye-pleasing water projects.
More than 220 vivid photographs and illustrations, plus detailed instructions, make this guide a must-have for garden enthusiasts looking to plan and build a water feature.
Expert advice on selecting the right fish and plants for embellishing any backyard aquatic paradise.
Solution-based format inspires homeowners to confidently create water havens in their own yards.
This all-new second edition provides the very best instructions for building ponds, waterfalls, and streams.
Customer Reviews:
Needs more specifics.......2007-07-13
I liked the idea pictures in this book, but ultimately the "how-to's" left me wanting for more. I didn't feel it went into enough detail of things such as, how to make the rocks look natural and how to place them on the rubber liner so they don't wash away immediately. A good idea book, though.
Major waterfalls.......2007-06-26
This was a good book if you are going big time waterfalls. I was looking for something a little bit simpler.
GREAT PURCHASE AND VERY HELPFUL.......2007-01-10
THIS IS THE BOOK YOU NEED IF YOU ARE GOING TO CONSTRUCT A WATERFALL ETC. PACKED FULL OF USEFUL INFORMATION. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Most complete and detailed book for creating Ponds and Streams.......2006-06-12
Good book. Pictures are good and the descriptions and details from the creation of Ponds, Streams and Waterfalls is the most complete of all the books that I have purchased or read. It could do a little better job of describing how to integrate a Bog Garden with a Pond. I still have questions about that.
Overall the best of the breed.
Book Description
A practical, easy-to-understand guide to adding both still (ponds) and moving (waterfalls and streams) water features to any garden.
Includes complete, easy-to-follow instructions on designing, establishing, and caring for a variety of eye-pleasing water projects.
More than 220 vivid photographs and illustrations, plus detailed instructions, make this guide a must-have for garden enthusiasts looking to plan and build a water feature.
Expert advice on selecting the right fish and plants for embellishing any backyard aquatic paradise.
Solution-based format inspires homeowners to confidently create water havens in their own yards.
With an additional 32 pages of information, this second edition provides the very best instructions for building ponds, waterfalls, and streams.
Customer Reviews:
Great Ideas.......2006-11-03
The book was great for visualizing what we wanted and to convey that to our landscape architect. It also provided good information regarding care of a pondless waterfall.
Fairly detailed.......2006-03-07
This book isnt overly long and filled with over the top water gardening items most people cant afford. The applications discussed a common and to the point. The
contenet isnt bad for a beginning pond builder but you can gather most information from the book from websites online like pondmegastore or lilypons.
Beginners & Novices go ahead.
Ortho's Building Ponds.......2005-09-07
Gives how to, how much, where and why. Probably the best pond construction book I bought.
Great Teaching Tool.......2005-05-21
Great book to learn about building water gardens. Excellent resource and I would highly recommend it.
GREAT STARTER.......2005-03-16
This book is excellent for the price and with a handyman mentallity you might be able to figure our the blind spots yourself and commence your pond.
Book Description
Water has featured prominently in garden designs for thousands of years. Its appeal to the sensesits visually compelling light and movement and soothing splashing and bubbling soundsstill attracts the imagination of gardeners worldwide. With a wealth of practical ideas and tips on water gardening, this indispensable book helps minimize the problems faced in building and maintaining a water garden, and maximizes the pleasure a well-designed water garden can give. Including design optionsfor every aesthetic, space, and budgetthis guide is not only practical but inspirational.
Customer Reviews:
Didn't live up to the reviews.......2007-08-14
This book is beautiful to look at but not really very helpful at the nuts and bolts. Its design advice is mostly in generalities, and though its building advice is pretty good, I've found more detailed information elsewhere. The discussion of plants is useful up to a point because it has lots of nice pictures, but it, too, is short on practical specifics. For example, it doesn't define "hardy" by referring to USDA hardiness zones, nor does it explain just exactly how to plant. It will say something like 'Depth: moist soil to 6",' but what does that MEAN? For step-by-step advice on building a pond, I'd recommend the Ortho book All About Garden Pools and Fountains. I wish I could recommend a better book on the plant side of water gardening, but I haven't found it yet!
Excellent reference.......2007-06-27
We recently "inherited" a small pond when we moved to a new home and this has been a great resource to maintain the pond
The first pond book you need to read.......2006-08-27
This author describes the historical aspect of ponds, the current trends of ponds and the types of plants and animals found in each type of pond. He lists problems and solutions. Very insightful. I like the ID stuff at the end listing each important plants and animals found in a pond. (He doesn't have turtles though).
Got/want a water feature? Get this book!.......2002-10-16
When my husband & I bought a house recently, it came complete with a man-made pond, stream, and waterfall.
I borrowed every book about ponds and water features from the library. They didn't own The Master Book of the Water Garden. Too bad. This is the most complete book on the subject I've come across.
To begin with, it has wonderful pictures and makes a great coffee table book, even if you're not looking for water garden information.
There are two indices: one that's general and one that's specifically for plants. Throughout the book are "Problem Solving" asides. Sometimes entire pages are dedicated to answering questions about fish, plant depth, water quality, and much more.
But I thought its strength was the amount of very specific information on the subjects it covers. Other books dealt with just ponds, or waterfalls, or wet and dry streams. This book covers all that as well as fountains, water meadows, bogs, and containers.
Discussions include bridges, decking, walkways, lighting, filters, propagating plants, & the various kinds of liners. Cleaning and maintaining the water feature is included, as well as seasonal upkeep. Designing your water garden, picking plants, choosing a location, & deciding on size are just a few of the subjects covered. And fish subjects aren't limited to just koi and goldfish.
I was most interested in how to drain and repair a leaking pond. This has been difficult information to find. Swindells even tells you what to do with the fish while you're making repairs or changes to the pond.
My only criticism is that the plant index uses the Latin names for the plants. Though it does include common names, in many instances, if you're not sure what you're looking for, a specific plant may be a bit difficult to find. I must admit that there are full color pictures of the plants in the book, though my favorite water plant, horsetails, isn't included.
This book is already well thumbed and the pages wrinkled from where they've been wet. In other words, it's useful and used.
Product Description
Home Landscaping: Texas is the latest edition in Creative Homeowner's best-selling Regional Home Landscaping series, providing easy, practical ideas to beautify outdoor environments. Starting with the 200 best plants that thrive in the region, landscape professionals from Texas created 46 outdoor design concepts. Included are easy-to-follow instructions to create the paths, fences, walls, and arbors included in the designs, as well as information on plant care and maintenance. Clearly written in a friendly style, Home Landscaping: Texas provides the insider advice to turn even a novice gardener into a landscape pro.
Over half a million copies of the Regional Home Landscaping series sold
46 creative designs developed by landscape professionals
Over 400 full-color photos and illustrations
Easy-to-follow instructions
Complete descriptions of the plants plus advice for plant care
Full cross-referenced index and glossary
Softcover, 208 pages, Published 2004
Customer Reviews:
useful.......2007-05-07
An excellent book for beginners. It features great landscape designs and a good overview of plants. Colorful illustrations, easy to read and practical. I highly recommend it.
Errors make me scared to try his plans........2007-04-05
This was one of the first landscaping books I purchased when I moved back to Texas and bought a newly constructed (read barren all but grass) house. It IS very inspirational and I always thought that it would be the first book I would reach for when I could afford to start my major landscaping project around my property. Now I'm ready to really begin planting and I've bought a few other books in the past few weeks to assist me in planning. (Other reviewers who say that you'll also need a plant guide specific to Texas are right, in my opinion. The plants the author picks may do well in Texas, but they're not necessarily natives and some will need special attention in the vastly different growing conditions throughout our great state.) I really thought the other books I purchased would supplement this one but then I sat down with all my books, pencil and graph paper, my property survey, and my local (native) nursery's plant list. I was finally making actual plans, not dreaming about it.
What do I see on page 28 as I work on plans for my front bed? A Red Oak planted 7 feet from the front window. HUH? I'll confess myself to be a novice but I'm not THAT much of a novice! Most people with a shred of common sense know that a tree that will eventually attain both a height and spread of 80 feet should not be planted anywhere near that close to your house.
Sadly, the book does not have any actual photos of the landscape designs presented, only illustrations. Lovely though they may be, they are not necessarily realistic. I'm guessing that a real picture of a Red Oak 7 feet from a home might be hard to find, since few people would be silly enough to do it. Due to my lack of faith in the plans, this book rapidly went to the bottom of the pile for my planning. Even the plant portraits he provides (the only photos in the book) could be found in better books.
Here's something interesting. If you click on the author's name above, you will see that he's produced these landscape designs for almost every region in the US. So, I'm guessing this is actually a mass-market production. I would be interested in comparing the Texas book to the others to see if there are many differences. I have a guess already. In this book, he does discuss hardiness zones but in every other Texas landscaping book I have, the actual regions of Texas are the focus. Hmmm, specifics about Texas in a book with Texas in the title. How novel.
Some books I can recommend wholeheartedly are the following (in the order I think they're useful to my paper and pencil, real, true planning):
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife LOVE LOVE LOVE it! This book does it all. I'm particularly interested in attracting birds and butterflies to my yard. This book discusses the regions of Texas and their different needs, gives you a step-by-step plan for developing your own landscape design and gives a rundown of the needs of local wildlife and instructions for completing specific projects. You will need a supplemental plant guide though because this book is not photo rich in that area. The book was poorly reviewed for having a vast plant list that was not searchable but someone from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. left a review telling how to get the searchable index by e-mail. I got it within hours of sending off a request.
Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by RegionWONDERFUL! Gives professional quality landscaping plans for each region plus other landscaping plans for specific needs like wildlife, water, etc. It also has an excellent written and photo description of the plants she uses.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas If you're not interested in the Wildlife book above, this one is another that presents a great step-by-step plan for the creation of your own landscape design. Unfortunately, it doesn't give any sample plans for you to look at like Native Texas Plants does. It does offer some useful information about wildlife and xeriscaping.
Month by Month Gardening in Texas: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas) Excellent book for the planner. Not what to plant but a calendar to tell you when. It might make you puzzle about how hard it is to find a tree or perennials at Home Depot or Lowe's in Fall and Winter but check out your local nursery that carries natives and you'll find plenty.)
Texas Gardening the Natural Way: The Complete HandbookHoward Garrett is widely recognized as an authority on Texas gardening and uses organic methods. The book has an excellent section with photos and descriptions of all kinds of plants but lacks the landscaping plans I was after. Also, they're not all natives although not everyone minds that so I included it in this list because it is a good reference.
Great landscaping guide.......2007-02-20
This book is great -- it has info on lots of local plants that really grow. I think one of the best features are the plans they have for different areas in your yard and sun exposure with excellent renderings to go with them. They even take you through the seasons so you can see how an area looks in December as well as May. Very user friendly!
very helpful, informative.......2007-01-13
Great book, especially for novice garders and those learning gardening in a new climate. Easy to use and full of good ideas.
Not Enough Texas.......2006-12-05
This is an okay general guide for beginners in home landscaping. However, it is not particular to Texas, despite its title. There are only about 30 pages devoted to plant material, and this is not covered in depth. The text makes no real attempt to help gardeners select plant material suitable to the many different soil types and environments found in Texas.
Book 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.
Customer Reviews:
what I needed to know.......2007-08-22
This book was an excellent resource for the designer looking to work with swimming pools. The ilustrated examples and artistic tips were an invauable inspiration for sparking the imagination when designing pools. Before reading this I did think of pools as slabs of concrete filled with water, but I believe this book has put far down the path of being able to design elegant swimming pools. I consider this a must read for any architectural designer.
Not a great source for landscaping ideas.......2005-08-09
Based on the description, I believed this book would be full of design ideas and photos of well-landscaped pools. It isn't. If you are looking (as I was) for examples to show a landscaper (or to do it yourself), you should look elsewhere.
Not so good.......2005-04-29
This is one of the not so good books for pools like many many others. I don't know may be it is too hard to write for pools. There are inside some pictures but nothing to catch the eye neither spectacular. THis book was suppouse to guide you how to create your own pool but I have see much better books!
So if you are going to spend money to build a pool keep on searching for another book!
Covers swimming pool decor and appropriate landscaping.......2004-03-04
Transform the swimming pool of a backyard into a Tuscan paradise with tiles and flowering plants, or create a pool with a beach-like presence filled with beach plants: that's the idea of Pool Scaping, a title which covers both swimming pool decor and appropriate landscaping around it. Pool Scaping is a lovely guide which covers the specifics of plants in a water surrounding.
Professional and to the point.......2003-10-15
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.
Books:
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
- New Complete Guide to Landscaping: Design, Plant, Build (Better Homes and Gardens(R))
- New Complete Guide to Landscaping: Design, Plant, Build (Better Homes and Gardens(R))
- North Carolina Gardener's Guide, 2nd Edition
- Orchidelirium
- Outdoor Water Features: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden
- Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home
- Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design
- Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design
Books Index
Books Home
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General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Earth Ponds Sourcebook: The Pond Owner's Manual and Resource Guide, Second Edition
Landscaping Earth Ponds: The Complete Guide
The Ponder's Bible
Earth Ponds: The Country Pond Maker's Guide to Building, Maintenance and Restoration
Poolscaping: Gardening and Landscaping Around Your Swimming Pool and Spa
