Softcover, 224 pages, Published 2003
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.
Amazon.com
There are countless books about lifestyles that are inaccessible, either because they are engulfed by abstract ideas or are set in palaces, real or imagined. The Outdoor Living Room: Stylish Ideas for Porches, Patios, and Pools is a rare exception: gorgeous photographs of beautiful outdoor spaces that are accessible, or at least seem to be. Split up into sections that can appeal to anyone-"Modern," "Classic," "In Town," "Romantic," or "Whimsical"--this book can move even the most hardened city dweller, or bring dreamers out of their country homes. The book has a distinct magazine-like flavor, but the rigor of the photographic summation of elements in each section offsets this. The text is uninspiring, usually describing the photographs or making vague generalizations, but no matter, because the photographs are what this book is all about. They are beautiful and plentiful, whetting the appetite for sunny days in our own "outdoor living rooms." --Juliette Cezzar
Book Description
In the summer months and year-round in warmer climates, Americans love spending time outdoors. More and more, people are treating the outdoor spaces on their properties as true extensions of their homes, turning porches, pools, patios, decks, and gardens into outdoor living spaces that serve the same functions as indoor rooms.
In The Outdoor Living Room:
Stylish Ideas for Porches, Patios, and Pools, acclaimed author Martha Baker offers more than forty-five striking examples of this enlightened approach to outdoor decorating.
The Outdoor Living Room is divided into six chapters, each representing a specific type of outdoor style: Classic, Rustic, Romantic, Modern, Whimsical, and In Town. Six or seven different locations are featured in every chapter, each contributing a different idea or novel aspect of the same style. A multipaged “Components” section appears at the end of each chapter focusing on important elements of outdoor decorating, such as paving and lighting, followed by a heavily illustrated “Ideas” spread with tips on achieving a particular look. None of the magnificent spaces in this book has ever been published before; they range from a Southeast Asian–inspired tropical garden in Florida to a Japanese tea garden atop a New York City roof, from a grand wraparound porch on a classic home facing Lake Michigan to a thoroughly modern all-white patio near Miami.
The Outdoor Living Room also includes an extensive resource section, illustrating and describing garden furniture, architectural and landscape elements, and decorative items. Packed with more than 350 full-color photographs,
The Outdoor Living Room is at once a practical sourcebook and an inspirational delight.
Book Description
Clean, healthful, sparkling water - that's what a backyard swimming pool is all about. Professional pool maintenance crews can keep a swimming pool clean and its water crystal clear, but they cost a small fortune. Yet many pool owners who try the do-it-yourself approach find themselves plagued by a host of troubles. Cloudy water. Algae sprouting on the pool's walls and bottom. Pumps, pipes, and other equipment that corrode and deteriorate at an alarming rate. Funky odors.
That's where WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING POOL? steps in. This classic time-tested resource for pool owners is back in a completely rewritten edition and with a new author. Alan E. Sanderfoot has updated the text to spotlight the latest swimming pool technology and has greatly expanded the range of information about hot tubs and spas.
This easy-to-use, easy-to-understand resource teaches pool owners everything they need to know about keeping a pool or spa beautiful and healthful. Sanderfoot starts with basics: water treatment and filtration systems. Then he moves on to the nitty gritty of how to select and care for filters, pumps, motors, and heaters. He explains the best way to clean a pool, how to make minor repairs yourself, and what to look for in pool covers and such pool accessories as automatic water monitors.
You'll find step-by-step directions for winterizing a pool, and for opening it up again in the spring. There is even a chapter on inexpensive things the owner can do to give the pool a face-lift. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR SWIMMING POOL? demonstrates how a little investment of time throughout the swimming pool season can prevent major problems and expenses down the road.
Customer Reviews:
Good advice for pool maintenance.......2007-09-15
This book quickly answered some vexing questions I have had for some time concerning the correction of imbalances in my pool water. It clearly explains what steps are needed to put things right. Good value for money!
Basic but good.......2007-08-16
Middle of the road. I preferred the Ultimate pool guide, but as a newcomer to pools this book also helped me understand a lot.
Layman's Guide.......2005-08-11
This book was written in layman's terms. Everything was explained in easy to follow step by step directions. I feel much more in control of my pool after reading this book. I will definitely keep it around as a reference book.
Good Introduction To Pool And Spa Maintenance.......2005-07-16
I own a home with a large spa in the basement. When I purchased the home, the spa was not filled with water, and since I had no experience maintaining pools or spas, I read this book to give me some general operating tips. Although the book is not written to explain details concerning all complex pool and spa maintenance procedures, it is an excellent introduction for the novice pool or spa owner.
It is true that the author sometimes refers the reader to a trained pool professional, but I think that is appropriate given the range of possible complications. He also recommends getting a periodic professional water analysis (most pool shops will do this free or at very reasonable cost) as the chemical sticks are good for only fairly basic information. One of the strengths of the book is the explanation of the basic applied chemistry involved in pool maintenance.
After reading this book and getting a water analysis, I have been confidently enjoying the hot tub. Overall, I recommend this book for all pool and spa owners, especially novices. People with a lot of experience with pools may desire a more advanced text, but I think this one works great for probably 99 percent of the pool and spa owners out there.
A fine homeowner's guide to maintaining a trouble-free pool.......2004-03-10
This updated third edition provides a fine homeowner's guide to maintaining a trouble-free pool, spa or hot tub. The updated edition has been completely revised and covers everything from water safety and treatment options to solar heating. Spas and hot tubs are also included in this edition, making it an excellent, practical owner's guide.
Book Description
Swimming pools aren't what they used to be. No longer just rectangular blue holes surrounded by concrete aprons, today's pools come in myriad shapes and sizes - from square wading pools, long lap pools, round spas, and teardrop-shaped jet pools to elaborate naturalistic pools complete with boulders, vanishing edges, waterfalls and lush landscaping. Pool houses, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and patios for entertaining may accompany them. The Pool Idea Book showcases the latest innovations in pool and spa design; offers creative design ideas for decks, outbuildings, and landscaping; and addresses practical issues such as screening, security, and storage. It includes chapters on pool design, pool surrounds, landscaping, outdoor rooms and structures, and enclosures. This visual handbook features many color photographs and illustrations, and dozens of useful sidebars to help homeowners design the ultimate pool for any lifestyle or budget.
Customer Reviews:
Zillions of Pictures.......2007-06-08
This is a great book for pool ideas. It contains ideas for just about every kind of pool and there are lots (350, at least) of photographs. This is just what I was looking for since we are planning to put a pool in our yard and it's a blank slate. This books is great for those without a lot of imagination, like me.
More pictures than you can shake a stick at!.......2006-05-02
I looked through lots of pool idea books in my local book store and none of them had as many pictures as this book. There are a few pages of text in each chapter, but the bulk of this book is 4 (or so) pictures per page which is exactly what I wanted in an idea book. I recommend highly.
Excellent Buy.......2004-06-15
This book has a great variety of pool designs from contemporary to rustic designs. Fabulous book with alot of great pictures.
Book Description
By bringing what H. Marc Cathey, president of the American Horticultural Society, has called "a new wave of naturalism" to America, James van Sweden and his partner, Wolfgang Oehme, have revolutionized American landscape design. Van Sweden and Oehme are internationally renowned for their public projects and private commissions: responsible for the Hudson River Park in New York City and several gardens of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., they have landscaped the properties of celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey and David Brinkley, as well as many more modest gardens for private homeowners.
According to van Sweden, no garden is too small to benefit from the soothing, sensuous qualities of water. Gardening with Water, the first in a new series of books to be written by van Sweden, covers everything from birdbaths and small fountains to waterfalls, swimming pools, lily pools, and water edges. Writing for professional and nonprofessional gardeners alike, van Sweden begins with an overview of influences -- from Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" to palace gardens in Kyoto, Japan -- before surveying close to a hundred of his own projects to illustrate how he and Wolfgang Oehme introduce water into their garden designs. Several chapters are devoted to practical questions: what to plant, where to plant, whom to contact, and how to build. Clear instructions are supplemented with numerous illustrations, extensive diagrams, and a detailed glossary of trees, plants, and flowers (including Oehme and van Sweden's trademark grasses).
Product Description
This clearly written guide introduces the challenges and techniques involved in Swimming Pool construction. An illustrated guide to pool construction. Planning and Layout - The Swimming Pool Contractor - Responsible Parties Scheduling - Pool Activity List Surveying - Setting Survey Stakes - Layout Position Earthwork - Soil Classification - Masonry Retaining Walls Piping - Piping Guidelines - Plastic Pipe - Valving Forming Reinforcement - Reinforcement - Placing Steel Concrete - Foundations - Concrete Materials - Checklist for Concrete Pool Finishing - Plastering - Vinyl Pools - Fiberglass Pools Deck Finishing - Pool Decks Mechanical - Pumps - Heating the Pool - Filters Electrical - Electrical Connections - Underwater Lights - Bonding Pool Accessories - Fence Requirements - Specs for Masonry Fences - Diving Boards - Slides - Ladders Pool Failures Includes a CD-ROM that contains the full book, PLUS an exclusive collection of more than 25 Different Swimming Pool Construction Details.
Customer Reviews:
Ok, if your in CA.......2006-09-18
The title of the book should be called then "CA Contrators Guide to Swimming Pool Construction". It didn't seem to me to be much more that an overview of what you would be getting yourself into if you decided to go after a C-53 California Swimming Pool Contrator's License.
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General
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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
