Thursday, May 22, 2014

Swimming Pool Landscaping

Over this past weekend, Mr Farmer and I finished up our landscaping around the pool area.

Before I show you pictures, I want to explain my journey in picking the unusual stepping stones.

On the way to town one day, I looked out the window and saw a huge, I do mean huge, base log pushed into the ditch. The shape was beautiful. In my head I pictured it sliced into an 8 inch thick disc and then cut in half to make a half-moon shape. Can you picture it?

Anyway, my plan was to make steps out of them to help in going down the little hill by the pool. Excitedly I told Mr Farmer my plan. I was sure he was going to be as excited as I was about my brilliant little idea and my words raced from my lips.

 And here's what I got from him. "Hmmm. Sounds weird." Not what most people say when they are excited about a brilliant plan. I tried again to get him to see my vision. And I got, "We don't need steps there. It's just a little hill." Well, obviously he's not the one with arthritis! However, he did agree to humor me and look at the beautiful stump on our way home. He might even slow down a bit in order to see it. I was winning him over. Can you tell?

Well, we drove by it and he agreed with me that it was a beautiful stump. But he didn't agree that we could stop and ask about it or even use the idea. It just wasn't necessary.

Now, I will let you in on the inner workings of our marriage. Usually Mr Farmer is right about everything. It's really quite annoying. He thinks and contemplates and plans. I'm the dreamer that jumps into things before thinking them all the way through. Knowing this, I typically share my ideas and count on him to make them work or listen to him when he says no. Typically. Except when large stumps are involved. Or decorating.

So, I decided I was going to have half-moon stump discs for steps by my pool. The next day I headed to the Amish saw mill. From our discussion of my "crazy idea", I knew I needed a hard wood so that it would last a few years. As we pulled into the lot, I ogled the large logs piled high on either side of the drive. I preferred the ones with a "fluted or frilly" end. I thought they would give an interesting look to the steps. One of the boys was outside and listened to what I needed. He took me out back to the scrap pile. I explained further that I needed hardwood. On to another scrap pile. Then, I saw it. A huge log with a rotten center. I asked about it and he said it was oak. Hardwood-check. However, the outer edge was just round. No fluting or prettiness. But beggars can't be choosers so I asked him to cut me a couple. We decided to only cut halfway through to the center rotten part.

I headed home with my new steps. And an extra hedge log I found. I showed Mr Farmer when he got home from work. He still showed no excitement, but did agree they were pretty.

Anyway, this is what we ended up doing. And I still don't have any steps.







I had to make another trip for more pieces. Then, I sanded them smoother for wet little bare feet. But I left a bit of roughness so they wouldn't be slippery. I still need to seal them. It turned out so pretty! I'm always looking for something different and cheap. All together, this project cost us about $75. Of course, we had the edging bricks, plastic, and rocks already or it would have been just over a hundred. Still, it's a pretty good price for such a large area of landscaping.

Even though I didn't get my pretty outer edge, the inner edges where it had rotted away, made an extremely unique and pretty design.


And here is the extra log I brought home. I just loved the wavy design on it. It's kind of hard to see the design, but it goes along the entire length of the log and reminded me of water. Fitting for near the pool.


12 comments:

  1. (having major issues with Chrome this week so if this hits twice, I'm sorry.) We've been wanting to build a deck around our pool like yours but, so far, haven't found the time to even finish the plans for it. Yours looks great!

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    1. We did it in stages- this is year 3! First, we just did the main part so we could at least use the pool. Second, we built the wing decks and railing/fence. And finally the landscaping this year. We live out in the country but the big city insurance company wanted a fence, but it blocked the view of the pond, so we designed our own and they seem satisfied. Funny, we don't have to fence the pond. Just the pool in case some toddler walks miles from home, no one notices, and he decides to climb up into the pool. :)

      I only wanted an above ground pool if we could build it into the side of a hill.

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  2. Cute, I love your originality. Mr. Farmer must have saw that in you. I know he is all about the cost.., Glad you are blogging AGAIN. Have A great weekend

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    1. I AM one of a kind, that's for sure! But I'm not cheap! Oh, I bet you were talking about the landscaping. :) Have a great one, too. Sorry you have to deal with "company".

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  3. I LOVE those stepping "stones!" I have seen something like that all over Pinterest, and I really want to do that, but I really have no where for a path to even think of existing.

    I'm married to a planner and thinker as well... Sometimes he really puts a damper on my big dreaming, but usually my dreams end up better than ever because of his planning.

    Looks awesome!

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    1. Thanks, Ashlee! And yes, my dreams almost always turn out better when I slow down and trust him to think it through. He comes up with some pretty cool ideas, too, and we collaborate really well.

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  4. Really nice! I see your vision and I love it. We don't have a pool, not really worth it with the short summer, but we do have a nice pond. I personally am not a pond swimmer as can't stand the thought of little things nibbling at me. But it has a pier and fish and is spring fed and big enough to paddle around in a boat. Eons ago it supplied ice for the ice house and ice boxes. Nowadays we just skate on the ice.

    I am stealing your idea of the "rotted" wood steps, BTW. We have some grassy slopes that are easy for others to navigate but I can't. But a gradual step down would be great.

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    1. You are welcome to the idea. I'm sure I'm not the only one to come up with it.

      A spring-fed pond would be so nice. It 's cool to think about the old ice houses.

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  5. I am always amazed at the creative stuff you come up with Langela. You are truly an artist.

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    1. If I don't get creative, Gordon, I probably won't get anything done. I have to come up with creative (cheap) ways to do something so I can get so many things done. Otherwise, I might have to go to work to support my habit. And we can't have that! :)

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  6. I am loving your landscaped area of the pool! Those sliced Oak rounds are fabulous and if you look very carefully you can see Santa in them!! lol I swear I haven't been drinking, but when I looked at the close of the moon rounds, I can see Santa. I see his face and his hat. This turned out beautiful even if you didn't get your steps. I also love the long log and you are right, the wavy design in it looks like water so it goes very well at the pool area.

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    1. Thanks! I wish the photo of the log had come out better.

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