Backyard Rehab: Pool Garden in Encinitas

SUMMARY:  I added a big splash of color to this pool backyard, helping to soften the dominating hardscape by adding more plant life. Now, the backyard provides two distinct areas for dining and relaxing as well as a touch of nature that is easy to maintain and doesn’t require a lot of water.

BEFORE: The old layout wasn’t bad, but the space felt too in-distinct.  The pavement was worn out and tired, and the plant palette demanded too much water.

WANTED: The homeowners were looking for a bit more pizzazz for their back garden and requested a sustainable make-over with more colorful plants and pleasing materials for the paved areas.

The outdoor relaxation area was created using sand stone pavers with gravel inter-spaces. In order to underline the casual character of the outdoor relaxation area under the shade structure, the sand stone pavers were snapped instead of cut which adds a wavy, less defined line to its edges.

With water conservation and low maintenance in mind, I placed pea gravel to fill the spaces between the stones instead of a green groundcover.

A pink Cecile Brunner climbing rose hugs the shade trellis posts; drought tolerant blue Lavender and blueish Senecio, a slow-growing clean and tidy succulent groundcover, connect with other highlights in blue, the owner’s favorite color, tying the whole backyard harmoniously together.

Since both homeowners have busy lives, the shaded terrace is a favorite spot for relaxing and refreshing. To increase its restful atmosphere, I placed an urn fountain atop a hidden reservoir from which the water is pumped back into the urn.

For night time relaxation, low-voltage accent lights were installed to illuminate the fountain, plantings and stone.