Hi.I have a cement swimming pool ( the kind that uses a liner ). The kids are grown and I can't bare to completely part with it. My idea is to modify it so that it can become a sunken garden; perhaps with a small pool at the bottom and a waterfall at the far end. I don't know what would be needed to have the walls covered with plants so that it is 'natural' looking. Has anyone seen this done? I envision a bench or two at the bottom near the small pool and waterfall. I would appreciate ideas on how to make this possible. Thanks in advance. Micki
Well Micki it seems to be doable but the question is HOW? http://wairarapa.co.nz/times-age/weekly/baths.html and yet another quote "The back of the Barrens garden is much more sheltered. They have transformed an old swimming pool into a sunken garden. It’s a marvellous idea….. " Came across this one and they mention drainage. I would think that would need to be a first consideration. I take it the pool drains some how. If so the following may help http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gardening/article/0,1785,HGTV_3546_1377720,00.html Liz
My first question would be "where"? Where are you located? Aroid growers often build what is called a "wet wall". You can find instructions on the internet on how to construct one. Basically, some sort of wire is used to hold sphagnum moss which is packed between the wire and the back. The sphagnum is kept damp at all times by a small pump which pumps water into a set of pipes at the top. The water then runs down through the moss and keeps it damp at all times. Many plants, especially tropical species, will climb this "wet wall" and grow so dense you can no longer see the wire or moss. But if you're not in a tropical climate, or at least semi-tropical, I'm not sure what might grow well on such a wall. Perhaps others can make suggestions. If you look up a site called Bryan's Botanicals I believe he has instructions on his site on how he accomplished this in Kentucky. But Bryan grows tropical species in a large greenhouse.
Hi Liz and Photopro Thank you both for the reply..both helpful but still a long way from figuring it all out. It would be better if I took a picture but ... anyway the pool has a cement bottom that gently slopes for the first 20ft or then forms a bowl shape for the last 20ft. It is 20ft wide.It has cement sides which are slabs put together on which a vinyl liner is normally used. It was removed. In the shallow end it is 4 ft and the deepest part is 8ft. It is basically a rectangle with rounded edges and 'swim out steps' The weather here is zone 5-6, a coastal rainforest. I would like to plant perenials growing up the sides (hiding the cement) and either a waterfall over the entire end, or part of it and the rest with plants growing on and up it. I hope you can envision this. I was wondering about putting something into it on a slant to the top on all sides on which soil could be then be put ( gravel??) and plants growing on that. However, how to stabilize it is a question. I am sure it can be done and has the potential for beauty. Many minds are a great help. All responses much appreciated. Micki
I was not able to find instructions or a mention of a sunken garden or pool in Brian's Botanicals. Any ideas? Micki
Don't look for a sunken garden. Look for a "wet wall". Bryan recently wrote a short piece on the aroid board Aroid l regarding what he is now building. As for plants in Zone 5-6, I'm the wrong person to offer any advice. We live in NW Arkansas which is Zone 7 but my wife grows most of the plants outdoors. I'm the "aroid nut" and grow hundreds of rarer species under glass (actually Lexan). Don't know of many that would tolerate the temps of Zone 5-6 so you'll need to ask others if they can suggest plants that would climb and survive in a "wet wall" in your zone. They are relatively easy to build according to Bryan's information.
Thanks again photopro. Not sure what I am doing wrong but still can't find the article. I will keep looking and thinking! M
Appears he took the link down. I found it in my files. Brian was building one and described his progress on Aroid l. This guy is French but his English is relatively easy to understand. He explains how he built his wet wall: http://www.cloudjungle.com/EpiphyteWall/ The technique would have to be modified for a large surface but many aroid growers use this technique as do many botanical gardens. One of the finest I've ever seen was done simply with chicken wire and a large quantify of sphagnum moss. A pump simply recirculates the water from a reservoir at the bottom to the top of the moss and keeps it constantly wet. Plants that love to climb (epiphytes) such as philodendrons, anthuriums and others love this kind of growing surface. But I have zero idea what plants to recommend in a Zone 5-6 setting. several copanies o the net sell sphagnum moss in bulk quantity. The photos will give you an idea of how it works.
Are you able to grow some plants from the top edge down. We had a huge rockery wall to hold a bank back in my childhood home. In a way it was like a sunken garden at one end of the lawn. Dad used rockery plants and conifer/spruce types that grew low over cliffs. There was also the "Virginia creeper" red leaves in autumn that grew with gay abandon around the wall. From the bottom up you might be able to build planter boxes and put maybe some topiary type things in. (fun to create) An interesting ground cover such as a gravel (unsure what would be suitable). The water wall as described in the French article at the far end using local plants that might grow in that manner along a stream in the wild. Also you could try painting the cement a very dramatic background colour for the plants. Maybe render it first so it has an adobe quality. Then match pots garden furniture etc to the colour scheme. A mirror can also be used with great effect to create a window into the next space. Use an old slated garden gate with an oblong cut out near the top. Hitch a mirror behind it and it should reflect your garden but looks like a further part of it. Bit like a trompe l'oeil (sp). http://www.cuminitrompeloeil.com/uk_photos.htm May be an artistic person could even paint a pretend background on the concrete......... I need to stop.....I wish you could get pics..... Liz
Hi again photopro. Thank you so much for your patience.I loved the photos of the 'wall'...wow I might try that indoors sometime in the future. It is helpful in continuing the thought process for what I want to do. I would need to use at least a foot or so of soil and likely a mulch for even hardy plants to survive on a 'wall' up here. Our weather is not continuously cold in the winter which makes it more difficult for plants to survive. thanks again m
Hi Liz. Thanks for the fantastic link.....wish I had the talent to paint like that. I like your idea for painting the cement. Interesting that you should mention Virginia Creeper because I have a large one growing on a fence near the pool. Several vines are creeping along the brick near the pool and I was thinking of having them continue to hang over the wall/side of the pool. It is hardy here and I think it would be effective on the one side.........in the summer. That still leaves the other sides and part of the 'creeper' wall. I wonder what other plant, if any, would act like the creeper. A mirror is a great idea! It would likely need to be somewhat sheltered in summer and taken in during the winter.........we get a lot of precipitation........being in a rainforest. When you have time I would love to hear other ideas you might have. Thanks again...happy gardening. Micki
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/20..._the_gum_trees/around_the_home/garden_mirrors Have a look at this this gives instructions to seal it against weather. Have a look at some of their other ideas you never know one of their renovations may have something you can use. They do a lot of simple water features including water walls in the Backyard blitz section. If ivy is not an a problem plant it will stick to cement walls like the creeper. I am sure others will know some with suckers so they can cling. Or alternativley you could string guide wires for something like a grape, or the ornamental grape or wisteria or ......what ever is a suitable climbing thing for your area. You sound as tho you have a similar rainforest climate to the one here. Cool temperate????? I grow a great Monsteria outdoors propped up on the same wood shed as the ivy. Maybe some plants with big leaves for pots. Have a look in your nurseries and see what is around. Liz
Hi Liz thanks again. I like this site interesting. We likely get much colder winter weather than you...-18 C but generally around -2. Also thaws and rains at times...summer is generally 18-26 C can be higher and lower...always fairly high precipitation ( thus the 'rainforest" this year is particularly cold an rainy...am checking between my toes for webs..as in 'duck' .Ivy will grow here but not wisteria (winter kill) ..not sure about ornamental grape. The pool area is in the south area of the yard.. with a large flat field behind the lawn area. ( on 4 acres) ..lots of sun but little shelter although the whole property is surrounded by tall pine, hemlock and cedars trees as well as some birch and willow etc. The mountains are visible to one side...snowcapped still and very beautiful. I think of Australia as hot..it is your winter though. Thanks again...look forward to your suggestions as well as others. Micki
How good is the drainage? If you have heavy rainfall you could find water collecting in the bottom and waterlogging plants growing there. Possibly break up the bottom of the pool to let the water out - introduce some large boulders to break up the regular shape etc. In fact use the original pool as you would use a natural depression in the ground , but disguise the man-made appearance with natural materials,climbing plants or anything else you can think of. Of course if you want to be able to restore the garden as a swimming pool in the future you cannot do this. Malcolm
Hi Malcolm197 Thank you for the response. I want to be able to use the deep 'bowl' at the end of the pool as a small pond and make something that will circulate the water up to nearly the top of the pool and then 'waterfall' across and down the far end. I would thus leave room for the water level to rise and fall but would need to pump some out occasionally if it rained too much. I was thinking about making some kind of ?retaining wall....a foot or so high to keep the soil on the rest of the pool bottom from sloughing into the pond. I don't know if that can be done in a way that would preserve the integrity of the pool for the possibility of conversion back to a swimming pool. That would be a bonus. Perhaps I would need to figure out a way for the soil in the higher part to drain if a retaining wall is put in. I wonder about having two retaining walls....a few feet apart with the upper draining into the lower and the lower having bog type plants? So much to think about. It is a good thing I am taking this year to plan and hopefully next year to begin the work. Micki
I guess it depends on the size(area),shape and depth of the pool. If the area is big enough it might be nice to have a gentle sloping zig-zag stream from the top where you lift the water - you can plant candelabra primulas and other boggy plants on the banks of your artificial stream - and you can have one of those hard plastic preformed fish pond thingies to make your bottom pond. What you will need to watch though I think if you are going to keep the integrity of your swimming pool is that you have enough support for the various levels of hard landscaping to stop the whole lot gently subsiding into the bottom lowest level. I would get some sort of advice from a soil engineer or experienced landscaper as to how you to make the whole thing stable. The worry I have is that you have a smooth bottom to your pool which when wet could act as a "slide". I think it is a very exciting idea - oh to have such a feature in my garden ( or even enough space to put one!!!). Malcolm
Hi. Well it has been a long time and I still have not done anything to the pool except remove the diving board and slide. REALLY this is just too long! I must make a decision about what I am going to do. Sigh...still open to ideas and ready to drastically modify my expectations/plans! We have 2 feet of snow!
This may have been stated already?.....In-ground pools in Canada require water in them during the winter to balance the pressure exerted by the frozen soil. Without it, the walls will collapse into the pool in short order. Of lesser concern, soil creep and hydraulic pressure exerted by a high water table (in fall & spring generally) that will still deteriorate the pool walls over time. The pool walls were not constructed with the same features as a retaining wall would be, it's just a concrete veneer. You will also have to deal with excess precitpation which in your locale, will almost surely exceed the evaporation rate. Simon
well here I am again. The pool has remained virtually empty except for the deep bowl which is often pumped out after the rains. The walls and bottom are still viable which is astounding because I am aware that the pool is supposed to always be 2/3 full of water or more. We do get a lot of rain year round but my soil is very sandy to a great depth. anyway, this year the grandkids and I decided to just use the bottom bowl as a gold fish pond for the summer....then one of the grandkids decided to surprise me by adding about a thousand tiny tadpoles....which led to the necessity of adding leaves etc to the water. Well amazingly most of the tiny fish survived and the tadpoles growing into tiny frogs captured everyone's attention for weeks/months. As the frogs get ready to leave the water some are placed in my flower beds but most are transplanted back to the wild. Not exactly what I had in mind and certainly not beautiful but terrifically educational and fascinating!
It often seems that the unplanned is the most exciting and interesting! Hope that the frogs keep the slugs down and your grandkids continue to show such enthusiasm for nature. Thanks for the update. Margaret
