Pool House

Pool House in Long Island

Category: Swimming Pools & Natural Ponds

Garden Design Project: NSPJCL001

This Pool House project was designed to have a series of 'outdoor rooms': 1. the front yard consisting of the driveway, surrounded by deer proof plantings, 2. the pool garden (now with the pool house), 3. the main lawn and surrounding plantings and 4. the tennis/basketball court combination. The property in East Hampton, Long Island, New York, USA was originally a marl quarry which had been dug out to a depth of approx. 40' below original grade. It had some serious drainage issues caused by the poor percolation rate of the marl. The property had to be 'tamed' (soil treatments and drainage) before we could grow a beautifully planted garden.

The entrance into the property, the client�s expanded the house to include a garage with bedrooms above. We used evergreens to try to screen the view to the garage as much as possible. The knee high dry stone Pennsylvania wall stone walls with lighting fixtures, announce the property�s entrance in an elegant manner.

To achieve an elegant and simple entrance to the home this circular drive with a Copper Beech at it's center, a River's Birch to left and Aristocrat Pear tree help to 'anchor' the structure into the landscape and brings it's colorful foundation plantings (deer proof) to light.

Originally, this was the 'swimming pool room' which was located next to the basketball/tennis court and enclosed (for safety reasons by fencing, gates and Arborvitae hedging). Use of the Arborvitae as a hedge provides the �walls� of the outdoor room. The light colored Misty Rose paving is cooler on the feet than a darker colored paving would be.

The new view of the pool house taken from the house, along the pool�s axis, shows how the Pear trees that flank the pool house help it to 'sit down' into the landscape. The Arborvitae hedges were transplanted further away from the pool paving which allowed greater breathing room and a space for a lawn.

Wisteria vines begin their ascent up the arbor and their destiny, to provide shade protection for people in the pool house from the sun.

This view from under the Wisteria covered arbor at the pool house, focuses on the new 'swimming pool room' created by a line of Smaragd Arborvitae and bordered by Hydrangea 'Sister Theresa' (white shrub Hydrangea), Chelone Lyoni (purple Turtlehead) and Hosta 'Francee' (variegated Funkia). This area has one of the lowest elevations on the property and it became a challenge with regard to excavation for the pool and required a seriously organized drainage system for the plantings to be able to survive and thrive.

The planting detail in the rear yard, showing the edging for the children's play area. The plantings consist in the foreground of: Lythrum (purple Loosestrife), Lysimachia (white Goose neck), Hosta 'Francee' (variegated Funkia), Miscanthus Sinensis (Maiden grass) and Buddleia (Butterfly Bush). In the background: Cornus kousa (Korean Dogwood) Pinus Strobus (Eastern White Pine) and Prunus laurocerasus 'Shcipkaensis' (Skip Cherry Laurel), Hemerocallis 'Stella D'Oro' (yellow daylily).

Nestled among the vegetation the pool house sits snugly in its outdoor room on axis with the center line of the swimming pool. From a distance, the pool house beckons one to explore inside its shady interior. There are some boulders (one's that were dug out of the property) among the plants, to offer Plants include: Pyrus 'Aristocrat' (Aristocrat Pear), Wisteria sinensis (Wisteria vine), Hydrangea P.G. (tree form P.G. Hydrangeas), Lythrum (purple Loosestrife), Hosta 'Francee', Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' (Emerald green Arborvitae), Iris 'Caeasar�s Brother' (purple flowered Iris).

This view of the rear lawn area encompasses the children's play area and hillside gardens. The surrounding natural vegetation was enhanced with the planting of Pinus Strobus (Eastern White Pine) which provided a vegetated cover of what were the slopes of a quarry.

The planting detail next to the house deck shows the following plants: Hydrangea P.G. (white tree Hydrangea) Hydrangea 'Sister Theresa' (white shrub Hydrangea), Hosta 'Francee' (variegated Funkia), Geranium x 'Rosanne', Iris 'Caeasar�s Brother' (purple flowered Iris) will provide color and interest throughout the summer season which is the season when the client's use the house the most.

Six years after the project's inception, the owners requested a more 'open' feel for the rear lawn to the pool and pool house entrance. This was achieved by the removal of one Arborvitae 'wall' and the associated border plantings. Then the construction of a step (Misty Rose) with inset lighting along the length of the intersection of the pool garden and the lawn. In the distance is the children's play area, in between are flower beds of Phlox (purple and white Phlox), Lythrum, (purple Lossestrife), Hosta 'Francee' (variegated Funkia), Iris 'Caesar's Brother' (purple flowered Iris) and some boulders.

Submitted By: John Cowen A.S.L.A.
Website: www.jcowenlandscape.com

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