Truthfully, all that landscaping makes it hard to leave because of the chores that wait for us when we get back. Lots of work. But we do it together and that makes it fun.

Ouch...didn't think of that! It would do me in I'm afraid. Or I would need to hire a gardener. Y'all are doing a fantastic job with it though! Looks like it was born that way...

Showoff!

Very nice looking spot, Anonapersona!

Ba da da da da, I'm Lovin' It!

Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!

very very nice!
How does the veg handle the winter? Last winter was a rough one....

Last winter was rough. The pool is no big deal, it has freeze protection on the Aqualink system and so it runs when the temperatures hit some mark. I just tend the chemicals and keep the skimmers clean.

The plants, however, were another issue altogether! We were slow to drag out sheets and Xmas lights and so a lot of things went uncovered. The cardboard palms (look like sago palms with big fat blades) and the humming bird bushes, the Ixora, and the Angel's trumpet died to the ground, but came back from the roots ever so slowly, just as we were about to dig them up. We lost several hibiscus. We lost half the small palms, Robelini?, the only ones that made it were the ones that had Xmas lights up the trunk and over the crown. The other palms were fine, the Mexican fan palms, and the sagos were unharmed, amazingly.

This year, I have purchased freeze protection cloth in a 125' x 6' roll with the idea that as it gets cooler, I will measure and sew up some sacks to cover certain plants totally. In a pinch, I could just drape and tuck, but sewing would be more secure.

I tend to go to the Master Gardener's plant sales at the Agricultural Service locations, and the Mercer Arboretum plant sales, and the local garden club plant sales so I end up with too many interesting but tender items. And I am careless when the weather is adverse, slow to notice lack of water and slow to tend to covering plants in freezes, so I lose a lot that way. I have yet to discover how to have a lovely and low maintenance and colorful garden. Those 3 are mutually exclusive I think.

anonapersona writes: "I have yet to discover how to have a lovely and low maintenance and colorful garden."


Plastic and silk.

Beautiful tropical paradise there in your backyard. Hope you got your freeze protection in place for this winter storm blowing through now. Looks like you have a nice pygmy palm there, hope it's protected with the freeze cloth. You may want to put plastic over that as the greenhouse effect from the freeze cloth alone may not be enough. Just make sure the plastic is not placed directly on the plants without an intermediate layer. That's what I have done with our newly planted pygmy this time around. It got burned by the last freeze we had even though it had the freeze cloth over it. Not taking any chances this time.

BTW, who built your pool?

That's a very nice looking pool area. Nice job

Very nice looking pool.. Who built it? It's hard to tell from pics but it almost looks like a Texas Pool..

Dang!

The thread title caught my eye, but the yard truly dazzled me. You are obviously very talented with gardening skills. Absolutely gorgeous yard, and one of the most inviting and aluring pool scenes I've ever laid eyes on. Truly gorgeous.

Thanks, but I have to bow to the original owners, 2 prior, who first built a wonderful house on a great site so that it takes advantage of every view of the yard. The first owner was a serious gardener who almost did not sell to the second when they heard about the plan for a pool. The second owner put in the pool and had it professionally landscaped. Overall the second owner was big on looks but not really understanding of the details that make things work well. Between Ike and the 2 big freezes and now the drought and the terrible, nasty, neverending drought we have had a lot of opportunities to rework the beds. Trying to improve the soil just made the moles head this way when the drought started.

Builder was Lone Star Pools. But if you use them do not let them put in a fake overflow line that goes nowhere and do not let them put in rocks that go into the water. Looks nice but an algae nightmare. And beware of rain off the roof washing out the equipment pad support. One day maybe I'll add photos of the splotchy plaster color and the algae covered rocks.

Awesome!! Who needs a vacation when you have that... I don't think I'd ever want to leave! The gardening is right up my alley too... would love it! Maybe some day when my boy is grown and he wants to move south for a job, we'll follow him and build an oasis like yours.

I get so giddy the closer I get to completing my AGP until I see threads like this and then I die a little inside. lol. Very nice! When can I move in?