New contract / New build - SE Pennsylvania, Gunite free form pool and spa

[Gorilla83]

That darker outline DOES look wonderful! It really finishes it all off! Nice change/add!

Kim

Thanks Kim, we agree.

Pavers, retaining wall, footers, initial landscape lighting, and stairs complete. Next up: Footing for waterfall, waterfall, final grading/seeding, fencing, plantings (select given time of year), river rock, finish up landscape lighting. Still a lot to do before the winter really kicks in. Sorry in advance for going overkill with pics - we are exciting things are moving though haha.

 

[kimkats]

There are never too many pics!! Love everything I see!!! What a great bunch of work has been done! What plantings do you think you will be able to do?

Kim

 

[Gorilla83]

There are never too many pics!! Love everything I see!!! What a great bunch of work has been done! What plantings do you think you will be able to do?

Kim

Thanks! We're waiting on the waterfall and final grading work to be done now. Depending on how long that takes we might be pushing the window to do much planting other than a few of the shrubs. I'm guessing we're at least a couple of weeks away from planting and fencing work though.

 

[Gorilla83]

Waterfall build started on Halloween, 10/31. The footer was set (over 10 yards of concrete!) and then then began setting rocks shortly thereafter. Conduit for lights is going in as well, 2 on each side and then 1 light behind each spillway. Definitely pumped to see this come together



View attachment 88146

 

[kimkats]

Working, working, working!!!! SWEET!

 

[Gorilla83]

Working, working, working!!!! SWEET!

They (sales guy) told me they could knock the WF out in 2-3 days. I thought that sounded a bit unrealistic and confirmed when the foreman got to the site and said 7-10 days, LOL. After our design adjustments, it's got a fairly large footprint of about 20' wide, 4' high and 5-6' deep. Top flat area will feed/split into 2 different spillways into the pool. There was almost a full day into excavating and pouring the footer alone. Lots of fitting, cutting, setting, and pointing. The crew seems really good and hasn't rushed anything. They had some extra boulders delivered yesterday and the foreman sent some of them back because he didn't like some of the color patterns, hah. Delivery guy didn't look too happy about that. They set the first spillway yesterday and looking good! Can't wait to see it come together next week. Hard to envision at the moment but once they have both spillways set and start building the second tier we should get a good idea of how it will look.

 

[kimkats]

Back to the rock yard with you!!! hehe Love it! Artist at their finest!

Kim

 

[kristmas]

Gorilla, will your waterfall have planting areas build into it like mine does? If so, I'm just wondering if you already have a landscape plan and what kinds of things you are going to use as plantings in it? We just had a plan done and are going to look at it on Saturday. I hope I like what he came up with but would be curious to see your plan also. I think you posted a landscape plan of some sort but I wasn't sure if that included your WF.

 

[Gorilla83]

Gorilla, will your waterfall have planting areas build into it like mine does? If so, I'm just wondering if you already have a landscape plan and what kinds of things you are going to use as plantings in it? We just had a plan done and are going to look at it on Saturday. I hope I like what he came up with but would be curious to see your plan also. I think you posted a landscape plan of some sort but I wasn't sure if that included your WF.

Yes, that's the plan. We've discussed putting the plantings around the paths of water off to the sides and behind. The plan calls for "assorted perennials" within the waterfall and I believe some shrubs and plants surrounding it as well as boulder "extensions." The rendering attached is a rough idea of what the final will look like - if you're interested in the exact plantings they use I can probably get them to give me a list. Of course this isn't really to scale as the waterfall is much wider and spans skimmer to skimmer which is basically the back side of the pool minus the spa area.

Edit: Also attaching my planting list which includes not only the waterfall area but other shrubs, etc around the pool.

 

[jimim]

watch where they stick the sand cherries. i had a few of them to block out my 3 HVAC units at my house and they deff didn't not stay 5-6' tall. i used to cut 4 feet of new growth off them each year. they can get as high as you want. problem is as you cut them back each year to keep them under control they get very very woody.

Watch the hydregea also. a regular limelight can climb up to 20 feet tall if u let it. i had a bunch of those also. i only use "little limes" now which max out at 6 feet. not 4-5 like they say and I also use "BOBO" which maxes out at 3 feet. I just redid my whole front yard beds with little limes and bobo's and white daylilies infront of them. that's what i'm actually doing around the back side of my pool. little limes and white daylilies.

there is a new spirea out this past year that has some crazy colored leaves so it looks cool after it blooms cause they r kinda boring after they bloom.

little lime is my favorite perennial right now. I have a feeling BOBO soon will.

most plants are goign to dwarf variety now. people don't want full size anymore. look at bobo it;s a dwarf of a dwarf! i love fothergilla. but they get large. there is a dwarf now that i added to the front also with the little limes and bobo's. it's a cool spring bloomer cause it gets it's bloom on bare wood almost and then it fully leafs out.

daylilies are always a good idea cause u can split the heck out of them for other parts of ur yard. i took 11 into 33 plus a few weeks ago. next year i will take those and populate the entire back yard around the pool and side of my yard for free. each parent plant was 20 a piece cause it's a hybrid. i need 60 plus for my project. that adds up quick but now won't have to spend a dime.

jim

 

[kristmas]

Thanks, this is great! I'm also a fan of all the 'dwarf' everything! I found some dwarf variety Hydrangea by CityLine. They only get to about 2 feet tall. Of course the problem is that you can rarely find the plants you want at your local nursery. I was also looking for October Magic Camellias because of their max size but sadly nobody around here carries those either. I guess I can substitute what the designer comes up with and order them online or something.

I like the river rock all around the waterfall; I'm thinking of doing something similar so I don't have to mulch in the back corner behind the pool. You may not know how much I hate mulching. I really hate mulching.

 

[Gorilla83]

watch where they stick the sand cherries. i had a few of them to block out my 3 HVAC units at my house and they deff didn't not stay 5-6' tall. i used to cut 4 feet of new growth off them each year. they can get as high as you want. problem is as you cut them back each year to keep them under control they get very very woody.

Watch the hydregea also. a regular limelight can climb up to 20 feet tall if u let it. i had a bunch of those also. i only use "little limes" now which max out at 6 feet. not 4-5 like they say and I also use "BOBO" which maxes out at 3 feet. I just redid my whole front yard beds with little limes and bobo's and white daylilies infront of them. that's what i'm actually doing around the back side of my pool. little limes and white daylilies.

there is a new spirea out this past year that has some crazy colored leaves so it looks cool after it blooms cause they r kinda boring after they bloom.

little lime is my favorite perennial right now. I have a feeling BOBO soon will.

most plants are goign to dwarf variety now. people don't want full size anymore. look at bobo it;s a dwarf of a dwarf! i love fothergilla. but they get large. there is a dwarf now that i added to the front also with the little limes and bobo's. it's a cool spring bloomer cause it gets it's bloom on bare wood almost and then it fully leafs out.

daylilies are always a good idea cause u can split the heck out of them for other parts of ur yard. i took 11 into 33 plus a few weeks ago. next year i will take those and populate the entire back yard around the pool and side of my yard for free. each parent plant was 20 a piece cause it's a hybrid. i need 60 plus for my project. that adds up quick but now won't have to spend a dime.

jim

Jim - this is great input, thanks! I had searched on here for good threads outlining landscaping options in our area but came up short.

I like the river rock all around the waterfall; I'm thinking of doing something similar so I don't have to mulch in the back corner behind the pool. You may not know how much I hate mulching. I really hate mulching.

I agree 1000% here, not a fan of our annual mulching. The less the better!!

 

[jimim]

Those r the bobo s u r talking about. They actually max out at 3 ish. Proven winner calls them bobo. They might be called something else by cityline. They look like a huge puff ball when in bloom. Lol

Thanks, this is great! I'm also a fan of all the 'dwarf' everything! I found some dwarf variety Hydrangea by CityLine. They only get to about 2 feet tall. Of course the problem is that you can rarely find the plants you want at your local nursery. I was also looking for October Magic Camellias because of their max size but sadly nobody around here carries those either. I guess I can substitute what the designer comes up with and order them online or something.

I like the river rock all around the waterfall; I'm thinking of doing something similar so I don't have to mulch in the back corner behind the pool. You may not know how much I hate mulching. I really hate mulching.

- - - Updated - - -

I can help with that. My father and grandfather owned a landscaping business till he died. My dad had a full time job already so he let the business go. But I learned a lot from my grandfather when still alive and now my dad.

Jimi

Jim - this is great input, thanks! I had searched on here for good threads outlining landscaping options in our area but came up short.



I agree 1000% here, not a fan of our annual mulching. The less the better!!

 

[Gorilla83]

- - - Updated - - -

I can help with that. My father and grandfather owned a landscaping business till he died. My dad had a full time job already so he let the business go. But I learned a lot from my grandfather when still alive and now my dad.

Jimi

J - Looking at the planting list proposed, is it too late to have them plant sometime next week? I know they'd replenish if any were to die but would it be an issue to start them next week?

 

[jimim]

Ok I would assume u r fine. We can plant up till about 2nd week of November here but I can still plant at my house now cause it has been warmer. My grandfather always said if the ground is 52 degrees game on. And u r warmer down by u. I would plant now if I lived down by u. That’s how I gauge when I start fertilizing and stuff also. Once it hits 52 in the soil I start again. Or look for the frosinthia starting to bloom. Means ground is warm enough.

I follow a lot of that old time watch the environment to know when to do something. Another example. People just put down grub control in June causexthats when Home Depot starts to push it. You actually wait for the first Japanese beatle to show up and then u do it. I treat regardless if I have them or not. I would rather be safe than sorry. Others say why treat if u don’t have them but being preventative and killing anycthat might be there is a good thing.

Ok thats my useless info for the day. Lol

plant away!

 

[Gorilla83]

Thank you sir! Crew is busy working again today now that the rain has stopped, hope to get this waterfall piece knocked out soon and get to grading and planting!

 

[kimkats]

You tease you! You SAY they are working on the waterfall BUT don't post any pics????????? I thought you like us *pout*

 

[Gorilla83]

You tease you! You SAY they are working on the waterfall BUT don't post any pics????????? I thought you like us *pout*

OK OK, pics coming today, haha. I have taken several during the process and finally it's starting to come together. Yesterday they finished up the first 'tier' including both spillways and filling in the 'back' of the waterfall with boulders and cement. They will be working on the second level today - it's starting to shape up now. Of course the weather has drug this out but hopefully we're getting close to finishing by early next week on this step. They actually may run out of boulders and will be ordering some more in. Already have 80,000 pound of rock on site! Crazy. The yard is so messy/muddy it might be tough to do a proper final grade but we'll see.

Also - Have been working with the lead foreman here on figuring out boulder placement around the stairs and planting beds. He really wants to bring in some rock and topsoil to do some further water/erosion control on the slopes, will be working on a plan with him and the designer today and tomorrow. Have to keep costs under control so will probably be getting a little creative.

 

[Gorilla83]

Preview of the waterfall - they're going to add the top level as well as the sides tomorrow or the next non-rain day. We'll be adding 'extensions' as well to both sides to smooth everything out and make it natural looking. He said 2-2.5 more days to finish setting the rocks, cut in the coping, and pointing. It's coming along though!



We also did some spray out placements for boulders around the patio.

 

[kimkats]

I am loving everything about that! The colors and the placement of the stones! THANKS!

Kim