A guide to landscaping around pools that provides tips and ideas for choosing the best flowers and plants, descriptions of plants that thrive in a pool environment, and photographs of a variety of different pool landscapes.

Poolscaping is a one-of-a-kind handbook overflowing with inspiring ideas and practical advice on how to make your swimming pool the lovely, welcoming centerpiece of your property, whether you are installing a new pool or renovating an existing one. You'll learn how to choose the best spot for the pool and how to design or refurbish the deck and edging that surround it. And you'll find great ideas for dramatic pool lighting (including underwater options); safe and attractive fencing; and spas, furniture, pergolas, and pool houses. Finally, Poolscaping helps you choose the best poolside plants for your landscaping, with a focus on flowers, vines, and shrubs that are low-maintenance and attractive throughout the swimming season.

"Reflections on the Pool" spotlights forty stellar examples of pool design, ranging from the nature-inspired designs of Isabelle Greene to the vanguard mid-century pools of Thomas Church and the brilliant Mexican-style architecture of Ricardo Legorreta, plus popular tourist sites. An engaging text details the swimming pool's spread to America in the 19th century and California's influence on its popularity, while 100 luminous photos showcase the pools themselves in all their splendor.

Pools are no longer the exclusive domain of the wealthy.Now, with the advent of new technology and materials, imaginative architects and landscape designers can now create a variety of affordable pools. With lush photography, designer's sketches and descriptive text, Small Pools presents an array of 28 pool projects-none larger than 550 sq. feet -- from around the world. Inspiring and affordable, the pools featured here also all show great respect for the natural spaces in which water areas have been integrated, merging perfectly with their surroundings. From the tranquil fluidity of a cliffside sheet of turquoise water to an imaginative repurposing of an old quarry to much, much more, Small Pools shows in the numerous possibilities incorporating a pool into all sorts of properties.

A guide to natural swimming pools that rely on a balance of plants and micro-organisms to clean and purify the water.

Every day talented and passionate gardeners think to themselves, “There must be a way to turn this into a career.” So You Want to Be a Garden Designer helps them turn that dream into reality by providing the practical, step-by-step information every budding designer needs to develop and nurture a thriving garden design business. A successful, self-made garden designer herself, Love Albrecht Howard conveys not only the basic skills required for the profession, but also the crucial details that can mean the difference between success and failure. Among the many questions she explores with warmth, humor, and a big dose of reality are: • What do I need to learn? • How do I tackle fences, stairs, decks, and other construction projects? • How can I avoid using chemicals? • What’s the best way to deal with challenging personalities? With extensive photographs, practical drawings, and clearheaded advice, So You Want to Be a Garden Designer is the comprehensive manual that all garden designers will wish they’d had from the start.