converting pool to garden !!!!

[Mohsen]

We have a underground pool which I am spending lots of time , money and energy on...

Also we have a rubbish soil ( mostly rock) as we are on a hill ...

I am thinking about convert this to a small garden!! I can dig the bottom ( for drainage) ...and fill it with the most suitable soil for palms...

anyone have ever had such an idea or seen such a project? appreciate  any comments as I might under or not considering any other important facts ?? size of the pool is 12x5 m

[Neil C]

As much as I love Palms I think you might regret it if you ever fill it in. It will certainly reduce the value of your house. If you would really rather the room to grow palms why not empty it and build a temporary greenhouse style roof over the top. Then you can have the most amazing in ground container ranch which you could convert back into the pool if you decide to sell. Or have a pool in the summer and a greenhouse in the winter when you won't be swimming anyway unless it's heated.

 

Regards Neil

[Mohsen]

19 hours ago, Neil C said:

As much as I love Palms I think you might regret it if you ever fill it in. It will certainly reduce the value of your house. If you would really rather the room to grow palms why not empty it and build a temporary greenhouse style roof over the top. Then you can have the most amazing in ground container ranch which you could convert back into the pool if you decide to sell. Or have a pool in the summer and a greenhouse in the winter when you won't be swimming anyway unless it's heated.

 

Regards Neil

thanks Neil for the comment...I am not sure about Brisbane but in Sydney , pools are not much considered adding value to property price...

converting to green house I need to go to the bottom of the pool ? should not be that easy access I guess...

we don't have good soil and that's the main issue ...If I convert that to garden I will plant palms there as dense as possible...

[Pip]

I wouldn't do it. Swimming pools are so valuable for family fun and exercise. I agree that they are a lot of work to maintain but the cost is minimal if your equipment is well maintained. Having a pool also improves the microclimate of the surrounding area.

[Ben in Norcal]

If you are truly sick of the pool, I would personally convert to a koi pond.  With the appropriate amendments to the filtration system, not huge maintenance...and man do they go nicely with palm gardens!

[_Keith]

2 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

If you are truly sick of the pool, I would personally convert to a koi pond.  With the appropriate amendments to the filtration system, not huge maintenance...and man do they go nicely with palm gardens!

Agreed, and we all know of a fabulous example of this in the bay area.

[SouthSeaNate]

I'd much rather have a pool! I think you will regret it in the long run if you get rid of it...

[Pando]

3 hours ago, Mohsen said:

converting to green house I need to go to the bottom of the pool ? should not be that easy access I guess...

As Neil said, I would make it a pool room. Build a glass enclosure around the pool area. It's amazing what species you can then grow in planters and pots around the pool when the humidity is higher, and you can use the pool year-round as well.

Edited February 22, 2016 by Pando

[mcrawford]

At least in the Southwest United States, relators say that a pool will not add any extra to the sale price of a house.

I have a friend who converted his pool into a very nice "split level" greenhouse.  By utilizing the depth of the pool,

he was able to get great usable height, while staying within the local code for above ground building height.  He

used stack rock for terracing and imported good soil.  As mentioned, he could, without too much work, reclaim the

pool if need be.  I have also seen some fabulous koi ponds built from pools.  We repurposed our pool area 15 yrs

ago and built a large koi pond and shade cloth covered cycad garden.  With the kids gone, we did way more maintenance

than swimming.  I have never regretted that decision.

[awkonradi]

I know some empty pools are unstable.  I suggest check with local professionals before you consider using yours "empty".  5 m x 12 m is a BIG backyard pond, and yours is very rectangular, and frankly not so beautiful.  I can understand how you might prefer earth.  Regarding the value of the pool, I would not underestimate the value of the beautiful garden you envision.  I think an appraiser could give you good estimates for both.  Lastly, removing a pool eliminates drowning risk as well as maintenance cost.  Mind you, I swim several times a week, at a community pool.

[LJG]

42 minutes ago, mcrawford said:

At least in the Southwest United States, relators say that a pool will not add any extra to the sale price of a house.

I have a friend who converted his pool into a very nice "split level" greenhouse.  By utilizing the depth of the pool,

he was able to get great usable height, while staying within the local code for above ground building height.  He

used stack rock for terracing and imported good soil.  As mentioned, he could, without too much work, reclaim the

pool if need be.  I have also seen some fabulous koi ponds built from pools.  We repurposed our pool area 15 yrs

ago and built a large koi pond and shade cloth covered cycad garden.  With the kids gone, we did way more maintenance

than swimming.  I have never regretted that decision.

I know a lot of realtors around San Diego and not one would tell you it doesn't add value as long as it is not leaking or damaged. Even in the drought people want pools. A house with a pool will always be more desirable for a single family home tract house. Maybe in a retirement community it might not add value, but certainly not elsewhere 

[SubTropicRay]

Pools are great if you use them enough.  I've found more time is spent on maintenance than on the actual enjoyment.  My very good friend in real estate says a pool adds a negligible value to property and in many cases is seen as a drawback.

Ditto this for boats which I've also had the misfortune of owning.

[DoomsDave]

Pools can be problematic. They're magnets for little children to fall into them and drown. The state of California makes you fill them in if you want to operate a licensed child daycare facility (or at least they used to).

But for a palm garden they can be huge asset. If you use the pool for swimming in season, the rest of the year it will greatly improve the microclimate in the immediate area by increasing the humidity. Dr. Darian had loads of fun with his greenhouse/pool, and was able to grow things he never could outdoors.

I'd consider an enclosure like Pando noted. That way, you'll get a greenhouse/pool, and you'll keep uninvited little ones out of the water until someone is there to watch them.

[Really full garden]

I vote to keep the pool but make it a more inviting place.It looks very stark as it is now.Plant some landscape sized palms and plants to soften the hard edges. A few large pots in one corner with accent plants or seasonal color. Some LED pool lights would be wonderful to give interest at night.Add some nice outdoor furniture.Make it an oasis. Somewhere you would enjoy spending time for more than just swimming.

[Alicehunter2000]

6 hours ago, _Keith said:

Agreed, and we all know of a fabulous example of this in the bay area.

Jim In Los Altos........In case anyone was wondering....Keith likes to be a Man of Mystery 

Look at Jim's posts for some inspiration

McCrawford's above is pretty darn nice as well!

[Loxahatchee Adam]

We had a large in-ground swimming pool built in 1982 with queen palms, a Live Oak, Jacaranda, Schefflera, P. reclinata, and other assorted stuff around it.  All screened in.  The screens came down when my family bought the place in 1993 because they were falling apart.  The oak roots in particular had damaged most of the suction and return pipes.  It wasn't worth digging up everything to re-lay pipes for a pool that nobody used.  I run a horse boarding facility and my boarders all complained about me filling it in, but I was like...when have any of you even gone in???   The resale value also got brought up.  I plan to stay here indefinitely, but if I want to sell in 10, 20, 30 years, it will be much less expensive for the prospective buyer (or even for me) to put in a new pool, than to repair the old one and have the carrying costs of maintenance, chemicals, equipment, and electricity all those years.

I had the bottom chipped out and filled it in with dirt.  A friend of mine had 2 sulcata tortoises that needed a larger home so the filled-in pool was perfect.  He put up a 1.5 ft tall wood fence rail around it and they live inside.  They can burrow long tunnels, but the concrete walls keep them in.  When they are in an open area, people usually need to drive rebar down around the whole thing so they can't get out.   I have 2 banana plants, 2 Dypsis pembana, 2 spindle palms, a Chambeyronia macrocarpa, Aiphanes minima, and Beccariophoenix alfredii w/ windows in there.  I recently cut back the bananas a bunch to plant 2 floss silk varieties I grafted onto Pachira glabra.  The tortoises can't eat any of the palms, but the trimmed banana leaves, banana flower droppings, and floss silk leaves and flowers are all good food for them.

[Neil C]

I'm not sure about the rest of Australia but at least in Queensland carp are illegal which could put the idea of a Koi pond out of the question.

Regards Neil

[Danilopez89]

If you fill in with soil you should have the bottom chipped out. 

Otherwise you will have problems. Sometimes they sink a few feet.

[Hammer]

4 hours ago, LJG said:

I know a lot of realtors around San Diego and not one would tell you it doesn't add value as long as it is not leaking or damaged. Even in the drought people want pools. A house with a pool will always be more desirable for a single family home tract house. Maybe in a retirement community it might not add value, but certainly not elsewhere 

Agreed Len.  We closed last Friday on a Refinance and the realtor who did the appraisal said the exact same house without the pool would be valued lower and take longer to sell.

[SouthSeaNate]

Swimming pools in Australia must by law be surrounded by a secure pool fence/safety gate, this should be the law everywhere IMO

[Mohsen]

1 hour ago, SouthSeaNate said:

Swimming pools in Australia must by law be surrounded by a secure pool fence/safety gate, this should be the law everywhere IMO

I can't believe that this is not law in other countries, not only that but you need to place the security and safety board here as well...

[Mohsen]

Thanks for all comments... I am sure pool in our area is not a very considerable asset specially if it is not new... Converting to pond is also out of question...

the main reason of my thought is that we will need to build a granny flat in our property to help paying the crazy mortgage we have... First we wanted to build it over the pool but it will cost too much as it should have certain foundation...so I was thinking building the GF on the yard ( with rubbish soil) and convert the pool to garden with premium soil ... This way it will cost much less compare to the first option...  What do you think now?

BTW, Adam, do you have any picture?

[talkjk]

Just started on our renovation. The plan is to convert the hot tub to a planter and keep the pool

[Bags]

I filled in the pool in my back yard as it was 30 plus years old and trashed when I purchased my house in 2005.  Although I do not regret not having the pool if I could do it again I would have done it differently as it in it has created some drainage issues.  Water does not drain much further down than three or four feet because the soil becomes so compacted.  If i dug down a foot or so I would hit water and my lawn was always sopping wet.  I ended up putting in a pipe surrounded by gravel and a sump pump in to drain the water.  If you are going to fill it in I would recommend spending the extra money and removing it completely. 

[Mohsen]

On 2/22/2016, 7:22:38, Bags said:

I filled in the pool in my back yard as it was 30 plus years old and trashed when I purchased my house in 2005.  Although I do not regret not having the pool if I could do it again I would have done it differently as it in it has created some drainage issues.  Water does not drain much further down than three or four feet because the soil becomes so compacted.  If i dug down a foot or so I would hit water and my lawn was always sopping wet.  I ended up putting in a pipe surrounded by gravel and a sump pump in to drain the water.  If you are going to fill it in I would recommend spending the extra money and removing it completely. 

Thanks for sharing the experience...that will really help me if I want to do it ...so did you dig some part of the pool bottom or not at all? how deep was the pool? mine is from 1m to 1.9 m...

[Mohsen]

On 2/22/2016, 4:32:39, Mohsen said:

Thanks for all comments... I am sure pool in our area is not a very considerable asset specially if it is not new... Converting to pond is also out of question...

the main reason of my thought is that we will need to build a granny flat in our property to help paying the crazy mortgage we have... First we wanted to build it over the pool but it will cost too much as it should have certain foundation...so I was thinking building the GF on the yard ( with rubbish soil) and convert the pool to garden with premium soil ... This way it will cost much less compare to the first option...  What do you think now?

BTW, Adam, do you have any picture?

so in the pic, we will be going to build the granny flat on the yard and most likely all my small palm tress should be moved out...I am thinking to make their new home by converting the pool ( I have this vision to place the Jubaea in the middle   )

[Bags]

On February 23, 2016 at 3:26:22 AM, Mohsen said:

Thanks for sharing the experience...that will really help me if I want to do it ...so did you dig some part of the pool bottom or not at all? how deep was the pool? mine is from 1m to 1.9 m...

I did put holes in the bottom of the pool, but when I dug the hole for the sump pump I could see where the water sat on top of the compacted soil about three feet down.  My pool was 8-10ft in the deep end.  

[DoomsDave]

On 2/22/2016, 4:32:39, Mohsen said:

Thanks for all comments... I am sure pool in our area is not a very considerable asset specially if it is not new... Converting to pond is also out of question...

the main reason of my thought is that we will need to build a granny flat in our property to help paying the crazy mortgage we have... First we wanted to build it over the pool but it will cost too much as it should have certain foundation...so I was thinking building the GF on the yard ( with rubbish soil) and convert the pool to garden with premium soil ... This way it will cost much less compare to the first option...  What do you think now?

BTW, Adam, do you have any picture?

A granny flat out-does a pool any day.

Compared to a granny flat, a pool is either: (a) a hole in the ground into which you dump money; or (b) a hole you fill with money, which evaporates. Or gets peed in . . . 

 

[Danilopez89]

On 2/22/2016 7:22:38, Bags said:

I filled in the pool in my back yard as it was 30 plus years old and trashed when I purchased my house in 2005.  Although I do not regret not having the pool if I could do it again I would have done it differently as it in it has created some drainage issues.  Water does not drain much further down than three or four feet because the soil becomes so compacted.  If i dug down a foot or so I would hit water and my lawn was always sopping wet.  I ended up putting in a pipe surrounded by gravel and a sump pump in to drain the water.  If you are going to fill it in I would recommend spending the extra money and removing it completely. 

I agree that you should remove it completely to avoid future problems. 

Fill with some good soil and your palms will love you for it.

[Mohsen]

I am thinking to have the granny flat and pool?

can I keep the pool and plant beside the pool ( after removing some paving stones) ? could it be a good plan?

[Alicehunter2000]

That's what I would do.....cut a lot of planting beds...especially the corners to soften up rectangular shape....make sure you don't cut into pool shell wall.... Plant a lot of palms leaning into pool to get a nice curve......Plant heavy ...use large flat rock to make shelves and break up strait lines.....granny will like a nice tropical pool view

If you have the money....paint pool a darker color for a more lagoon feel....wish I would have done that

[Alicehunter2000]

Man you got a great canvas to work with....I would rework the entire pool surround ...not just granny's side...looks like you got 2 different elevations...get creative....rework that wood fencing to something more attractive...the black metal in front looks much nicer....maybe even a masonary wall?

Gobs of plants! Whatever you think the area will handle plantwise .... multiply that amount by 10

[Alicehunter2000]

What is that area on the right side of the pool? .... are you using that area? Looks like a cool area for a shade garden outdoor room

[DoomsDave]

The pool might be a good thing with the granny flat, too if you can manage. Maybe do the AirBNB thing?

 

[Mohsen]

On 2/27/2016, 7:54:42, Alicehunter2000 said:

What is that area on the right side of the pool? .... are you using that area? Looks like a cool area for a shade garden outdoor room

Thanks David for the suggestions...that area is a narrow ( 1.2 m wide) passage was full of weeds which I cleaned and put mulch on it...I had plan to plant 4-5 palms there ...as it is the way to go to to the pool pump room and also there are some pipes passing I am not sure...also I thought it will make shade for the pool in long future which might not be a good thing...but now if I want to keep pool and build GF , I might rethink to plant palms there again? what do you think?

[Alicehunter2000]

Most definitely, that's plenty of room...just leave yourself a tiny passageway to access your equipment. Probably should figure out where your underground pipes and utilities are.

Why can't you remove the wooden  fence....replace it up top with the metal one....then you would have a little larger area to work with? The Shed? On the other side could function as part of your pool barrier fence....or...the fence may be more attractive...I'm a big fan of tree tunnels for narrow passageways....I'll find yo an example...

[Alicehunter2000]

Google search "Jungle Path with Palms"

For more ideas

[Alicehunter2000]

Look at your picture above .... with your finger make a very shallow S shape from your gate to your steps. You can give your path a little bit of a curvature. The open parts of the S ....Plant your larger palms. Then plant smaller understory palms and bromiliads etc...no straight lines.

[Alicehunter2000]

Another idea is to build a deck over this area....would give you a larger area around the pool to relax. Put pool equipment storage underneath.