ParksCreative.com
Photo of a country backyard garden in Seattle with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Images by: McNeill Photography Design and built by http://thelandmarkgroup.ca/

Vorgarten im Heidegartenstil
Photo of a mid-sized country garden in Other with brick pavers.

Inspiration for a mid-sized country front yard partial sun garden for summer in Dallas.

A pink double flowering orientalis hellebore hybrid. Often called the winter, or Lenten rose because of its season of bloom, this hellebore belongs to the genus Helleborus and is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculus.

Country garden in Other.

Inspiration for a country garden in Denver with a fire feature.

Large country full sun formal garden in Melbourne with natural stone pavers for fall.

Small country garden in Other with natural stone pavers.

Photo of a mid-sized country backyard partial sun outdoor sport court for summer in San Francisco with gravel.

kitchen herb garden
Design ideas for a country backyard formal garden in Raleigh.

Mid-sized country front yard full sun driveway in Other with a garden path and brick pavers for summer.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country courtyard garden in Toronto with brick pavers.

Photo of a mid-sized country backyard full sun xeriscape in Austin with natural stone pavers.

Photo of a large country side yard partial sun xeriscape for spring in Sacramento with a retaining wall and gravel.

Melissa McCabe Navaroli
This is an example of an expansive country sloped full sun garden in San Diego with a vegetable garden and concrete pavers.

Nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool with raised spa, sunshelf, slide, grotto, and pizza oven (September 2013) – Ask the Pool Guy and his team at Legendary Escapes recently unveiled the newest Legendary Escape, a stunning nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool. The hand-carved concrete waterfall, rock slide, and grotto are the focal point of this incredible project, and designer and builder Al Curtis has truly outdone himself this time. Behind the waterfall sits a grotto that seats 8-10 people comfortably. The waterfall, slide, and grotto area come complete with intricate details and additions that perfectly play into the project’s theme. An immense amount of creativity, talent, and skill is required to take ordinary materials like vinyl and concrete and turn them into the outstanding backyards that Curtis creates, but these details allow his creativity to shine in a different light. Curtis immerses himself completely in just one or two projects at a time, which allows him the opportunity to add those intricate details that take his extraordinary projects to the next level. Some of the details in the grotto area of this hybrid project include real ship portholes that open and close, as well as carvings and lanterns to add visual interest inside of the grotto. The project also includes a raised spillover spa and a sunshelf with a bubbling water feature. The sunshelf has steps leading into the main body of the pool, giving swimmers an easy entry point if they don’t feel the urge to jump off the top of the waterfall or take a ride down the hand-carved, hand-tiled slide. The shelf has just enough water to allow shallow wading or lounging, and the pebbled finish provides a perfect place to set a lounge chair without worrying about damaging the vinyl liner. With the spa nearby, this whole end of the pool is perfect for relaxing, talking, or watching the kids while they swim. This incredible hybrid swimming pool also includes a poolside pizza oven, so fresh, stone-fired pizza is never far away. The brick oven can cook a pizza in about 90 seconds, and produces authentic, outstanding pizzas. The homeowners have spent years perfecting their pizza crust and sauce recipes, as well as growing their own tomatoes and basil. The pizza oven adds another element of their own personality, and makes this project even more perfect for them. With a built-in countertop, it’s easy to get a couple of pies going at one time, or to prep ingredients for personal pizzas. The homeowners are very family-oriented and love to have friends and family over to their home. During the construction process, the Legendary Escapes crew met several friends and family members who stopped in for some quality time and to check out the progress of the pool. The finished product is a perfect place for entertaining, and it feels very comfortable and welcoming. With the sunshelf, spa, grotto, poolside seating, and the pool itself, there are plenty of different places to sit or soak and have conversations or splash around. Curtis is incredibly proud of this project, and he has high hopes for it. He was recently named a Master of Design by Pool & Spa News for a hybrid swimming pool he built in Brighton, MI. This new, nautical hybrid pool fits in beautifully with his portfolio, but also stands out as extraordinary. The team at Legendary Escapes anticipates positive feedback and recognition for this project, and looks forward to building more swimming pools that push the envelope and wow clients and fans.

Photo of a country garden in Oklahoma City.

A small water feature gives this red barn a charming setting. - The Philbin Group
Inspiration for a country garden in Seattle.