Ideas
I'm not sure where the idea for this sunken patio came from. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a swimming pool used quite this way. And this is the first sunken or recessed garden I've ever created.
This backyard is extremely small. The swimming pool we've used to create the garden from actually takes up most of the yard. The entire landscape around the swimming pool has room for little more than concrete. And while that was fine for the previous owners needs, the new owners wanted their backyard to be a little more livable.
The floor of the patio is surrounded by a flower bed created by a mortared stone garden wall of 12 to 14 inches high. Creating this second level actually makes the area seem roomier as well as makes it more interesting. The floor itself and the walkway that goes around the home are both made from basic concrete brick pavers.
It took over 120 yards of compacted contractor fill to fill the pool to this level. And because the way the neighborhood is set up, it all had to be brought in by wheel burrow. It was very important to make sure this was well packed to avoid future shifting and settling.
Because the bottom of the pool is sealed, we first broke holes in the bottom for drainage. And to take the design plans a step further, we created a settling tank and sump pump area underneath all of this. It was pretty elaborate so I'm not going to go into it. However, all these steps were necessary as water has nowhere else to go once it settles in here.
At the far end of the garden there is a small blank area where we installed a small patch of sod lawn grass. We could have done several things with this area to be no maintenance. However, this is what the client wanted. There is an automatic drip and sprinkler system installed in both the lawn and all flower beds.
While this design may seem complicated, it is really quite simple. Without the use of any design software, I basically sketched it on the spot. I'll talk a little more about this sunken patio.
