It is deciduous, but considered a 4 season plant mainly because:

• It has lush dark green leaves.

• It flowers white in early summer.

• It has bright yellow fall color and cinnamon colored exfoliating bark.

As you can see it’s a great plant, but you need to be aware of its capabilities.

The first year or two it grows slow while it establishes. Then the pace picks up and it becomes quite vigorous.

As a climber I’ve yet to see its limit in height. Planted at the base of a large tree it will cling and climb until it reaches the top. I’m talking 60′ no problem.

The good news is you can control climbing hydrangea with proper pruning. But I say that with a warning.  If you use it in a limited space, like the one we’re about to talk about, you must be diligent with your pruning or it will easily take over the area.

It’s Doing Well – Too Well!

How do you respond to a customer that says that to you?

“I’m glad your climbing hydrangea is doing well, but sorry it’s covering your house.”

You can avoid those embarassing moments by knowing a plant’s capability right from the start.  Then you can advise your customer what to expect, how they can care for it or how others will care for it.

In the picture above climbing hydrangea is working well on this brick wall. But the plant wants to get bigger, as it does every year. It’s in its DNA.

Notice that the real dominant growth is towards the top. It wants to climb and get as tall as it can. I’ve used climbing hydrangea on homes where it is maintained just below the second story eaves. Not easy to do, but the look is beautiful.

How To Go About Controlling This Climber

The best time to prune climbing hydrangea is after it flowers.

The new flower buds are formed soon after flowering and remain on those stems for the following year. So you’d rather not cut those off if possible.

However, unless you operate with a “calendar of tasks” for your maintenance accounts, you will most likely prune the hydrangea when you’re there pruning everything else.

So regardless of when you prune climbing hydrangea, cut back the long shoots and those growing outward from the wall to just above a bud or leaf point. Prune selectively using hand pruners.

Often I’ll follow an aggressively growing branch to its “point of origin” and make my cut there.  This is the point where the lateral branch connects to a larger stem.

This climber produces “aerial roots” that attach themselves to whatever structure is nearby. When first planted you may have to help it attach to the structure by:

• Installing the plant so it deliberately leans and touches the wall or structure.

• Tying some of the main branches to the wall or structure temporarily till they attach. Several materials and methods will do this, but be careful these ties don’t constrict around the branches.

These aerial roots will sometimes leave a mark and organic residue on the surface after they attach. On this home some of the branches attached to the white shutters. It took extra time and effort to scrub them clean.

Like with all plants, when you know and understand their characteristics you can use them creatively and effectively. How have you used climbing hydrangea in your landscapes?  Did it perform as you expected or surprise you?  Let us know in the comments.

During your walk around the house make a point of asking homeowners what rooms are which from the outside. They’ll most likely invite you in so you can  appreciate what they see (and feel) from the different rooms.

This is by no means a new concept.  Attentive architects will design and orient homes to capitalize on views from the inside out.

In this post I want to talk about the role ornamental trees can play from inside the home and some of the particular ones you can use for this purpose.

Ornamental Trees Are Like Swiss Army Knives

Smaller and mid-size ornamental trees are really versatile in landscape design.  They’re certainly useful on large scale properties, and frankly indispensible on small scale ones.

When properly chosen an ornamental tree can give canopy or ceiling to a space without taking up a lot of room. Used in relative close proximity to a building they can help soften parts of the architecture.

Design / Sales Tip: A complete landscape project can be a huge expense.  “Phasing” the project is a common way to break up the cost.  You can recommend installing the trees as part of phase 1.  Since the trees have such impact on the landscape, planting them early gives an immediate effect; a lot of ROI for the first installment on the landscape. Plus it gives these key design elements a chance to establish early and get growing.

Branches So Close You Can Almost Touch Them

In the picture above is Flowering Dogwood planted approximately 7′ from the foundation of a raised porch area.

This ornamental tree should grow 18 – 20′ in height and 14 – 16′ in width. And because the porch is open and recessed the dogwood should not encroach into the side of the home.

In the picture below you can see the view the homeowner has from her kitchen window. The closeness of the branching (and flowers in spring) are almost part of the interior decor. Birds will sometimes use the tree as a perch, especially to feast on the glossy red fruit in early fall. She’s told me several times how much enjoyment she gets year-round from that dogwood.

Here are some of the ornamental trees to use near the home that have benefits from the inside too.

• Flowering Dogwood – Well of course.  It’s probably one of the best for this use.  However, flowering dogwood can have plant health issues such as anthracnose and borers. Just make sure you “site it” carefully to avoid stressing the plant. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Kousa Dogwood – This dogwood is more resistant to anthracnose than standard dogwood and flowers typically 3 weeks later. Another nice feature: Its trunk becomes multicolored with shades of brown, tan and gray. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Rutgers Hybrid Dogwoods – These dogwoods are from a cross-breeding program started by Dr. Orton at Rutgers University. These hybrids share the traits of standard dogwood and kousa to produce superior plants in terms of plant health. They’re a great choice. Approximate tree width 14 -16′.

• Japanese Maple – There are numerous varieties of this specie so be aware of the particular plant’s characteristics you’re considering. Their branching and trunk architecture is unmatched. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′ (varies among the many cultivars).

• Paperbark Maple – Has an upright and oval form. As the tree matures the bark starts to exfoliate showing beautiful shades of red-brown and cinnamon. Approximate tree width 14 – 16′.

• Japanese Stewartia – Somewhat pyramidal in shape and has camellia-like flowers in June/July. This later-than-spring flowering always gets a nod from homeowners. Approximate tree width 10 – 14′.

Plant Characteristics To Look For

Some of the characteristics to look for when siting an ornamental tree close to the house and to be viewed from the inside are:

• An open branching structure. Avoid trees that have dense foliage and branching.

• Moderate growing that can be easily pruned to control and “influence” branching. (We’ll talk more about directing growth by pruning in future posts).

• Attractive features like flowering, leaf shape and color, trunk color and texture, etc.

Plant health and hardiness are certainly considerations as they would be for any of your plant selections.

You’ll notice I’ve mentioned approximate plant width several times already. It’s so important you know that for each tree you consider, especially when you’re looking for the effect of branching right outside a window.

You want to space the tree from the home close to the potential radius of the tree.  If you do that it will ensure years and years of enjoyment.  Perhaps you’ll need to prune a bit to shape and direct the plant, but this should be minor.

The views from inside the home are important for you to consider as landscape designers and contractors. Your customers will get more enjoyment out of their landscape not only during the day, but also at night if lighting is part of your project.

Plant information is a lot like a language.  From an artistic standpoint we use the different plant types, forms, textures and colors to create all kinds of compositions. There are architectural and period styles, even different feelings and moods we can communicate – just like with a language. All by arranging the right selection of plants.

From a practical standpoint we use plant information to solve problems in the landscape.  Just like we use a language to communicate a solution.

Plant Information Is A Cornerstone To Our Trade

A cornerstone is something that is basic, essential, indispensable, and the main foundation upon which something is constructed or developed.

Even if you’re a lawn care contractor a fundamental knowledge of plants will help your business. In fact, if you’re well-versed on turf you already have a good understanding of plant life in general. And although plants can be very different from one another, there’s also a lot they have in common.

No matter what your specialty within the industry, it’s all part of the landscape. Everything is integrated in one form or another.  Having an understanding at some “base level” on each of the parts of the landscape system makes you better at the particular thing you do.  For example, an irrigation contractor with some plant knowledge can more effectively design a sprinkler system than one who doesn’t.

For the landscape architect, designer and landscape contractor plant information is truly cornerstone. You simply can’t provide the best solutions for landscapes without plant knowledge. Period. A major portion of the work I do is “renovations”.  Some of these renovations are only a few years old.  The most common errors on these landscapes is the incorrect selection, arrangement and spacing of plant material.

You Can Build Your Plant Knowledge Easily Everyday

As you’d expect there is an endless number of plants out there. You could take it upon yourself to just start studying and memorizing information, but experience has shown me that learning like that “doesn’t stick”. The best way to discover new information and remember it is while looking for a specific solution.

For example, let’s say your client wants to replace an overgrown spruce on the corner of their home. You know that was the wrong choice because it’s hanging over the house. You measure the space the new replacement will have to grow (at maturity) and also take notice of the surroundings (exposure, soil type, wet or dry, grading, etc.).

You may already have an idea what that new plant should be, but here’s my approach. When you visit the supplier(s) look for the plant you may have in mind, but at the same time consider something different.  You know the basic form and growth habit you’re after – let that be the identifier for another possible choice.

If another plant has that basic form and habit take a minute to consider it. Odds are good it’s labeled in some way with basic information. In my truck I carry 2 books for reference: Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. These 2 books are also great for showing pictures of plants to clients. Michael Dirr’s “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” (pictured here) is an outstanding reference too. It is more comprehensive and detailed, but without color pictures.

This learning experience is part of your productive day. Maybe you did discover and purchase a new and different plant for that spruce replacement.  But even if you didn’t you’ll likely remember the one or two others you considered. That process of solving a particular problem creates an association with the new plants you looked at. This association is what helps file it in your memory.

Another way to gather new information on plants is to just be aware of their use in other landscapes. I’m always checking out properties as I go about my day, and invariably I’ll spot an interesting plant being used. It could be a plant I have never seen before, or maybe the way it’s being used is unique. Both circumstances are learning experiences to add to your knowledge base.

We’re all busy trying to be productive and profitable every minute of our day. Don’t let that stop you from expanding your knowledge. Make learning a part of your day. You’ll benefit directly because you become a better expert – your work will show that and your reputation grows. In addition, use your knowledge to “educate” your clients & prospects.  This gets their attention and respect…and you know what that gets!

Gold Coast Juniper Before Pruning

This Gold Coast Juniper is planted a bit close to the walkway, but for a reason.  The walkway traverses along the precipice of a steep slope.  There isn’t much room near the path to plant and we wanted a dense planting to discourage people from going near the slope’s drop-off.

Gold Coast Juniper is a compact, spreading plant, and unlike many of the other junipers it has softer foliage.   With a mature height of around 18 to 24″, it should serve well as buffer/barrier to the slope.

Some Planting Design Needs Gentle Persuasion

You know I always talk about selecting plants to suit the situation.  Always consider their characteristics (i.e. size potential, growth habit, exposure, etc.) and the design intent.  Sometimes the “fit” is not perfect and you must gently persuade the plant to work in that space.

The use of Gold Coast Juniper along this walkway is an example of this.  The juniper lends itself to fairly aggressive pruning and therefore, can be persuaded each season to stay within the space.

Selective Pruning

I don’t recommend you create too many circumstances like this because it puts an extra burden on the maintenance aspect.

If the plant care is under your supervision it’s usually not a problem.  If there’s another company involved there is the possibility that the pruning will be done incorrectly or neglected entirely.

So What’s The Best Way To Prune Gold Coast Juniper?

There is only one right answer to this question…prune selectively.

In the first picture at the top I’ve indicated points where selective cuts should be made.  The second picture shows a bypass hand pruner making one of those cuts.

Here are some of the things we wish to accomplish by selectively pruning these Gold Coast Juniper:

• Contain the plant within the allowable space.
• Encourage the plant to grow full and compact.
• Extend the life and usefulness of this plant in this “less than ideal” circumstance.

This type of pruning program should be started soon after planting.  This early start gives it the structure it will need to work in this space for many years to come.

Gold Coast Juniper After Pruning

There are some interesting uses of plants out there because of pruning tactics.  If you have one let’s hear about it.  Use the comments box below.

This is a group of hybridized hollies.  They were developed by “crossing” other holly types to produce cold-hardy plants with beautiful foliage – 2 noble goals.

The term blue holly represents several hollies within the Meserve Holly group.  I do have my favorites, but each one has its own beauty especially when sited correctly.  By sited correctly I mean planted in favorable conditions for that particular plant.

The blue holly group is certainly cold hardy.  In fact,  as far north as into parts of zone 4.  Certain varieties have been found to be a bit more cold-hardy than others.  For example, Blue Maid Holly (pictured above) is considered one of the hardiest.

Note: Even though blue holly is cold hardy, I would still spray them with an anti-transpirant as an added measure of winter protection.  Any broadleaf evergreen will suffer winter burn if conditions are right, such as frozen ground, winter sun and wind.

In the south (e.g. zones 7 – 9) they generally don’t fair as well as in colder climates.  If you’re in those zones consider planting where they’ll get some afternoon shade.

Form and Growth Habit

Blue holly’s mature form is either pyramidal or upright and rounded.  When healthy (this goes back to “siting correctly”) it is a dense evergreen.  The leaves are glossy and almost blue-green.  There are fine, spiny teeth on the leaf edges – but not as pronounced as those on American Holly.

Blue holly varieties are dioecious, meaning there are male and female plants.  If you want the female to produce berries you’ll need a male holly nearby (at least within 300 ft.).

What Blue Holly Likes (and doesn’t like)

Generally, they like full sun.  They will get thinner with less light, which in a “natural” setting can be acceptable.

Blue holly adapts to different soil types, but avoid planting in poorly drained soil.  Plants that are in heavy wet clay can, for example, weaken and become predisposed to disease like Phytophthora.

As far as pruning goes, I trim them selectively with hand pruners.  Of course large hedges can be done with shears to be more practical and productive.

How Do They “Work” In The Landscape?

When I say this plant is versatile in planting design, I’m not kidding.

The top picture shows blue holly as a hedge.  Is that beautiful or what?  Notice the space this hedge has to grow forward – very smart.  You could plant a groundcover or low perennial in that open space while the holly continues to grow.

The picture to the right shows a blue holly used as a single plant in a mixed garden.  It offers year round interest with its deep, rich color and texture.

I have also used blue holly as a screen plant to hide utilites.  In the border garden it masses nicely in groups of any number (they say always work in “odd” numbers).  There you can arrange them in a stagger and let them grow together naturally.  For foundation plantings it makes an excellent corner plant either by itself or in a grouping.

As always (I’ll bet you know what I’m going to say) space blue holly appropriately.  They have the potential to get 8 – 10′ high and 6 – 8′ wide.

Here are some of the blue holly varieties you’ll probably come across:

• ‘Blue Angel’
• ‘Blue Boy’
• ‘Blue Girl’
• ‘Blue Maid’
• ‘Blue Prince’
• ‘Blue Princess’
• ‘Blue Stallion’

The answer is obvious – if a plant dies the company that installed it must replace it.

Of course that’s the main reason to want a guarantee.  But I don’t think we choose a product or service just because it has a guarantee.  Most of us want a “quality” product or service, and then if the product or service has a problem, it’s taken care of under guarantee.

But no matter how good a plant guarantee is, it’s still a hassle to go through the process.  Typically you call the company; they have to send someone out to look, schedule the replacements, make sure they have the right plants…you know how that goes.  Yes, eventually the plants are replaced (mmm, most of the time), but it’s still something we’d all rather avoid.

Now I have to say, there are landscape companies out there that respond very well to guarantee issues.  In fact, I know of some companies that check their more recent projects and spot plants needing replacement before the homeowner does.  Rare, yes, but they do exist.

A good landscape company confidently stands by and fulfills its plant guarantee obligations. How are they able to do this?  They control plant loss with:

• Knowledge of plant types and planting design
• Ability to find and identify quality plants
• Knowledge of soil types, drainage and other influential conditions
• Knowledge of installation practices for varying conditions & circumstances

A company that operates at this level can be confident that their plant losses will be minimal.

A poor landscape company will struggle with a plant guarantee because of constant plant losses.  The picture above tells a grim story.

Not one of these nine arborvitae survived.  Why?

The exposure is directly south.  The planting area is elevated behind a wall.  There’s an asphalt parking lot in front.  I’m feeling hot and thirsty just thinking about it!

The first thing that should come to mind in this situation is: “Brutal conditions.  What can I design to sustain in this environment?”

Yes arborvitae like sun, but they prefer moist conditions.  If they struggle with dryness and challenging conditions (like these) they are doomed to failure.  Even if they somehow survived they’d be stressed and predisposed to numerous ailments.

No Worries… There’s A Plant Guarantee!

Yes, I suppose there is.  Although these have been dead for awhile.  Let’s give the landscape company the benefit of the doubt.  They’re waiting for the “fall planting season” to replace them.  I wonder if they’re going to replace them with more arborvitae?

When I say a plant guarantee is only as good as the landscaper behind it, I don’t mean to imply quality of character.  It is very likely this landscaper had and will continue to have the best of intentions.

The lesson here is don’t get false hope just because there’s a guarantee.  Do your “due diligence” and make sure a good, knowledgeable company goes along with that plant guarantee.

There are many plant guarantee stories out there.  Have any good ones?  Let us know in the comments.

• What is the main purpose of the planting design?
• How much and what “level” of care will be given to this landscape?
• How will the gardens look throughout the year?

What’s the purpose for this planting design?

Sometimes there is an absolute functional reason to “work” the landscape, such as a slope with erosion or a nasty view that needs screening.  Other times it could be purely aesthetics where you just want to create something beautiful for enjoyment.  More often than not the two goals work side by side.

From a functional and practical sense, the sign in this landscape needed a “setting” where lawn mowers and other equipment would not come near it.  In addition, future lighting will need a safe area for the fixtures to sit.

Who’s going to take care of this planting design and what’s it going to cost?

Every aspect of your design should be considered from a maintenance and longevity standpoint.

“Every time you establish a planned landscape there is care and on-going cost associated with it.”

Line design, plant selection & spacing, hardscape choices, groundcovers, mulch – you name it and it will have an affect on care and on-going cost.

Homeowners need to be aware of this fact and consider it in their initial decision making.  Yes, climbing wisteria is a beautiful thing, but realize what goes along with it.

If you’ll look at the plan pictured below, the shape of the bed is a simple oval; making it a snap to cut the grass and line trim the edge.

The two evergreens used are Cherry Laurel and Blue Star Juniper.  For the most part these plants can mature on their own with little pruning and intervention.  Most problematic and maintenance-heavy landscapes are due to poor plant selection and arrangement.

How will the garden look throughout the year?

A main request for this planting design was to have seasonal color.  For this circumstance and relatively small garden, I decided on 2 symmetrical areas dedicated to seasonal color.  Yes, we discussed the work and cost to maintain this feature and it was acceptable.  What you’re seeing now (summer) is New Guinea Impatiens and “Wave” Petunias.

The seasonal color plantings cover April to November.  In the off-season the evergreen Laurel and Juniper carry the garden with balance and interest.

This design is so simple, yet it functions as it should.

If you have a question on a landscape you’re working on, ask it in the comments below.  If you have a picture and it’s posted on the web (e.g. Flickr, Yahoo, Picasa, etc.), include the link in your comment.

Lily of the Valley is one of those ground covers you may not always think to use.  Yet it is one of the easiest to grow, can spread like crazy and needs hardly any care.  I know, you’re probably thinking “Why am I not using more of this plant?”.

In case you’re not familiar with Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis), here’s some plant profile information on this gem.

It is perennial and therefore dies down to the ground each year before winter.  Bonus! This makes leaf clean-up much easier than having to rake out a bed of pachysandra in the fall.

Lily of the Valley grows to about 8″ high (although there are some taller varieties) and spreads by rhizomes.  These underground stems grow laterally and then push up shoots (sometimes called “pips”) to form new leaves.

Because it’s a fairly aggressive spreader, I’m careful where I plant it.  For instance, don’t try to mix it into a bed with other perennials – it will easily over-run the others.  However, it does mix and coexist well with other woody plants like Rhododendron and Viburnum.  In fact, that’s a great look in a woodland setting.

Lily of the Valley prefers shade to partial shade, but it will tolerate sun, especially if given enough moisture.  It doesn’t seem to be too particular about soil type – another testament to its “warrior” status in my book.

It’s rated for Zones 2 – 7, but the further south you go the more shade you should give it.

The flowers show up in mid spring.  They are white, bell-shaped and have a nice scent.  One thing though: orange berries may appear in the fall.  These are poisonous so just keep that in mind if you have little kids nearby.

Lily of the Valley has beauty and brawn.  The classic use is as a ground cover under shade trees, but creatively it can be used around woody plants and also in the “nooks and crannies” of a shady rock garden.

One more great attribute of this plant is its deer resistance.  In my area this quality is almost becoming a must.

Let me know in the comments how you’ve used it and what experiences you’ve had with Lily of the Valley.

I can remember taking plant identification courses in school and being overwhelmed by how different each plant is.  Setting aside their cultural differences, like what type of soil and exposure they prefer, let’s just think about the differences in terms of shape and size.

How we design and arrange plantings is a huge topic and should begin with basic design principles.  However, without first knowing fundamental plant information your planting designs are built more on a “wing and a prayer” rather than strategic planning.

Yes, the planting should be attractive and show the traits of any good design such as balance, unity, etc., but let’s not forget that these plants are living things and will grow to their natural size and shape.

Plant Information Is Cheap To Come By And Yet Incredibly Valuable

When you speak to a knowledgeable plant person they always talk in terms of how a plant will ultimately grow (shape and size), and also what environmental conditions it grows best in.  This way of thinking helps to design landscapes where the plants flourish and not struggle.  It also allows for proper spacing so the landscape will last for years without overcrowding.

Experience is certainly a great teacher, but it all starts with readily available plant information from books and online.  I keep two books in my truck for quick reference: Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr, and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust.

Looking up a plant takes a few minutes, but those few minutes are probably the most valuable time you’ll spend in your planning.  Plus, you’ll find that after a while this information sticks in your mind and you’ll start considering plants as to how they actually grow.  You’ll be on your way to being a “plant-person” and a much better designer.

Are You Sure You Want That Plant There?

Hornbeam 'Fastigiate'

In the foundation planting pictured above it’s obvious the designer has creative talent, but lacks plant knowledge.

In the picture to the right is a Hornbeam ‘Fastigiate’.  This tree will grow to 30 – 40′ high and 20′ wide.  This is the tree the designer has in front of the window next to the door.

No doubt the designer saw this tree at the nursery, admired its “columnar” shape and thought: “This baby will soften the view of the house and stay nice and narrow”.  If this designer had opened a book, he or she would have realized “this baby” will grow out of this space in no time.

Colorado Spruce 'Montgomery'

Beware of the term “dwarf”.

There are a number of plants out there that are sometimes referred to as “dwarf” varieties.  Realize that this is a relative term and when you compare the size of the standard specie to the cultivated variety, you may certainly refer to the smaller one as “dwarf”.

A ‘Montgomery’ Spruce originates from the giant Colorado Spruce.  Yes, it does grow considerably smaller, but I’ve seen them 7′ high and 10′ wide on numerous occasions.  You see the little blue spruce in front of the Hornbeam in this foundation planting?… it’s a ‘Montgomery’.  I often hear this plant referred to as a dwarf spruce.  Real petite, right?

You see what’s happening here? (or going to happen?)

I hate to beat this point to death, but there’s one more blatant misuse of plant in this foundation planting.  I’m sure some of you already see it and were wondering when I’d get to it.

Cryptomeria

In our “case study” picture above, planted off the first left corner where the building juts back there is a Crytomeria.  This is another favorite plant of mine.  In fact, to the right is a Crytomeria I installed 25 years ago.  Although I knew the plant would get bigger, I was still naive in thinking it would stay within certain bounds.  Fortunately, the lower branches could be pruned to give this “monster” a raised canopy and allow it to work in this foundation space.

I can’t impress upon you enough the importance of plant knowledge in landscape design.  Experience, as was the case with the Cryptomeria, has taught me a great deal over the years.  But by referencing books and other sources I’ve learned a great deal and continue to discover new information.

A friend of mine in the business is now in his 80′s.  He’s been propagating and growing plants all his life.  I once complimented him on his knowledge and he said, “With all there is to learn, I’m just scratching the surface”.

There is so much to gain by understanding and using plant groupings (or “plant massings” as they are sometimes called).

Design With An Appropriate Setting In Mind

“Uh-oh” you say, “he’s getting into subjective territory”.  Maybe so, but think about it.  To make something appropriate is: to make suitable; to make suitable for the context in which it occurs.

If something is unsuitable or out of the realm of what you’d expect, you’re not going to feel comfortable with it.  If there’s any experience you want people to have in your design, let it be a pleasant and comfortable one.

How do you decide on what is appropriate?

Hmmm.  Good question.  Again, we’re going to skirt on the notion of subjectivity, but maybe it can be viewed very simply.

You wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to a barbecue would you? (College years excluded.)  Of course not.  It’s just not appropriate.  It wouldn’t look right and it sure wouldn’t feel right.

Before putting a pencil to paper, survey the setting – look at the surroundings.  Consider the feature or intended use of the space (recreation, entertaining, interest garden, etc.).  With all things considered, if this intended setting was here and occurred naturally, how might it look?

In the pool setting above imagine what the property looked like before.  The large trees were existing and the land was raised going towards the back.

With the intent of designing a pool in an appropriate setting, how do you think this would naturally occur?

Conceptually the pool would be irregular in shape, it would more likely occur in a lower position relative to the slope, and it would be surrounded by naturalized plantings.

No doubt you’ll have specific feature requests that you must work with – like the paver bricks used for this pool patio.  (Irregular flagstone would have worked well.)  But if you always keep in mind your general concept of what’s appropriate in the design, you can’t go wrong.