BUILDING FOUNTAINS AND PONDS - Fountain
and Garden Pools 1
From a strict point of view, garden
pools are luxuries which
are hard to justify in planning a modern
home site. Garden pools
contribute nothing but a little beauty.
Fortunately we do not all live
by logic and many people, some who are
well-to-do and also some
who are not rich by accepted standards,
spend money for private
pools. No one keeps statistics, but the
number of small garden pools
built does not seem to be diminishing,
and even the number of
private swimming pools is increasing,
although the latter statement
may be questioned in Hollywood A well-planned
small pool can contribute much to the
charm and peace of a garden landscape.
The reflection of light from
the surface of the water draws the eye
of anyone who looks upon
the scene. The pool itself can support
interesting water plants or
fish. Pools are not universally admired
nor are they altogether with-
out disadvantages. Some gardeners believe
that more color and
beauty can be contributed to the garden
by devoting the space to
land plants. Other serious folk begrudge
the time required for pick-
ing leaves out of a pool, filling it
in the spring, draining it in the
fall, etc. There is no question but that
pools are a hazard under
certain circumstances. They are not to
be recommended where
toddling children have access to the
garden, and a few adults have
been injured or shocked by slipping into
them under inauspicious
circumstances. Design of garden pools.
If the main purpose of the pool
is decoration, as it usually is, the
pool's design is the most important
element in its success. There is no such
thing as a stock design
that will fit any garden or even a fair
number of gardens. Probably
most of the pools which were constructed
several decades ago were
round because circles suited the taste
for formalism in the garden.
Furthermore, circles are easy to build.
Then the kidney-shaped pool
became popular, probably as a mild revolt
against the long reign of
the more formal style. Although there
is a limit to the number of
shapes in which pools can be built and
still not appear to be the
work of some eccentric designer, the
kidney-shaped pool is probably
nearing the end of its era too. At the
present time the tendency is to
suit the shape of the pool to the garden
or lawn in which it is to be
placed.
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