BKYD Life

Gather. Create. Grow.

Ideas from Designers

Is it Time to Swim?

Imagine the warm sun on your shoulder, maybe its a bit too warm. It would be great to jump into some cool water to cool off. But you can’t because you don’t have a pool in your backyard.

Sound familiar? Well, if you want to be swimming this summer, now is the time to begin the process. I’m going to tell it like it is ~ because, well, I have been living with a pool designer for a long time and every summer he is shocked that so many people are surprised that pool construction takes as long as it does!

As with anything, the sooner you start the sooner you will be done. If you wait until it’s hot, you might but probably won’t be swimming this summer! That is just the hard facts. Now, since everyone was home last summer (and might be again this coming summer) the pool industry was hit hard.

  1. Pool sales were up in 2020, so that meant more demand for the contractors that build pools. Which also meant it took longer to build.
  2. Supply lines were impacted. Concrete and shotcrete prices increased. Pool equipment was in short supply.
  3. Now that Texas has had the winter storm of winter storms, their pools were impacted (to the extent we don’t yet know). But they might need new equipment and definitely need some TLC (by the same people that you might need to build a new pool).

Are you seeing a pattern? If you want a swimming pool in your backyard to enjoy the summer of 2021, the time is now to begin the process. It will cost you more and will take longer than you think. So get your budget ready and prepare to be patient through the process. Click here for a helpful article I wrote last year that will walk you through the swimming pool planning process.

Now, if you are goin to put a pool in this year, let me know how it goes and tag us on Instagram with a photo of the finished product.

Planners are Planters, part 2

Here is the link if you need to reread part 1. In part 1, I created a list of ideas you might want to include in your backyard plan. Remember you need a plan to get the most out of your space and time in the backyard. You may have, even, thought of more ideas for your backyard than I listed as possibilities. If you did, that’s great. I’m glad you were being creative and thinking outside the box.

Now, with your list, let’s start creating zones. Let’s start with the big items. If you are putting in a pool or play structure (or both), you will need to decide where they should go first. Think of things like are they visually pleasing? Do you want to see them from a certain window inside the house? What spot in the yard makes the most sense? Do you need gas, electric or water lines, then make those as short as possible and place the pool or other large item in close proximity to the source.

Maybe you have a small space and you don’t want or need items like a pool or play structure. What you really want is a garden, a place to eat and a place to cook in your backyard.

Those zones fit perfectly together. You could even put a lovely table in the midst of your garden beds. As you can see in these two photos ~ the garden beds are on the edges of the yard while the table is in the middle. What a fantastic way to enjoy an evening, with or without company!

If you need any other assistance planning your backyard space to incorporate all that you want, I would suggest reaching out to a professional. You can find options online or locally. Yardzen is a great online option. Check out their website for details. If you want a local option, you can visit a nursery in your area, some have designers on staff. Of course, asking friends and family for recommendations is always a good place to start!

I hope this helps you start planning, not just what elements to include in your backyard plan, but also what you can accomplish in your backyard. You can grow your own food to nourish your family and friends. You can gather in community to share a meal and stories of the day while creating fabulous memories. After all, the backyard was meant to gather, create, and grow!