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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Concealing the Pool Equipment

I am not home so I am posting this in advance. I am thanking you in advance for any comments and I might be late in responding but I will catch up when I return.
I am linking with 3 memes today:
Blue Monday is hosted by Sally at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday is hosted by Susan at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com
Mosaic Monday is hosted by Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/
I hope you will visit all these gracious and ever loyal ladies to see a lot of wonderful creations.
For Blue Monday, I am sharing my Forget me Not hanging plants. I love their blue flowers. I have 2 of them hanging on the porch on the office and master bedroom side.
Mosaic Monday contributions will be scattered around.
For Met. Monday, I am showing you what I did to hide our pool equipment. I have been working on this continuously since the pool was built. I have tried several solutions but they were never the right one. I think I finally found something I am happy with.
As soon as you get to the backyard, this eye sore greets you and it's really been very frustrating to me. I don't know why they placed it there but I think it is because behind the wall is the garage and the electrical panels are in there. There is also a gas line there for the big generator that is next to the pool equipment. We had a centralized generator installed after we had a bad hurricane 2 years ago, leaving us without power for at least 4 days. Now, whenever the power goes off, 5 seconds later, the generator kicks in automatically and then we have power all over the house. It is really very convenient.
The pictures below are the "Before".
Can you see the ugly equipment? Of course you can cause it greets you right in the eye. I tried putting iron trellises and hanging flowers on them but the equipment is still very visible as you can see below. The big box in the last picture of the mosaic is the generator. I am going to put a big bushy plant in a pot on it when I get back.
While flying to Florida a few weeks ago, I saw these white self watering planter/trellises in the Skymall catalog. When I got to FL., I went on line and emailed a picture to dh and he said to go ahead and order 3. I thought we needed at least 4 so we bought 4. I think we need 2 more so I will probably order more. They have a water reservoir underneath so you can just fill it and not worry about watering the plants until it is empty. Perfect for us because we travel a lot.
I think they are concealing the equipment much better and will even be better after the plants grow and the flowering vines spread out.
Eventually, I will fill those holes with 2 more units. I do have to leave a little gap because the pool people have to go there when they come to clean and maintain the pool.
Do you see the ugly black spots on the deck? I did host them out after I took pictures but they came from the trees, I think from the acorns. Yikes!
Here is the view from the house. Do you see the garbage can on the right side in front of the trellis? I ordered it from Neiman Marcus on line. The set of trellis and the garbage can were among the packages that I had to open when I got home. I told you I went on an on line shopping spree while in Florida, lol. You should have seen all the boxes that came in while I was gone. They were all over the kitchen, garage and some in the foyer.

I want to buy and plant more climbing flowering vines. Should I get the same ones that I have (Carolina jessamines) or should I get other flowers with another color?
In case you are wondering what that round thing on the ground is, it is a wet deck. We turn it on when the grandkids are here. Water shoots intermittently upward and the kids really enjoy it.
This is one of the vines I planted when we moved here. I planted it outside the office and hubby moved it here when they built the pool. It did not die last winter even if we had a really bad one (we had temps in the teens which is unusual for us). That is the reason I picked to plant the same kind in the trellises. I have not decided if I should plant the same kind in the other 2. What do you all think? I want something evergreen like this one though.
See the pretty yellow flowers?
Can you spot the trellis all the way to the end of the right pitcure? And can you spot the ugly big green plastic trash can at the end of the left picture? I think our new garbage can looks a lot better now, don't you?
I am just so happy that I don't see the ugly equipment anymore from our office cause I stay here a lot blogging.
This last picture does not have anything to do with the memes but I just wanted to show you our peaches and the small Japanese magnolias behind the arbor that are blooming. Do you see them?
Thank you so much for coming by and thanks to Sally, Susan and Mary for hosting these fun events. I hope you all have a nice week!

33 comments:

  1. I love your outdoor spaces!! Those self watering planters are pretty.

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  2. Hi Christine !
    I love your back yard and all those pretty flowers ! I bet your sitting area this year will be really neat !
    Kammy

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  3. Christine, what lovely flowers.. your back yard is amazing.
    Sonny

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  4. What a clever way to disguise your generator and pool equipment! We live in a hurricane prone area too, and we also have a whole house generator...they are wonderful!

    Kat :)

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  5. The lattice will be a great backdrop for the jasmine! Great idea.

    Be sure to drop by AtticMag and see what Jane posted for Met Monday.

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  6. What a superb solution! They not only hide the uglies, but they are gorgeous to look at. Your pool and patio area is just absolutely heavenly. I can see why you do most of your blogging out there.

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  7. Yay! for lovely spring weather...Enjoy your week! It will be so beautiful to see all your gorgeous plants in bloom!

    Blessings & Aloha!

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  8. These look like the perfect solution! They are going to be really stunning when covered with climbing flowers. Your pool area is just gorgeous Christine! I don't think I'd ever go in the house :) Kat

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  9. What great planters. I loe it. They are so pretty and do a fantastic job of covering all the pool equipment. Your yard is just gorgeous. I am so envious. Hugs, Marty

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  10. Good job, Christine! Happy Blue Monday.

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  11. Your backyard is gorgeous, Christine! Almost looks like a magazine feature, seriously. And great job on the pool equipment :)

    Happy Blue Monday! My Blue Monday's here!

    Take care wherever you are!

    Rach

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  12. As always just lovely pictures. I really do love those white tellises. I may have to check these out! I can think of 2 places out front I would like to put them. Of course I would have to put artificial flowers in them LOL! I do not have a green thumb.

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  13. You have nice place good for you...Happy blue Monday. Mine is up.

    mine is here

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  14. Your back yard is just beautiful. Love the planters.

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  15. Everything looks beautiful! All your hard work has paid off!

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  16. Beautiful shots and mosaics!
    Happy Monday..Luna

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  17. You have such a paradise home Christine.

    Here's my Blue Monday post, have a great week ahead!

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  18. Beautiful home you have!

    Better late than never, my Blue Monday, have a good day!

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  19. awww love it Christine :) so beautiful and looks relaxing too! :)

    u may view mine here

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  20. You did a great job on covering up the equipment. An the pool... it looks so inviting! Happy Blue Monday.

    Mine is here.

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  21. Those are very nice. They do a great job in hiding the equipment.

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  22. Your patio looks inviting--everything is "greening up" in your neck of the Southern woods. I love the trellis planters. This is exactly what we need to hide our pool equipment. Thanks!!!!

    I will be happy to post your FF entry.
    XX00

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  23. Great ides! When we had our pool put in, the pump was in the front yard! Luckily, my husband puts in fiberglass pools for a living and he and his crew moved everything to the back side. The yellow jasmine reminds me of how I destroyed my mothers. It was after my daddy died and no one was at home. I was walking around and noticed this 'honeysuckle vine' taking over Daddy's windmill. So I pulled all of it up for mother. I was so proud of myself until she told me what I had done. I felt so bad but there wasn't anything I could do but apologize.

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  24. What a gorgeous place to sit and blog. Your yellow flowers are lovely. I have seen some similarly shaped flowers in orange/red. They might make a very nice contrast.

    Becky K.
    Hospitality Lane

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  25. That is such a great way to conceal the pool equipment...love all the lattice work and planters too!

    Thanks for the site seeing tour on the post below...Ft. Myers is pretty!
    Hope you have a great week!
    Big Hugs,
    Queenie

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  26. Beautiful Blue flowers !
    Blessings,
    ~Myrna

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  27. Wow...when those trellis' are covered with growth that is going to be PERFECT, Christine. Great idea!

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  28. It looks like you came up with some good solutions for your eyesores. Things like that bug me too. Your pool area is so beautiful! Joan

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  29. Perfect solution & beautiful home!

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  30. It's a very pretty space. The new look of your blog is really nice too!

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  31. See also more and compare for best prices deals for Pool equipment here!

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