What to do with swimming pool hole?

[TrishD]

Hi Guys, 

No idea where to start..! Removed old wooden deck and above ground swimming pool, left with posts and large hole. The sun comes up over the side fence behind the hole and area is in full sun all day. I would love some ideas. Thank you

[Jason]

Hi @TrishD,

A very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us and I trust you will get loads of help and inspiration for all your projects around the house and garden from our members.

It looks like you have a wonderful backyard to work with. What are your goals for this project? How would you like to use the space?

I would encourage you to have a good read of this excellent guide by @Adam_W: How to plan a garden makeover. As Adam says, it would be great for you to come up with a wish list, share it with us, and then we can recommend how best to achieve your plan.

Looking forward to seeing how you can transform this space (with a little bit of help from the Workshop community).

Jason

[TrishD]

Thanks Jason

Not really a blogger or writer, so here goes.. Concern over the builders sand, can I grow stuff on it, do I need to dig it in, mix it with some decent top soil, then mulch?? or Can I just dump topsoil on it as it is?? Then a truckload of mulch?

I sort of have a plan, wish list.. want to keep things simple.

So full sun, most of the day, I thought a couple of fruit trees, whilst they are growing, I have some little Boronias I'd like to plant and maybe just have it as a simple garden bed of flowering annuals, bulbs each season. Hiding behind the rotten messy Bay tree (chainsaw fixed this week, boy it's going to get a haircut). Is a Bougainvillea, I'd like to train along the fence, then I see more of the purple bract, less fence .

The grapevine is an older very seedy red grape, been in the ground for over 30 years that I know of, very sweet when ripe, but has got to go, the kids and neighbours are sick of them and I'm tired of pruning it. I swear it knows, I'm thinking of giving it the chop, it's overloaded with grape bunches, almost every foot of vine!

Removing the posts which are well concreted in will be fun..might need to get the local footy team lads to bash and crash as part of a training session, to see if they can shift them.. (dreaming) , until then I'll just etch away at them, with pry bar and sledgehammer. Any other ideas? I'd be most grateful.

Cheers Trish

[EricL]

Hello @TrishD

It sounds like a very well-laid-out plan. Ideally, I would suggest removing the sand and replacing it with good garden soil. It's not that you can't plant in the sand, it's the effort of transforming it into good soil that is quite involved. If the soil underneath is of good quality there should be no issue planting your fruit trees. I suggest using a jackhammer to help with breaking the post concrete. Once you have everything arranged and planted then you can put the mulch in last.

Have you thought about making a small brick border around the area, perhaps a small rock garden to add something different to your layout? My favorite suggestion of course is to add a water feature to attract birds.

Let me tag our experienced members @BradN and @Noelle for their recommendations.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your new garden.

Eric