Some projects you plan to do in the summer — this one was planned for the summer. We broke ground over the winter, working through the off-season so this homeowner could step outside in June and find their backyard already waiting for them. No construction tape, no muddy boots, no lost weekends spent watching crews come and go. That is one of the ways we work with homeowners here at Egan Landscape Group — by getting ahead of the calendar and making sure that when the warm weather finally arrives, you are already living in the finished version of your outdoor space. Winter construction is not always the most glamorous phase of the process, but it is one of the smartest moves a homeowner can make. By the time spring arrived, we were wrapping up the final details. By the time summer hit, the only thing left to do was enjoy it. Now that we are fully into the season, we get to see exactly what we built for — and this one does not disappoint.
This project centered on a comprehensive pool patio installation, designed to surround the pool and connect seamlessly to the existing deck area, creating a transition that feels natural, intentional, and polished from every angle. Rather than treating the pool and the deck as two separate spaces, we approached the entire backyard as one cohesive outdoor environment — and the result speaks for itself.
We followed the natural contours of the pool throughout the design, including a carefully accommodated scalloped edge in the deep end, built around the pool’s existing underwater bench ledge. It is a subtle but beautiful detail that adds character to the hardscape while also serving a very practical purpose — as the homeowners have already discovered, it is the ideal launch pad for a cannonball. The poolside terrace rounds out the hardscape, beautifully completed with outdoor furniture and a full entertainment center, all sheltered beneath a stunning open-air pool house. It is the kind of space that transitions effortlessly from a lazy afternoon to a full backyard gathering — comfortable, functional, and designed to be used.
Fresh sod was installed to complete the look, tying together every element of the project and ensuring that not a single corner of this backyard felt unfinished. The homeowners have done a remarkable job maintaining every inch of it, and from the gleaming pool patio to the thriving plantings, this backyard is exactly what it was always meant to be.
On one side of the pool, we constructed a low stone wall that adds both structure and a sense of definition to the space. It is the kind of feature that works quietly in the background, doing more than it lets on. At first glance it is a design element — clean, grounded, and perfectly in keeping with the rest of the hardscape. But spend an afternoon out here and you quickly realize how much it earns its place. It is somewhere to drape a towel after a swim, set down a cold drink while you decide whether to get back in, or simply take a seat and soak up the sun for a few minutes. It creates a natural boundary between the pool surround and the planting area behind it without ever feeling like a barrier, and that balance between form and function is exactly what good hardscape design looks like.
Behind the stone wall, a dedicated planting bed provides a lush, layered backdrop anchored by two Weeping Red Japanese Maples, one on either side. They bring a quiet elegance to that corner of the yard — graceful branching, rich color, and a presence that only grows more impressive with each passing season. Come evening, a set of landscape lighting uplights cast a warm glow up through the canopy, giving the space a soft, almost magical quality once the sun goes down. Along the perimeter of the fence, flowering planting beds bring color and movement to every edge of the yard. Hydrangeas take center stage throughout — including Lets Dance Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata Limelight Prime, and a stunning Limelight Prime Tree Form that anchors the bed with height and structure. Flowing ornamental grasses like Miscanthus Adagio and Pennisetum Hameln add soft texture and movement, while Happy Returns Daylily, Nepeta Walkers Low, Astilbe, Heuchera Lime, Hibiscus All Eyes on Me, Spiraea Neon Flash, Rose of Sharon, At Last Floribunda Rose, and Vitex round out a planting palette that shifts and blooms from early spring well into fall. It is a thoughtfully layered design that softens the hardscape, adds seasonal color to every corner, and gives this backyard a sense of life that only gets better with time.
