WHO BUT AN author would base the design of her garden on a poem? When J.A. Jance and her husband, Bill Schlib, bought a home in Bridle Trails nearly a decade ago, they consulted Alan Burke of Classic Nursery and Landscape Co. When Burke suggested using words in the garden, Jances first thought was Are you kidding? I write murder mysteries.

Then she remembered hearing Cecil Day-Lewis read his poem Baucis and Philemon, when she was a student at the University of Arizona. Jance kept that love poem, based on an ancient Greek myth, in her heart all these years. Now words from it are engraved here and there throughout the garden, creating both a literary atmosphere and also the feel of a treasure hunt.

I havent had the good fortune to work with as many writers as Id like, says Burke, who has used literature as a theme in his award-winning gardens at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show. In Jances garden he was encouraged to use words as the cornerstone of the design.

Burke started out with a mess of a property that included the remains of an asphalt go-cart track, a leaky fish pond and broken waterfall. Over the years, hes worked with Jance and Schlib to transform the place into a mirror of their interests and tastes. The house is golden-colored stucco, and grandly scaled with generous porches and terraces. The outdoor kitchen and cabana are large enough to entertain the couples extended family. We can seat all 17 kids and grandkids for dinner, says Jance. This covered area by the pool is the spot-of-choice for rainy-day barbecues and marshmallow roasts with the grandchildren. The fountain, hot tub, swimming pool and warm desert colors remind Jance of her history and second home in Arizona.

In 2002, Schlib and Jance tried downsizing to a Seattle condo. That didnt work out very well, and they moved to the Eastside to be close to their daughter and grandchildren. Now Bella, their rescue dachshund, has the run of a full acre of gardens.

How does this prolific writer, with 20 million copies of her books in print, find a moment to get outdoors and enjoy her garden? She writes in a comfy chair overlooking the pool, sheltered by the homes extended roofline and warmed by a heat lamp. This is where she recently finished her 48th novel.

From Jances writing perch, she can look down a stone pathway and steps to the restored fish pond, which is all too often visited by heron in search of a snack. The fan palms, rhododendrons and azaleas around the pond were original to the garden. Burke brought in stone, laid terraces, installed a fountain that creates enough water sound to muffle traffic noise, and planted dark red Japanese maples, as well as ornamental grasses and perennials, around the swimming pool.

To flank the pond, he added gunnera, their vast leaves lending a tropical feel to the garden. Behind the pond is a stone circle with a linden tree and an oak, just as in the poem that inspired the garden. Over in a sunny corner are raised beds thick with herbs and vegetables. Bills the cook, says Jance, although she takes obvious pleasure in the kitchen garden.

When I came to Seattle from Phoenix in 1981, a refugee from a bad marriage and a worse divorce, driving a used car I hadnt paid for yet, I never envisioned this, says Jance of her word-filled paradise on a hilltop.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer. Check out her blog at http://www.valeaston.com. Mike Siegel is a Seattle Times staff photographer.

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Author J.A. Jance’s garden brims with beauty and thoughts that inspire

Searching through our online gallery you can find some of the best pictures and ideas for pool landscaping in 2014. With every New Year come new design trends for both interior and exterior dcor, and landscaping around pools is no exception. Decorating the area around a swimming pool is a very important aspect of your backyard landscape because you will want to make the space as beautiful as possible. There are many outdoor pool decorating ideas that you can choose from to help you find the perfect design for your space. You can plant trees and bushes around your deck, have potted flowers, or design a colorful garden behind your pool. If you live in a tropical environment planting exotic poolside palm trees will make your backyard an outdoor oasis. No matter the size of your property, with the right landscaping you can create beautiful backyards with a pool inground to enjoy year round. Choosing between swimming pool landscaping plants may seem difficult, but there are many DIY home design ideas that we can help with to create your dream home.

There are many online resources to make you landscaping plans easier. You can find many photo galleries that can show you different nautical poolside dcor trends in both plants and patio furniture. You can also find luxury swimming pool ideas and pictures to make your backyard a look like a designer home. These trends include planting tropical vegetation such as palm trees or even installing premier pools with waterfalls in your yard. Looking through dream pool landscape photos can help you to plan a beautiful sanctuary for you to relax in during the warm months of the year. If you are in the market for a house and wish to have a place to swim, you can even find new home pool landscape pics online so that you choose the perfect place. The landscaping element of pool design is a very important feature. Choosing the proper plants for the area is vital so that you get the look you want. By looking through pictures of pools with landscaping you can find design inspiration to get an idea of where to place your plants as well as what types to have.

In addition to looking at pictures for ideas for you pool and landscape design, there are tools online that can help you diagram your plan. 3D software programs that allow you to design your own pool online complete with landscaping tools to get the full effect. With these tools you can create a blueprint of your entire backyard and then add different plants and trees to design your landscaping. A great idea for 2014 pool designs for small backyards is to build a fence out of bushes or hedges. Holly bushes or Green Giant trees are great to plant around your perimeter to build a natural privacy fence because they are fast growing and reach tall heights. When you have a swimming space in your yard you will want to have privacy from the rest of the neighborhood so you will want a fence. But instead of installing a wood or metal one you can use plants to create a privacy fence. You can search backyard pool landscaping photos to get ideas on how to build a natural fence around your swimming area.

The type of plants that you choose to have around your pool is important. Luxury pool enclosures can produce a lot of humidity that can harm plants, in addition to intense sunlight that can also damage your landscaping. Therefore you will want to choose vegetation that can withstand humidity sunlight, and the chemicals from pool water splashing on them. Adding ornamental grasses or some broad-leafed evergreens are great simple landscaping ideas for a pool area. Trees surrounding your pool can add beauty to your yard while also providing shade during the hot sunny summer months. If you live in a warm environment that does not have frost during the winter you can plant Banana trees around your small fiberglass pools to create a tropical feel. These have beautiful long broad leaves that can create the atmosphere of an island escape. Adding flowers to you landscaping are great colorful options for small pool ideas. One great flower is the Hibiscus; its a beautiful white and pink flowered plant that has a nice tropical feel to it.

Flowers can add a beautiful touch to any type of landscaping for traditional or modern pool shapes. Whether you are decorating above or semi inground pools, the key to flower arrangements is the placement. You want your pool to be the main focal point with the garden accenting it. Adding bouquets of Aeonium Rosettes to your pool landscape is a great option because not only does this plant add vibrant color, but it is also very low maintenance. This plant is drought-tolerant by storing water in its leaves and roots, it also requires very little grooming. The rosettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes making for great landscaping ideas for small yards. Colorful plants can also be a great accent to ceramic pool tile or lining in your pool. Popular colors for the insides of pools are blues, greys, and greens. So adding trees with deep greens or flowers with dark pinks or red tones to them can be great accents to your swimming pool tiles.

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Photos of Swimming Pool Landscaping Designs Ideas Plans

By Ashley Mackin

The La Jolla Parks and Beaches community advisory committee held a special meeting Dec. 23 to discuss plans for the Childrens Pool Walk beautification project and get updates on related money matters.

With just over $250,000 in the bank thanks largely to a $200,000 donation from La Jolla resident Tom Morgan the board needed to approve spending some of that money on the services of design architect Jim Neri.

Artists rendering of the Childrens Pool Walk project Courtesy

Through a statement read by LJP&B member Phyllis Minick, Neri requested the board approve $51,311 in additional fees for the design development, engineering, construction documents, plan processing, permit fees, BID administration and construction services, as submitted in the Dec. 12, 2013 proposal by Neri Landscape Architecture (NLA).

The LJP&B board, to cover any additional and unforeseen fees, voted to approve an amount not to exceed $55,000 to be paid to NLA. Neri said he would offer a fee reduction because he believes this project should come to fruition.

Since this is a community-funded project in my own community, NLA is discounting our fees 20 percent and is not charging the customary 10 percent markup of our consultant fees, saving $6,500 in fees for the construction of this much-needed project, his statement read.

While one set of fees was reduced, another increased. Minick reported that city permit costs have increased by 20 percent since the projects inception three years ago, which translates into $53,000.

However, Minick said she received a letter from the city indicating that $70,000 would be available in mid-2014, and another $30,000 might also become available. Should we laugh or cry? she joked, reflecting on the three years spent and dozens of grant proposals submitted for this project. We thank (District 1 City Councilmember) Sherri Lightner for getting this done.

Minick said, on the advice of some board members, that she will request $70,000 be used to cover city-permit costs.

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Parks & Beaches OKs first Children’s Pool project expenditures

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Photo by Dave DiCello

Point State Park Renovation, Phase 4

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Due to long-term deterioration from severe flooding and other harsh weather, Pittsburgh's Point State Parka National Historic Landmarkwas in great need of renovation. The $35-million renovation of the 36-acre park included lawn and woodland restoration, wharf reconstruction, updating utilities and construction of a cafe.

The project's fourth and final phase focused on the Point Park fountain. A main goal was to upgrade the fountain's central water column system so that it could regain its peak height of 150 ft. Crews also installed a new 154-ft-dia inner basin ring that achieves an infinity-edge appearance between the fountain's pool and the nearby river.

Point State Park is surrounded on three sides by water and, on the fourth side, borders the city's business district. Interstate 279 also crosses overhead, further constraining access.

The park is the pre-Revolutionary War site of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt. Because of the park's landmark designation, crews had to take special precautions to protect historical artifacts.

The park, which hosts an average of three million visitors a year, had to remain open to the public throughout construction, even though nearly every surface was being renovated.

The renovation was the largest park project ever undertaken by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Landscape Hardscape Urban Development: Award of Merit

Submitted Encore Development is building two homes in the city of Naples. Shown is a rendering of the home being built in The Moorings on the corner of Crayton Road and Riviera Drive.

Encore Development LLC, a Naples-based real estate development firm owned by Mark DiSabato and Rick Armalavage, has begun construction on two more homes in the heart of Naples.

According to DiSabato, these unique homes are the latest offerings from Encore Development, a company experienced in delivering beautiful Naples homes in the neighborhoods west of U.S. 41. The homes feature spacious and highly functional floor plans, outfitted with the highest quality finishes and enticing outdoor living areas.

The market is very strong in Naples right now, especially for new, one-of-a-kind custom-built homes like these, said DiSabato. We have already successfully built and recently sold multiple homes on West Boulevard Court, Central Avenue and 11th Avenue South.

One home is located in The Moorings on the corner of Crayton Road and Riviera Drive. This three-bedroom, with den and loft, three-and-one-half bath home offers 4,106 square feet under air. This plan includes a pool and spa, pool bath, an outdoor kitchen and the option of a stand alone cabana which would create a fourth bedroom. It has an attached three-car garage and exquisite interior finishes. The home is priced at $3.075 million.

This home is sitting on one of the largest homesites in The Moorings, said DiSabato. There is a substantial grassed backyard terrace beyond the pool and spa that makes for a wonderful place to entertain or provide the children with a play area.

The second home is located on Seventh Avenue North, seven homesites from the Gulf of Mexico. With 5,081 square feet under air, it features four bedrooms, a den, loft and five-and-one-half baths. Outdoor amenities include a luxurious pool with a spillover spa, pool bath, and a well-appointed outdoor kitchen, as well as a private cabana over the attached three-car garage which houses a fifth bedroom. This home is priced at $4.287 million.

We have developed an expertise in delivering home styles buyers desire in this area and we have plans to deliver more homes in the future, said DiSabato. Weve assembled a top design build team which includes highly respected local professionals in the field of architecture, general contracting, interior design and landscape architecture to bring our entire vision to fruition.

These homes are being marketed through Encore Realty, LLC, a firm also owned by DiSabato and Armalavage.

Contact Broker Associate Dante DiSabato of Encore Realty, LLC at Dante@Encore- Realty.com. Visit Encore Realty, LLC at http://www.encore-realty.com.

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Encore building two homes in the heart of Naples

Do you need some time away? Far, far away? Look no further than Gayot's top 10 remote hotels worldwide, featuring top accommodations from the fjords of Greenland to an island in Tahiti. Whether you hike across steep inclines, glide in via floatplane or drive for hours off the beaten path, each of these far-flung gems promises to be well worth the effort. One of them is even in the USA, while another is built almost entirely out of salt. Enjoy the top 10 remote hotels around the world.

Saffire Freycinet

Tasmania Coles Bay Saffire Freycinet

Breathtaking and utterly unique, the avant-garde Saffire Freycinet was inspired by the coastal contours of Tasmania's east coast. Local timber, stone, leather and glass create a tactile experience that is designed to bring guests closer to nature. Accommodations include suites and private pavilions, the latter with plunge pools. In the lounge, guests can enjoy evening canaps amid the dramatic sixteen-foot tall fireplace and original 1950s furnishings from designers such as Charles and Ray Eames. The day spa emphasizes Tasmanian ingredients, and Palate Restaurant serves as a showcase for seafood from local fishing villages and wines grown in the area's Mediterranean-like climate. While this hotel is to die for, Mother Nature provides stiff competition for guests' attention complimentary outdoor activities include canoeing and bird-watching in Pelican Bay and nature tours of the Freycinet Peninsula.

Paddy Barry/Fogo Island Inn

Newfoundland Fogo Island Fogo Island Inn

More than just a hotel, Fogo Island Inn is a trust with a federal mandate to contribute to the economic well-being of the local community. The result: a marvel of modern geometric design that maintains traditions through partnerships with local artists, designers, geologists, architects, fishermen and chefs. Located off Newfoundland's northeast coast, this property has just 29 guest suites, named for the islets, rocks and shoals that can be seen from their floor-to-ceiling windows. Every textile and piece of furniture was locally made, from the quilts to the wallpaper patterns all of which offer subtle, elegant accents in the light-filled accommodations. On the menu at the house restaurant, island produce such as caribou moss and pine mushrooms prevail. Those who want to explore the hotel's dramatic surroundings can participate in marine encounters led by knowledgeable fishermen or embark on a guided tour of the subarctic landscape.

Palacio de Sal

Potosi Palacio de Sal

This is one hotel that's worth its salt literally! Located in southwest Bolivia in the majestic Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, Palacio de Sal is built almost entirely out of salt. Walls, floors, tables, beds, sculptures ... you name it and salt is its main ingredient. Even the billiards table has a salt-block base. Not surprisingly, salt is showcased at the house restaurant, and along with a sauna, steam room and whirlpool baths, the property has a saltwater pool. As for what you can and cannot do here, licking the walls is against house rules. And if you think this place is too quirky for you, think again. Its beautiful ghostly presence in a vast salt desert makes it an experience not to be missed.

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World's most remote escapes

Pompano Beach, Florida (PRWEB) December 26, 2013

As 2013 comes to an end, its interesting to look at what happened to the real estate market as it continued to groan and grasp its way up slowly from the recession abyss. Across the United States, median home prices increased almost 10 percent in 2013. Some regions made slow progress while others were selling so fast, they feared running out of inventory.

Like many Americans, the recovering housing market led many celebrities to put their homes on the market in 2013. Stars such as Matt Damon, Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood, Howie Mandel, Steve Martin, Sheryl Crow, Bob Newhart, Suzanne Somers and Reese Witherspoon put their homes up for sale in 2013. What celebrity has the nicest home, best furniture, biggest pool or, What in the world were they smoking?

TopTenRealEstateDeals.com presents 2013's Top 10 Celebrity Homes For Sale:

Matt Damon's Miami Beach Home

Located on one of North Miami Beachs most exclusive and secure celebrity magnet islands, Matt Damon's La Gorce Island home is designed in the classic Old Florida Mediterranean-style. Though it has all the exterior character of the grand mansions of the Henry Flagler era, the interior is sharp contemporary. Damon and his new wife at the time acquired the double lots and their 1935 mansion dream home in 2005 for $14.5 million. The 12,705 square foot home has seven bedrooms, ten bathrooms, home theater and custom office. The enviable acre of premium waterfront land includes the main house, pool house with roof terrace and a two bedroom guest house. With 170 feet of water frontage on Biscayne Bay, it also has a dock and views of downtown Miami. Matt is asking $18.999 million.

Sheryl Crow's Solar Horse Farm

Sheryl Crow's Cross Creek Farm in Tennessee is situated on 152 rolling acres with a western-style saloon, barn, outdoor riding arenas, a building for farm equipment, large storage building, guest-staff houses, and a pool with waterfall and spa. One of the most interesting and timely features of the estate is Sheryls forward thinking by installing a solar system that is designed to reduce electric costs by 42%. Sheryl first listed the farm for $7.5 million in early 2010. She put the home back on the market in 2013 for $5.8 million.

Kid Rock's Balinese Paradise

His fans might expect Kid Rock to live in a log cabin with a couple of hens roosting on the porch railing. Its hard to picture him in the sophisticated Balinese-style mansion he now has for sale in Malibu. Kid's immaculate home is 8,305 square feet with dark hand-carved wooden columns and pristine white walled background. Large sweeps of glass open to the lanai, balconies and tropical landscape with views of the pool and guest house situated across the lawn. Inside, there are five bedrooms, five full baths, gym, large chefs kitchen and a formal living room that can be turned into a media screening room. Kid is asking $13.45 million.

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TopTenRealEstateDeals.com Presents: 2013's Top 10 Celebrity Homes for Sale

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Landscaping & Outdoor Building Swimming Pools & Spas Landscaping Ideas for Pool Areas

Heidi Cardenas

Heidi Cardenas specializes in human resources, business and personal finance, small-business advice, home and garden and home improvement. Her professional background includes human resources and business administration, technical writing and corporate communications. She has studied horticulture and business administration, and enjoys guest blogging for publications including Herb Companion Magazine, Natural Home Living Magazine, and Mother Earth Living.

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Pools are a big investment and require special consideration during design and installation. Landscaping around them creates an atmosphere and sets a scene. Plants, shrubs, trees and landscape materials should complement the pool and minimize yard and garden maintenance. Whether simple or elaborate, plan pool area landscaping along with pool design for the best results.

The landscaping around a pool is the setting for a large feature of your property. Plan the landscaping at the same time you plan the size, type and location of the pool. Make a list of how you want the pool and plants around it to look, what plants you want to use and where you want to buy them, what your budget is for landscaping and your timeline for completion. Sketch the pool shape and dimensions on graph paper, and make several copies of it. Try out different plants and color combinations on the swimming pool sketch. Consider growth habits, mature size and maintenance of the landscaping plants you are considering.

Use natural stone and rock in poolside landscaping to create texture and minimize plant and shrub maintenance. Consider a natural stone border and patio around the pool, with plants and shrubs planted 20 to 25 feet from the pool's edge to avoid plant litter in the pool or pool chemical damage to the plants. Granite and slate slabs, landscape boulders, river rock, blue stone, purple quartz, red rock and rainbow rock are just some of the decorative stones and rocks you can use in landscaping around pools.

Use flowering perennials as much as possible to cut down on maintenance and add color and interest from spring to fall. Perennial ornamental grasses and rocks or boulders create a savanna-like look. Flowering shrubs like butterfly bush attract butterflies and birds. Fragrant flowering shrubs like lilacs and camellias add another dimension, perfumed fragrance, to the landscaping around your pool. Flowering ground covers create a maintenance-free carpet around pools for a simple look.

Use lights in landscaping around pools to add nighttime drama and illumination. Use solar lighting, lanterns along pathways, underwater pool lights and spotlights on the patio and deck. Also consider ornamental plants or decorative items like sculptures to extend the area's usefulness into the evening without the cost of electricity.

If you have a pool, it likely serves as a focal point of your outdoor landscape. Pools provide a space for entertaining...

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Landscaping Ideas for Pool Areas | eHow - eHow | How to Videos ...

Today, 18 percent of IT workers are self-employed, and this number is growing by 7 percent annually compared to 5.5 percent for the rest of the independent workforce, according to research presented by Patrick Thibodeau in a recent article on Computerworld. This accelerated growth in IT is being driven by the need for the right skills to match a rapidly changing technology landscape. Independent experts fill temporary project needs and help a business avoid a commitment to fixed-cost employees when long-term growth is uncertain. Midsize businesses in particular are sensitive to fixed commitments while the economic recovery remains tentative and talent in emerging areas such as data science is commanding high prices for permanent positions.

Right Talent, Right Time

Independent workers bring the right skills to IT in less time than a permanent employee drawn from a significantly larger geographic talent pool. Talent alone does not guarantee value for a business. Successful integration with existing IT professionals and the ability to forge relationships with business users or external clients remain outstanding challenges for both independent and permanent employees. The use of independent talent, however, minimizes the inherent risk by allowing the business to end a contract with minimal penalty and to contract anew with an alternative resource.

Midsize organizations benefit greatly from access to independent workers when the resource requirements are often less than full time. Individual projects do not have to be delayed while waiting for these needs to be filled across multiple projects. Each project can acquire the right skills at the right time instead of sharing potentially generalist skills.

Team from Talent

The ability to rapidly integrate these outsiders into the organization with minimal friction is necessary to generate return on their skills. Independent workers are likely to bring their own technology, and businesses with comprehensive bring-your-own-device (BYOD), wireless and remote access policies in place are prepared for the variety of technologies that may be brought. Identifying access requirements through data governance policies ensures that the independent worker is able to view relevant materials without exposing internal documentation to the security risks of external email or public cloud tools.

Employing social business technology such as wikis, instant messaging, online meetings and collaboration work space integrate the independent expert with the business and facilitate remote work if necessary. Midsize businesses with budgetary constraints can also avoid maintaining idle permanent office space by accommodating mobile workers with remote social tools when face-to-face interactions are not required all the time. An independent worker can integrate more easily with existing teams as needed when the business is familiar with social business technologies and flexible collaboration.

The right skills from independent workers are available to businesses of all sizes. A business that has positioned itself for social collaboration is more likely to gain value from this expanding pool of talent that fits with midsize business needs.

This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

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Right Technology, Right Skills, Right Fit

In the city of Phoenix swimming pool construction and landscaping design go by the name of Arizona Pools & Landscape. With over a decades worth of experience as landscapers and swimming pool builders we know what it takes to make your outdoor space compelling. We will work with you hand in hand on your custom landscape and pool with your wishes front and center. Visit our Photo Gallery to see some of our very finest landscaping and pool work, and schedule your free on-site consultation that will serve as the first step in our creative collaboration. Customizing your luxury backyard addition is fun and affordable when you work with the professionals at Arizona Pools & Landscape.

Why work with more expensive and less professional Phoenix swimming pool builders or landscapers when you can find everything you need under one roof at Arizona Pools & Landscape? Our products and services include:

Working closely with you from design through construction is the only way we know how to do business, and our approach will keep you informed and inspired as we bring your landscaping dreams to fruition.

There are many Phoenix pool companies and landscapers to choose from; seemingly one on every corner these days. Most of these companies are average at best, and when upgrading your landscape and pool average just wont do. As one of the most respected landscaping and pool contracting firms in the greater Phoenix area we are passionate about the work we do, and it shows. When its time to upgrade your outdoor space make Arizona Pools & Landscape your first and only call.

Arizona Pools & Landscape looks forward to collaborating with you on the landscape of your dreams, and is proud to serve the cities of:

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Phoenix Swimming Pool Construction | Custom Landscape Design