We’ve removed our old overground pool and are left with an enormous area that is sandy on top of dirt. There’s a gravel border on the outside. My plan was to fill the whole thing with pea gravel and make a raised bed garden on one side and a little fire pit area on the other.
I have since learned pea gravel is not the answer!! (Learned from this Reddit!) 😭 Any suggestions on what to do- crushed gravel perhaps?? Mulch??
by Terrible-Duck-5526
27 Comments
You dodged a bullet avoiding pea gravel. It never locks in and feels like walking in a ball pit. For the fire pit side you want a crushed stone with dust mixed in like three eighths minus or decomposed granite. It packs down completely solid so your chairs will not sink and trip you. Tamp that existing sand down flat and lay your crushed stone right on top of it. It gives you a perfect hardscape base that stays exactly where you put it.
For the raised bed half of the oval you need to skip the stone entirely. Build your boxes straight over the sand and fill the walking paths between them with a massive layer of arborist wood chips. Chips are usually free from local tree companies and they actually belong in a garden setting. They soak up rainwater, keep weeds choked out, and slowly rot into the ground to fix that dead soil profile underneath. It keeps the working side of the garden functional and soft underfoot.
Right now you are staring at a giant bald spot that floats awkwardly in the grass. You have to anchor this new setup with plants so it looks intentional. Put a sweeping mass of structural native shrubs around the backside of the fire pit to block the view of that shed and give you some enclosure. Building a living green wall around the seating area is what turns a flat abandoned space into a proper outdoor room.
I’m planning on making a geodesic dome greenhouse in my old pool spot.
Could do mulch or stone, or both. I like black mulch, but whatever you like, you can get white stone and kinda outline it with like 5 inches going all around with mulch in the middle, potted plants. Could do white stone in middle with mulch around, you could still make and area to sit if you wanted to, you could get a couple small potted trees also to add to , lots of possibilities
Don’t listen to people about pea gravel. When used properly it can look amazing. It’s just not used for building bases. It’s more of a decorative stone. Maybe for a small area or say in-between flagstone on a path.
Your problem is not peastone.. it’s you have a giant pool shaped pad. I’d remove that. Pile like materials for reuse later, then redesign. And build something new that you actually want. Just do it slowly over the entire summer if you need to.
Bocce pit and horseshoes
Japanese rock garden, low maintenance and beautiful.
A spiral labyrinth
Rose garden
Great spot for a new pool
I have a pea gravel path in my garden and I love it. Would not recommend if you have a dog that digs or a curious toddler but otherwise, it’s been great! Just have to keep on top of weeds right at the start of the season.
A ballpark budget would be helpful. I did flagstone with a masonry firepit, that was $15K years ago. It’s really lovely, but it would be $30K+ now.
Sacrificial alter
Fire pit
Fire pit with chairs
Surround the space with trellis and plant lots of vines and weeping, flowering things (wisteria, jasmine, climbing roses) to create a semi-enclosed area- a literal wall of flowers and green. Create a low wall of planters where you can plant lavender, zinnias, fox glove, herbs (sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary). And in the center either go for a fire feature of a water feature and arrange some benches around the center piece. I’m thinking something like a cross between a manicured English garden but wild with lots of flowers and herbs. Research what flowers when in your zone so you have color all season. Tulips for early spring, zinnias and dahlias for summer, flowering herbs for late summer/fall. Wish I could respond with an image- this is one thing I like using AI for to help visualize.
Sumo dohyō
BOCCE BALL!!
Already have the sand base for stone,just get rid of the pos gravel.
I would put a pool in!
Putting green!
Easter island head
Oh my God, I feel so sorry for you. I took down an above ground pool that was in place for maybe like 40 years. I have a compact tractor with a bucket loader. I don’t know how or why but my father put down like a foot and a half of sand. I scooped out all the sand because I didn’t want the grass to dry up every summer. I filled the hole with a shit load of dirt from the guy adjoining my property who build a house. The only solution is to completely remove it and plant grass.
Zen garden
Seats and fire pit
Portal to the 5th dimension.
A new above ground pool would go great right there.
Park a 14’ circular trampoline there. Boom, done