A gift to grow on: a housewarming present evolves into a lush poolside landscape.

I started with a gift certificate. "We just moved here, and my brother, Bob Berman, gave me a gift certificate for a tree," said Joan Burwell, who with her husband Dudley had just completed the move to Jackson from Indianola. Their new house came complete with a front and side yard that was, to say the least, already quite filled with relatively new trees, all about "gift certificate size." The idea of additional trees seemed inappropriate, so I suggested that this gift certificate be used for a landscape plan for the severely deficient hack yard, an area about 100 feet wide but only about 20 feel deep. "Well, it does bother us, so proceed," said Dudley.

After looking over the resulting design plan, the Burwells offered an unexpected response. "We like the back yard design ... it's pretty, it works well, but is there any way to fit a swimming pool into the yard somewhere? Anywhere?" asked Dudley.

On analysis, the yard consisted of a relatively normal-sized front yard, a 15-foot north side yard already dedicated to the family dog, and a 35-foot south side yard reserved for the family cars. Lastly, and seemingly a very unlikely candidate for a pool, was the aforementioned 20-foot-deep rear yard with, incidentally, a 2 1/2-foot rise to the property line and a privacy problem to boot. Certainly not your ideal potential pool area.

Not to be daunted, I accepted their "wish list." the completed design was a surprise to all. The main part of the pool, 10 by 45 feel in size, was a perfect fit for the slim but long space and ideal for laps. I then added a 12-foot-wide area with pool steps projecting into the U-shaped space formed by the breakfast area and great room, the master bedroom, and the garage. In this area was also planned an arbor-covered patio for outdoor living and decorative plantings to go with it. On the opposite side of the pool and against the property line, I proposed a gazebo with a swing and fan. Together with connecting walks and plantings, it would be raised two feet above the pool for visual impact and to deal with the higher ground at the properly line. The gazebo, with its pitched roof, would offer highly effective screening. Along with a red berry pyracantha-covered fence, the gazebo would provide the necessary privacy a pool area demands as well as a splendid view from the house. Seating areas on each end with appropriate lush plantings completed the pool area design. "We really love it, but we also have some stained glass that belonged to my grandmother. Any way to use it?" asked Joan.

Creative juices challenged again, I noticed the need for something over the swing and against the gazebo's rear wall. In pursuit of the effect of a painting over a sofa, a stained glass design was created by Andy Young of Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson. The memory laced stained glass design was then framed like a picture, cut into the rear wall over the swing, and brought to life by light tubes behind it. The final challenge seemed solved. "That's it, we're happy," said Dudley. "Let's do it." Thinking of the soon-to-be-lovely pool area and its gift certificate beginnings, I smiled and nodded.

Carter Brown, registered landscape architect, is the head of the landscape department at Garden Works in Ridgeland.