What do you do with a leaky old pool surrounded by unattractive concrete decking that takes up half the backyard? Turn it into a colorful garden, of course.

In a clever redesign, landscape architect Jeff Glander filled in the fiberglass swimming pool and transformed the area into a pond, verdant garden, and casual patio for outdoor living.

Instead of removing the entire pool, Glander demolished the concrete deck, cut off the top of the pool's shell, punched a hole in the bottom, and filled in the remaining shell with drain rock and high-quality soil. Then he built a new concrete-lined two-tier pond with a waterfall inside the old shell. Patio pavers and brightly colored flower beds replaced the concrete deck. "Suddenly, it looks like a place you want to spend lots of time," noted a juror.

DESIGNER: Jeff Glander, Jeffrey B. Glander & Associates, Olympia, WA (360/357-6972)