That would be an awesome pond with potted tropicals like palms and bananas would look like a little cabana in Hawaii, lol. I believe you can cut any limbs off the neighbors trees that hang over into your yard. I have to do one of mine a few times a year or I can't mow along my fence without getting my head taken off, lol.

Karyn, That would be ideal !! You just need some flat stones, make a waterfall... oh my, I can see it now.. great idea.

By law we can cut any branches that are overhanging in our yard. The problem is that if it causes damage to the tree we are responsible. The majority of the branches are hanging into our yard and they are along the entire fenceline. The only way they are responsible is if they are causing damage to our house or if the trees are diseased and at risk of falling. It would cost about 10K to have them removed and I'm sure the neighbors don't want to shell out the money. I would love to know if there's anything that I can inject into the trunk to kill the trees. that way we can force them to have them removed. We end up with a pile about 12' long 4' across and 3' high of pine needles that drop into the yard every year. They also get into the pool every time the wind blows. I have to empty the skimmer baskets 5 times a day just to keep them from clogging. There's been 3 families in that house since we've been here and every owner has been a PITA. Our neighbors on the other side are wonderful.
Karyn

WOW!!! Karyn that would be awsome!!! I'm with Edna I can see it now and I have Banana's puppin like you would not believe...LOl I can help!!
Check your email!!
Kylie

ohhhh that would be awesome, and a nice hammock too. You could just relax and listen to the water trickle.

Mary

Karyn, your forcing me to tell on myself. LOL

We actually did use a hot tub for a pond in our sunroom. The people that came in and saw the koi in it nearly died. They were all amazed at us for using it for a pond on the inside. We even used the pump on it. I don't remember exactly how because someone else helped with it. We had to clean it out every couple of months to keep the fish odor and poop out of the house. But it was wonderful.

Maybe you could just use some kind of shade cloth on the sides where the pine needles fall from. I agree with everyone else if your not using it for yourself turn it into a pond. It is sooooooo Relaxing once everything is done. It will also be one of the favorite places to hang out in the back yard. LOL Use Kylies nana trees, a bunch of Elephant Ears, and lots of shade loving plants with lots of color.

I'm in hog heaven just thinking about it. I've been looking on Craigs List and there are alot of hot tubs listed for free or for like $100 but I can't find one close enough for me to go get. Besides, if I even told George I was looking for one to put in another pond, he'd probably throw me out. LOL

Just remember if you do turn it into a pond, you will be hooked for the rest of your life.

A word of advice. JUST DO IT!

Love Ya, Marian

That would be realy neat. Endless possibilities. Wish I had it.LOL

The heck with the fish, I want a hot tub to use as a hot tub!

Karyn, you have everything! I'm jealous.

Linda

Mary I was reading your post and thinking how did you know there's a hammock up there? I didn't think it was in any of the pics then I realized that you meant get a hammock. lol I love crashing in the hammock, especially when I can talk one of the kids into rocking it for me until I fall asleep. I've actually spent almost the entire night sleeping on the hammock more then once and that's without the help of intoxicants. lol
Karyn

PS Kylie got your email. It's certainly worth a try as long as I don't get caught :)

Karyn, it is like they say..... Great minds think alike!!!

Mary

I doubt it would hurt the tree if you cut it properly. Otherwise I bet there are tap roots running under you fence. I think you need to make a new flower bed there and hack out all those big roots, lol. Might kill the tree.

It's not the trees that you can see in the pic behind the tub. The trees are adjacent to the left and run along the fenceline. If we removed the offending branches we'd be cutting off 2/3 of the trees. The branches are more in my yard then the owners. The original owners were actually a really nice couple and I doubt they realized just how big the trees would get. When we moved in the trees were all of 5' tall. If they still lived there they never would have allowed them to grow like that. Unfortunately they divorced and she forced the sale of the house. There's been 3 owners since and none have taken proper care of the landscaping. At least the people there now keep their lawn moved. The previous owners were pigs and the neighborhood banded together and made living here very unpleasant for them to say the least. lol They moved out fairly quickly.
Karyn

Oh, well you can always have the kids bag the pine needles and sell them as mulch, lol.

omg karyn, that would make the absolute most awesome pond ever. I agree with the elephant ear suggestion, too!

rofl! marian! you had an indoor pond too? we just use a giant rubbermaid tub with a filter hanging on the side, LOL. we used to have three koi but my favorite one died about a month ago :( I think the spring temperature swing was too much for it. the tub used to be right next to my bed, and it would be the coolest thing when I was half-awake in the dark, I'd reach over and stick my fingers in the water and they'd be promptly nibbled by chilly friendly mouths. I love my koi, lol. I had a whole jungle thing going on, I dug up some huge ferns from the woods and got a pair of big taro, and I had (still have) a giant passiflora incense whose vines got so big I actually draped them across some 10 feet to the opposite wall like a canopy over the bed. and omg, you wouldn't beLIEVE how delighted I was when the ferns came back this spring after my friends were convinced they were dead XD

ri

ROFLAMO, hubby just thinks I took over the house with plants this winter. At least I only kept a few plants in the bedroom window.

I guess I pushed the envelope a little too much when I told the ex-husband I wanted to turn our inground pool into a koi pond.

I personnaly didn't see a problem with it since he hardly ever used it. Just me and my grandchildren used it and it cost so much for all the chemicals. I just figured I'd enjoy it better as a Koi pond.

Needless to say that never happened. Cause the jerk, ran off with a younger woman he worked with. LOL

But once you have had a pond, your mind will run overtime thinking about all the different things you can make a pond out of. LOL

Linda, check on Craigslist for free things near you. They nearly always have hot tubs for free, you haul off. They make great ponds.

Happy Gardening and Ponding,
Marian

I use the pool but don't use the hot tub. I don't use the sauna very much either but can't think of any other use for it except to store pool floats and chairs.
Karyn

I would love to see when you are done turning your hot tub into a pond Karyn! That looks like a very tropical setting already and with plants behind it and a few potted ones in the front, the pond will look exotic!